Featured Prints Artist Interview with Anne-Julie

My name is Anne-Julie Aubry a.k.a. AnneJulieAubry, I'm 25 years old and i live in La Grande Motte, south of France. I live there since a year and half now and I must admit that I'm pretty much more inspired here than in the cold areas in the East of France. I'm a children's books illustrator, and I also work for the French Red Cross. I'm a shy person, a bit wild sometimes. I have a fantastic boyfriend, a lovely dog and some nice friends. I love to eat candies and chocolate, I like horror movies. I collect children's books and I can't live without listening some Trip-Hop everyday. I have a particular facility with colors since my childhood.

I took my first art lessons while I was very young. One day, after kindergarten, my mother thought that I have an artistic talent and so she wanted me to discover the world of Art by having art lessons with professional people and artists. I'm a lucky girl, because my mother is not rich at all, but she does a lot for me, she always believes in me and in what I do. Obviously, at age 18, I went to Beaux-Arts. I graduated from it with a degree in Illustration. So, I'm not a self-taught artist, even if I'd so love to be one. I admire them, they are pure genius. However, I think my style would absolutely not be the same without all those art lessons I took.

Actually, I prefer traditional mediums, in particular acrylic paintings and oil pastels. About the choice of mediums, I would say that it depends. When I'm working with professional people, like editors, I ask them first what they prefer. Usually they choose the digital way, because it's faster and because they have requirements with respect to the quality and to the format of the image. But I'm always the last judge. If I think the work will be better in traditional, then I use this way. When I have some meticulous things to do, I prefer to choose the digital way. I can also begin to work in painting, and then after scanning it, I can finish my details in a digital way.

Yes of course, there are advantages and inconveniences for both mediums. I like painting because I can have beautiful textures and renderings. I can easily scratch my paper for example, a thing I can't do in a digital way. I also love collage and how the paper interacts with my medium. We're more in the same way, even if I can't have the same effects in digital, I'm more meticulous when I'm working in Photoshop, Painter or Artrage. It seems to me that the freedom of creation is stronger and more significant in traditional. And, I like to have some difficulties, you know, the digital way is a bit too easy, you can do and undo almost everything you draw, in traditional, you must be a master to do the same.

I've had personal exhibitions in the past, everything went well each time. I will have some exhibitions in 2006. It's very nice to meet people who like my illustrations, to answer their questions, to take special commissions, but... it's not my priority. For the moment, I prefer to work for editors. I guess I need to be more recognized as an artist and illustrator to be more approached by important galleries. I consider myself a beginner.

Whimsical, childish, fresh and colorful. These are the words that people generally use in connection with my illustrations. Ah yes, I forgot "cute" also, even if this word is starting to irritate me. Cute is too simple, nowadays everything is cute. In my opinion, my art is just a funny and a cheer up thing. It's inspired by my mood, by my everyday discoveries. And, after all, why does illustration exist? To put colors and lines on words. In French I would say "mon art n'est qu'une tambouille de couleurs" which means "my art is just a mix of colors".

Uff.. a lot of things! First thing would be my childhood, and how I was seeing the world around me. Then you can add some famous painters like Le Douanier-Rousseau, Chagall, Klimt, Rothko, Gauguin, Hundertwasser, Alechinsky or even Basquiat... I'm inspired by Outsiders Art too. And also by other children's books illustrators, especially French ones. My inspiration comes from music, from Trip-Hop in particular. The sense of smell is also an important thing for me. The wind is a big source of inspiration for me, I love its smell, its caress, and I frequently use it in my paintings.

It's very simple. Usually the first thing I do is to choose my paper. This is an important thing as I love to use different sorts of paper. My preferred one is Arche paper, a French high quality one. Then I make some sketches; I draw and erase a lot until I'm completely happy with the result. I scan my drawing in order to save it on my computer. To finish, I choose to use traditional mediums or to go digital, as I said before, it depends on the subject and on the work.

Yes I see what you want to mean. In fact, it's the only way for me to represent characters and animals. I never really put myself the question. It's how I draw, it's my style I guess. When I take a look at an animal, a sheep, a cow, a cat, in real life I mean, I instantly see principal lines of them. I don't know why, but for me a cow is a square thing with a head and 4 legs. I always simplify what I observe. So most of the time my cows are squared cows. About sheep, I only see their spiral of wool, for example. You know that sometimes reality is very boring. It's impossible for me to use my drawings as an exact mirror of the reality. The other important fact is that I draw for children's books. In my opinion, colored and simplified lines are the best for children. Each time I asked a child if he/she sees what I drew, this is what they said to me. They instantly recognize what is on the picture. About figures, i just go the the essential. The expression of the face is a very important thing for me. If I succeed in drawing a correct expression of face, then the character is half finished.

I'm working on 2 children's books, but I can't say more for the moment, sorry. I'm also working on paintings for an exhibition as I will have in August this year and I'm working on special commissioned paintings. I just finished some catalog covers for several French editors.

Oh yes of course. I'm already a silly author. But only for myself. Sometimes I write some words, everywhere, at work, at home.. and I'm pretty sure that one day I will be able to write a whole story for myself and to illustrate it. For the moment I just have too much work, and I'm a bit lazy with the idea of writing and illustrate a whole children's book by myself.

Well, my opinion about such ideas is very easy: Of course illustrators are artists. Why? Because even if it's true that most of the time an illustrator works and illustrates other people's words and texts, most of the time they illustrate their own texts too. In this case they are author and illustrators. So, this only one argument is not really good. Moreover, an illustrator has to read the text before illustrating it, and the author rarely describes the characters, forms, animals and elements of the story in details. The illustrator must call upon his own imagination to put the words into images, and to create an authentic atmosphere. For me, it is an artistic work. We use the same techniques as painters, acrylics, oil painting, collage... but the only one difference is that our trade is to create images intended for books. We ARE artists, complete artists. As I said you before, I have a degree in illustration from Beaux-Arts. If illustration wasn't a form of art, why do art schools also specialize in illustration? I'm an illustrator, I'm an artist.

- Oh! my favorite color combination is turquoise/orange. But I also love red monochrome colors. About cartoons, too many to choose only one, but for the moment, my favorite cartoon characters are those from 'Foster's home for imaginary friends', I love this cartoon. My favorite book as a child was "Pierrot ou les secrets de la nuit" by Michel Tournier. It was the story of Pierrot, who loves Colombine, his friend of childhood, his pretty neighbor. Colombine is a washerwoman and she works during the day. Pierrot is a baker, he works by night. Gradually, Colombine is wearied of her love who works during the night when everyone else is asleep. Then pass Arlequin, the painter with the colors of the rainbow... It was one of my first discoveries about what colors are able to give to people. Such a big sense for me now. Do you know what? 2 weeks ago, someone offered me the book while I was at the Red Cross. I had not read it for at least 15 years.

To everyone: be curious, be silly, be happy.
To illustrators: It's necessary to be courageous and perseverant in this job, you should not be discouraged in front of difficulties and refusal of editors. It's very important to remain yourself, and to be aware of sharks.
Thanks to all people who support me and my art, thanks to all my friends here on deviantART. Please forgive my bad English and of course a big hug to Ollie/MidnightExigent.