Agnès Ernoult

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Animals

Black & White

Cartoon & Humour

Character Design

Children

People

Child with fairy wings and bug character creating colorful magic swirl

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Boy in glasses painting a large shaggy dog with a red brush by Agnès Ernoult

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Illustration of a shaggy dog and a boy playing, by Agnès Ernoult

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Colorful illustration of a girl and hamster in a bedroom by Agnès Ernoult

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Knight riding a spotted snail with a jester by Agnès Ernoult

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Black and white sketch of a haunted house with eerie trees

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Illustration for the good mood

Fine ladies in wigs, angry witches and crazy dinosaurs - these are just some of the characters that French illustrator Agnès Ernoult has created for her clients in recent years.

Training

Agnès studied for a degree in Illustration at Ecole Pivaut in Nantes for four years. She thinks of it as the Hogwarts for future artists.

Approach

Optimism is the very first stage in Agnès’ process. When she starts an image she tells herself it’s going to be the best work she’s ever done. She is always aiming to improve. Then she begins with some quick sketches to explore the subject matter and when she’s settled on what she wants to capture, Agnès creates a bigger sketch with as much of the final detail as possible. Watercolour is her medium of choice, and when the sketching is complete she tests out some colour combinations on a small piece of paper. This way she can find something unique, perfect for the piece she’s working on. She has mastered a range of watercolour effects, and often uses ink for the outlines.

Styles

Agnes’ style of watercolour painting gives her work a soft and delicate look. It’s a subtle style, with a retro feel and a touch of humour. She loves to include nature in her illustrations such as floral details, and little insects and animals that give each image extra life. She also offers a looser and punchier cartoon style, which is ideal when the illustration needs to make people laugh.

Impressions

Interview

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Interview

What led you to become an illustrator?Drawing was always my favourite activity.Did you study illustration at college?I studied Illustration at L’Ecole Pivaut in Nantes and I still miss it, good times!Where did you grow up?I grew up in Rennes, Brittany, west of France. We invented crêpes.Do you have a childhood memory relating to drawing/art that you hold dear?I was about 5 or 6 when my father bought me this incredible professional colour pencils box. I still have it with me, it's one of my treasures from childhood.Where do you live now and what drew you there?I live in Lille, north of France. As Jaime Lannister would say; "The things I do for love!"Do you have any studio pets?I used to have two cats who I loved dearly, a son and his mum, but he accidentally pushed her out of the window! I still have him and he's the best to bring a heartwarming presence in the studio, in spite of his murderous instincts.Who or What is your biggest inspiration?Animals, definitely.How do you get your ideas? They can come from everywhere - a story someone told me, music, a walk outside.Do you collect anything?Seeds to grow into edible stuff.What is the first record you bought?Spice by the Spice Girls!Tell us about a favourite project you've recently completed.I've been working on this book with aliens invading our planet, it's been really good fun, there was a great communication with the author, Olivier Pog, we share the same sense of humour.What would be your dream job/commission?More packaging! And I would absolutely love to create designs for a kids clothing shop, for example.Why is illustration such a powerful medium? Tough one. It's like music, it speaks to everyone and the possibilities are endless.What is the best use of illustration you have ever seen? Even tougher! I saw a Disney exhibition in Paris recently with lots of concept arts and character design artworks, it was incredible, I was really moved by the beauty of them. Walt Disney and his artists really were pioneers and visionaries.Who is your art hero?Ronald Searle.Who is your design hero?Courrèges.Who is your musical hero? The Spice Girls.What's the best advice you've ever been given?Not very original but here it is; trust in yourself and do what makes you happy.Do you have a method for dealing with the feeling of having no ideas?I make a playlist with tunes that could inspire me with a specific atmosphere, scary, happy, mysterious, etc. Music works very well on me.How would someone who knows you well describe you? She or he would say that I spend too much time watching my plants grow.If you could travel back in time, who would be the one person you would want to meet and why?Hugo Pratt, to watch him paint and ask him to tell me about his trips all over the world.

Favourites

Born: Brittany, France Residence: Lille, France Café: L’Impertinente, Lille Gallery: Nucleus Gallery, LA Art Equipment/Tool: Winsor & Newton watercolour box Food: carrot cake from Ahh Toots Drink: green juices Magazine: Causette.fr Holiday/Travel Destination: L'Ile d'Yeu, Bristol