Friday 24 December 2010

COLOR STUDY

Hi!!

Based on a sketch done few months ago in Pornichet, I made this 2 hours color study  with photoshop.












 Here is the original sketch.












Guillaume

Saturday 11 December 2010

TWO DAYS IN THE ZOO

Hi,

In spring and early summer, I had already familiarized myself with the tremendous wealth Animal of the "zoo de Beauval". When I went back in September and October I wanted to go beyond the classical production of animal sketches. So I chosed to approach the subject as an illustration, incorporating animals in their natural environment but in a decorative manner, integrating the text as a element of the general composition.
The pencil sketches were done on moleskine paper and the two watercolor on moleskine watercolor paper.

This first group was done in september...














And this group of sketches were done in october.



























The "zoo de Beauval"  stay open during winter and i hope to go back soon to study some others animals in their tropical and australian green house...but without watercolor (I experimented it already, too much humidity to do it!).

See you soon

Guillaume.

Saturday 20 November 2010

BLOIS IN AUTUMN LIGHT


Hi!

Sometimes, car offers some advantages. I was coming back from the countryside, disappointed to have not found the perfect spot to draw when I saw this view. I just had to park my car on a parking place and I started to paint and enjoy the view that light, color and composition were offering me. So I thanked the "god of car"by making this sketch  (watercolor on pencil drawing, heightened with white gouache), sitting behind my steering wheel (in fact it was far too cold to stay more than a quarter of an hour outside!).

Guillaume.




Monday 18 October 2010

29TH SKETCHCRAWL

Hi,

Although the day was sunny, the temperature was really low for a day in october, especially when I did this watercolor sketch.
Fortunately, the street markets in France are welcoming places, led by vendors always very friendly.
Indeed, some have come to visit me when I was drawing.





















Because the history's convention in the city, the "rendez vous de l'histoire", I had to share my time between the sketching and the convention.


So I took a break during the afternoon in a pub and made this last drawing.
It takes more to disturbed the regulars in the pub.












Guillaume.

Thursday 30 September 2010

FROM THE LOIRE RIVER SIDE

Hi,

  A few days ago, I went to draw and paint near the Loire river, in Blois.
It's funny  how many people I met during this afternoon. Most of them were fishermans, turning around me, curious to see what I was doing ( But I guess I was occupying a good spot for fishing).
During 30 minutes I also had an history lesson, mainly about the bridge.

Built in 1724, the bridge has been damage a few times during wars (in 1793 to stop progression marche from the "vendéens", in 1870 during the war against Prussians, in 1940 during the WWII)
In 1717, they decided to build a new bridge upstream the previous one (a medieval bridge wich had collapsed in the river).
So, they had to enlarge a little street (called "rue de la poissonnerie", now "rue denis Papin") to connect it with the bridge. The main street (now rue du commerce) wasn't in the axe of the bridge.

After a quick investigation, I discovered the exact location of the medieval bridge. You can still see the pillars in the water when you look at it with "google earth".




Turning west, I made this second sketch about the last built bridge in Blois (in 1994), the bridge "Francois Mitterrand". In the background you see how beautiful is the nature along the Loire river.









Both sketches are done with watercolor on a moleskine watercolor sketchbook.

Guillaume.


Monday 13 September 2010

THE PORT

Hi everyone!
traveling this time in my imagination , I came back with this new illustration.
Then I wanted to show you as well my work process.
The final illustration was done on Photoshop, combining  textures and colors.














The line drawing.
Only as reference, the line drawing will disappear during the color process to have a more realistic style.














the sketch .
Most of the time my sketches are done for the composition and ambiance. I don't think about the final style because I want to keep all freedom for later. I considere my sketches as a memo and I don't show them (except today!).
This sketch was done previously with blue "col-erase"  pencil and inked for the correction.













 A second illustration about a similare location is in WIP and I will show it to you soon.

Guillaume

Wednesday 8 September 2010

MORE FROM THE ATLANTIC COAST

Hi!

