Uprising

Without further words to let you appreciate the visuals, a trailer for the latest project I was working on !

Behind Blue Eyes

First series of life drawings in 2 years... didn't realize time had flown so fast ! But it gave me the drawing virus back so I'll try to keep it up more regularly, even if I say that more often that actually fulfill it.

Robot Rock

Here's a sneak peak of Transformers Prime 1st season, the TV series I've been working on lately, before moving onto new exciting projects. It has fairly solid scripts and the quality of animation and visuals is undeniable compared to some other CGI series I've seen. It's being aired on The Hub in the US but you can also check it out on YouTube !

The House of the Rising Sun

お久しぶりですね～ I have now moved to Tōkyō to work on CG TV series. It is going to be quite a change from my usual 4s of animation a week on features, but a great experience to learn in the country of animes.

Birdland

Here is a showreel of my work on 'Legend of the Guardians' at Animal Logic from 2008 to 2010. You can see the extended credits on the Vimeo site. I have had a talented lead who taught me the subtleties of acting, and the importance of references use. The fight sequence between Ezylryb and Nyra was a nice action-packed work to do at the end. We have had the usual issues you'd get on this type of wide-scale production, but the crew was amazing and we can definitely see it on every frame of the film.

Stay tuned for updates !

All my Own Stunts

 

Another flipbook !

Paint it Black

Playing with a cut brush, china ink and my pencils...

Down by the River

Old and new sketches for a rainy day by the river...

Kanga-Roo

Perfect Blue

Trying new colors but I still prefer the dark blue to describe music in monotypes, I don't know why... for those who were wondering, monotypes are a unique print or engraving from, in my case, a gouache on glass paint (I just have a rough pencil drawing underneath to help me), hence the left-handed guitarists.

Star Guitar

Take Five

My saxophone. One of the most sensual instruments...

Drum Song

While my Guitar Gently Weeps

The music monotypes are back !

Word on a Wing

With the 'Legend of the Guardians' being released in cinemas and my move back to Europe, things have been pretty hectic lately.

Looking back, it has been a wonderful experience and opportunity to learn from gifted artists, and discover Australia. I started in the Art Department for Guardians before moving onto Animation... now more than 2 years later, it's finally released. I'm hoping to share some of the artwork created for the film with you at some point and I can only advise you all to go and see the film !

See Legend of the Guardians official website for more info.

As Time Goes By

After 2 years at Animal Logic on 'Legend of the Guardians', I'm off for some traveling and other adventures in France. I have had the chance to work with a very talented crew, and my work got only better and better. I will truly miss Sydney and its 'douceur de vivre', and the wonderful people met there, but I am sure my path will bring me back here someday. Stay tuned for owls drawings and animations to come !

Night Bird Flying

The latest trailer for 'Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole' has been released yesterday. It will be playing in 2D and 3D in cinemas in front of Toy Story 3 which will be released in the US on June 18, and in Australia on June 24. None of my shots are in there this time, so you'll have to wait a bit more to see what these two years were all about !

A Hazy Shade of Winter

A few sketches not to loose the habit. I guess I should have drawn plenty of koalas and kangaroos by now, but I find them somehow really hard to draw ! Maybe later...

Cherry Blossom Girl

Now Sydney is heading to winter, work getting really busy, I'm missing Europe... thankfully I can still receive nice surprises like cherry tree flowers in the mail !

Rock the Casbah

Last but not least of my student and first features work: 'Persepolis', or the brilliant 2D animated film which combines an unusual coming-of-age story, revolution, war, rock, and love. I am very proud to count it as the first film I have worked on, and hopefully it predicts many others gems to come.

Amor Porteño

Cold Desert

Reptilia

Another Brick in the Wall

Last Friday, a large-scale projection installation in downtown Oakland, CA, screened our short film 'Blind Spot'. It seemed the perfect environment for it, and I hope those who've seen it enjoyed it, along with the other films shown at this event. Photos thanks to Issabella Shields.

Kings and Queens

The first images of the movie Legend of the Guardians (previously Guardians of Ga'Hoole) came out on the web today ! I have been working on this full CG animated film for the last year and a half (for both art and animation), which is quite ironic after having done mice... Above is an image of one of my shots in the trailer. It just opened in theaters, attached to 'Alice in Wonderland', so keep an eye out for it !

Links:

http://legendoftheguardians.warnerbros.com/

http://legend-of-the-guardians.movie-trailer.com/

Pressed in a Book

And for the first time, a compilation of my work on 'The Tale of Despereaux', back in 2007-20008, at Framestore in London. As a Junior Character Animator, I did mostly cycles and background stuff. But I learned a lot there, and have been given a few hero shots towards the end. The credits are detailed on Vimeo. Enjoy !

Old Home Movie

And old exercises from School... at the end you can notice a part of my flash short film (artwork here).

Rewind

Thought I could finally put my Stop Motion Showreel, done at the Bristol School of Animation during the whole summer of 2005. I've basically relearned animation there, improved my life drawing gestures (as the sessions involved a dancer who'd constantly be in motion), met the nicest people, enjoyed the hippie Glastonbury and the beautiful sea coast... some of the best times of my life !

Let there be more Light

As you've probably noticed lately, I am putting together some of my student work and recent projects. I  thought there was a few nice animations which deserved to be shown somewhere, my reel focusing mostly on 3D and film work. And once this is done I can go forward !

This FX short has been made with 2 other students during my second year at School. I have drawn the background as well as the layout, animated the effects  in 2D (waterfall, rain, ponds), did some color researches and digitally painted the animation (previous post here).

You can also see it on Vimeo. And if you have some time, don't hesitate to have a look at the other shorts, or keep an eye on it, there's more to come !

Jungle Drum

 

Cat Blues

 

I am the Walrus

Dive to Blue

By a rainy day in Sydney...

When the Sun Goes Down

Sydney, where I have been living for 3 months now.

The Real Man

 

I feel sorry for the few people left to pass by my blog, seeing at the too rare updates. But I can't publish the drawings from the project I am working on yet, and have barely some time outside to work on my own projects. So here are again pieces from our Wednesdays' life drawing sessions, 20s each.

Light My Fire

I have always wanted to draw a flipbook one day, and when my friend Magali performed fire Poi in Seal Rocks, I thought it would be a nice idea to create a meaningful one. Looking at the collage now make me think of an Asian signs alphabet, full of life, which would Magali's secret writing.

Just Like a Woman

Sessions of 10 to 20 s life drawing to get back to pencils !

Link

I'll keep looking for the link between music and drawing, and I wish I could only draw music I listen to one day, not only the musicians...

New Born

After settling at the other side of the world, trying to get a connection and fighting to keep my blog's address (well especially the drawings with your nice comments !), everything should be back to normal. I've started working on a new animated feature to come, in pre-production and recently animating. Which explains the rarity of posts... maybe I could add that it's hard to show random sketches I am not completely satisfied with, but I'll work on that !

The Past and Pending

The Animation of "the Tale of Despereaux" draws to its end, I'm broadening my horizons, and it is as an artist, then animator, that I'm going to make my debut at Animal Logic in Sydney. I'm leaving in a few days, and since my things arrive by ship within 2 months, I'll try to post new stuff at that time ! So here's a sneak preview of the job made by Framestore's artists:

http://despereaux-trailer.blogspot.com/

Rhapsody in Blue

Yesterday I stumbled upon my concerts sketchbooks and monotypes I had done from it. I had never shown them before, but that's actually what I draw most of the time, between the many festivals I have attended in England and France, or various gigs which fill up my shelves.

Sometimes in the Fall

Today I'm sick and outside all is grey, Fall has taken its place. It's the occasion for posting this old piece I have painted during my first year at Gobelins (4 years yet...)

Exit School (For a Film)

Finally ! The film I talk so much about, which I co-directed last year at Gobelins, is now out on our website, through the link below. As for the photos, it is a quick view of the long storyboarding process. There was chasse-croise sequences at the begining, but we had to be realistic and shortened the film down.

http://www.blindspotthemovie.com/

Heads Will Roll

Karate rue de la Tour d'Auvergne in Paris, where some friends of mine train on the black belt kata Kankudai !

Interlude...

I've just arrived in London, and as with all new house movings, it will take time before I find my marks. Until then, I'm going to work at Framestore as a Character Animator on their new animated feature film, "The Tale of Despereaux". So, be patient...

A Horse with no Name

Animation piece of a horse walking, in water-colour...

Lights

Venice by night, in the rain, and Pierrot reviving its lights... It's the start point of this  FX short  film in 2D directed with 2 other students. Here are the color researches and final background I have done.