" My approach is very instinctive, sensitive. It consists of expressing my desires for travel (internal and external), my wishes to see humanity slow down and change direction, my desire to sing of the beauties of a world that I imagine is already lost. "
jata
JATA
DRAFTSMAN ILLUSTRATOR, AUZAS (31)
The artist shares their design phases, from suffering to "creative fire"
Tell us your story, how did you find your calling?
I have loved drawing since childhood, but that desire had been lost in the twists and turns of life. Ten years ago, I returned to this unfulfilled passion. It had undoubtedly been calling to me subconsciously for a long time. Reading the great comic book authors (mainly from the 70s and 80s) pushed me to get to work, and they have thus greatly influenced my style and my way of drawing.
How would you describe your style and your artistic approach in a few words?
I feed primarily on my observations and my environment, which I blend with my imagination and my other passion, music. My approach is very instinctive and sensitive. It consists of expressing my desires for travel (inner and outer), my wishes to see humanity slow down and change course, and my urge to sing the beauties of a world I already imagine to be lost.
What themes or subjects inspire you the most in your work?
Music, the power of nature, and wild lands. I love revisiting existing places, transposing them into timeless eras to give them another life. The idea is undoubtedly to encourage the viewer to take a step back from their environment, whether familiar or not.
How do you work?
I use traditional tools exclusively: paper, pens, brushes and ink, watercolor for color. I love the idea of an original drawing, whose soul is invented as the work progresses.
Do you have a particular technique or specific expertise? Without revealing all your secrets, have you developed your own methods and techniques?
Using India ink is a complex skill, and after ten years, I am still learning. The great difficulty lies in taking care of one's equipment, as the ink "clogs" everything. It dries on nibs, burns the bristles of brushes, and sets in the channels of Rotrings (refillable architect pens). Papers get stained and suffer from heat and humidity... I have therefore developed tips and techniques, often borrowed from the "tricks" of comic book artists: using light boxes, using "patches" to fix a mistake... In short, craftsmanship in all its splendor!
Tell us about your daily life, your constraints, your joys, your successes…
Creating a drawing, especially a large-format one, involves several stages that are often the same: the agony of establishing the composition of the work, its structure in a way. Then comes a still quite taxing phase of sketching and drafting to create the drawing itself. This is followed, when switching to ink, by a great euphoria, a "creative fire" that obsesses me, fills me with joy, and alone justifies all the suffering endured. Then comes the finishing of the drawing, a difficult period of doubt and weariness. The satisfaction of looking at the finished work is very rare... These stages no doubt sum up my daily work at the drawing table quite well.
Any message to pass along, or anything else you would like to share?
I encourage everyone to listen to their creative impulses and to take the leap. Because the joy of working in a field you are passionate about, with no constraints other than your own limits, is for me the only thing that can make a human being truly fulfilled.