More sketches from Pornichet.
This time, I had the opportunity to draw the cost from the sea ,  the tide was low

























The last sketch was done in the village called Kervalet. It's an old city built in the 10e century by salt's workers. Located near the pond salt  where they worked, the "paludiers" (salt's workers ) were living in the smallest houses. The others, with one floor are the houses where the "Sauniers" (workers transporting the salt, according Wikipedia) were living.
They are builded with stone granit and slates on the roof.












Guillaume.


Tuesday 31 August 2010

A CHURCH AND A COFFE


Hi,
 A sunny afternoon in Blois and I came back home with two sketches...It was about time!
  I made the first one from the castel's garden. I've been fascinated by the presence of this church, the  "Saint Vincent de Paul" church rising in the middle of this group of huge trees.
It's seems that trees and church are fighting to be the more majestic monument in the middle of the city.
  For the story, this church has been built  in 1624 but has been stopped after the foundation level. In 1634 they retook the construction and spent 20 years to elevate it up to the roof's bottom. They've been pretty slow because most of the stones were requisitionned for the extention of the castel.
Finaly, the church has been finished in 1660.

  Later, I came back on earth ground and I just relaxed in the shade and fresh air from a terrasse coffe's of Blois, sketching the street view.
For this sketch, I used a new brush pen and i enjoyed again to play with it.

Guillaume.


Saturday 21 August 2010

A DAY IN MARSEILLE

Hi!
Marseille is one of the biggest city in France, (the second after Paris and just before Lyon), built by Grec sailors 600 BC years ago, on the  mediterranea cost.
Many french people will associated this city to Marcel Pagnol (a really famous writer from the beginning of 20th century). He has contributed to make Marseille very popular with a theater drama taking place in Marseille, followed by movies adaptation.
 But Marseille is also a city with a great history.
Attached to the Roman Empire in the 2nd century BC, the sea port used to trade with many Mediterranean countries and also a part of Asia. .
It was there that Knights left France for Jerusalem cruisades (after the year 1000).
Today, the city is still reflecting this historic past when you walk in the streets.
In 2013 Marseille will be the culture's european capital.

on the first drawing, you can see the Basilique "Notre Dame de la Garde" concidered by marseillais (people living in Marseille) as guardian and protectress of the city.

Guillaume.


Saturday 14 August 2010

WEEK END AT PORNICHET

Hi,
two more drawings done in Pornichet before my vacation in Vannes.
The first one was done during a flea market
Guillaume.




Wednesday 4 August 2010

28TH SKETCHCRAWL- VANNES

Hi,

My sketchcrawl took place in Bretagne (Britanny), in the city of Vannes, where I was in vacation.
Olve, my friend from Oslo came to join us. For both of us, it has been a great time.
You can check his work here: http://olvesblog.blogspot.com/

Here is mine:



Friday 23 July 2010

HUGE UPDATE!

Hi!

Long time no see!
I don't know but some drawings escaped from my blog diffusion. So let's talk about them:

In May, I had the privilege to be invited by the school "Pivaut" to be member of the board of examiners for the studients animation diploma in Nantes, a city in west of France near the atlantic ocean.
It was really an interesting experience. The studients were extremly professional.
I came back home with those two sketches, the first one was done from the castel's moats and the second represent the cathedrale of Nantes.



































A few days after, I visited the garden surrending one of the most famous castel of Loire, the Castel of Chaumont.

Details of the entrance:



















Last year, when I was still living in Oslo I made a trip with my dear friends Shank, Maya and Olve to the Chritiansand zoo. I decided to show you those sketches now plus the one I made during this spring 2010 at the great zoo of Beauval near the city of saint-Aignan (50 km from Blois). I thought it was a good opportunity for me to group my norvegian work and my french work and for you to compare the evolution of my drawings.
So here are the Christiansand zoo drawings from 2009:































































And now the sketches I made at the Beauval zoo in may and june 2010: