| I don’t know exactly when I started drawing. As far back as I can remember, I always had a pen in my hand and ideas inside my mind. Then I started exploring computer graphics at 15 years of age and I never stopped enjoying this mix of drawing and technology. After five years of professional school (visual communication), I fulfilled my childhood dream and started to work for different videogame development studios in Paris. This quickly became repetitive and boring so, in January of 2000, I started working as a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and motion designer. |  |
Can Someone Please Feed the Cat – Stephane Tartelin
I don’t know exactly when I started drawing. As far back as I can remember, I always had a pen in my hand and ideas inside my mind. Then I started exploring computer graphics at 15 years of age and I never stopped enjoying this mix of drawing and technology. After five years of professional school (visual communication), I fulfilled my childhood dream and started to work for different videogame development studios in Paris. This quickly became repetitive and boring so, in January of 2000, I started working as a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and motion designer. I was lucky to work in a range of fields such as at an advertising agency, a production/special effects company, a few TV channels, in publishing—I could explore all of the facets and techniques of graphic design, post-production, three-dimensionality, photography and, of course, illustration which remains my favorite playground of all.
I’m constantly drawing all the time, everywhere, and the drawings are of whatever happens around me. Everything can be an inspiration, but traveling and music are my most trusted and favorite “inspiration drugs.” I love to improvise when I’m drawing—not only just in order to execute the picture that I have in my mind, but also to provoke graphical accidents in keeping with my personal style. If I had to summarize my influences, I would, modestly, say that I’m “Egon Schiele meets Myazakiî,” two artists that I admire. The former for his tortured, graphic and avant-garde drawings and the latter for his research of the oneiric and poetic universe. I also admire people like Michel Gondry, for his ability to innovate all the time.
In general, I am very curious and passionate about illustration, graphic design and technology, especially when I discover new artists who have strong and very personal styles. It provides me with an enviousness of their work—a drive to go forward and to not repeat myself. My best project in 2006 was the art book Bliss Express: Exploring Happiness with Althea Chia from Guupress. Althea provided me with full freedom of creativity, and with a great opportunity to be published with some wonderful worldwide illustrators. A great exhibition was also organized at the Nucleus gallery in California for the launch of the book. In the future, I would most like to work with more collaborators in foreign countries—to meet new artists, experience a new workflow and a new style.
