67 years ago
When I was a teenager I loved to spend rainy afternoons reading the old "Semaine de Suzette", and "Lisette" magazines, from my grand mothers. I would snuggle cosily with my cat in an old armchair and read till I felt exausted from reading so many sad and sanctimonous stories. But I would continue anyway because I loved the illustration style so much. I wanted so bad to be able to draw like that!
Often people tell me "Your style reminds me something but I don't know what?". I studied a lot of different style very closely to build my own personal style. I truly believe that you need to nuture your imagination by studiying and copying art you like. If you don't pratice you'll only create cliches.
I left my "Semaine de Suzette" in France. Silly me! I'm so stupid. I'm terribly sad I don't have them anymore. I tried to make a version of Miss Fraise 1940 but it was too difficult to do it without documentation. I put that aside and worked on some other versions.
Then...
Two days ago I got a parcel from France. Angel had found "a treasure" and wanted to share it with me. I couldn't believe my eyes : she sent me a whole bunch of my beloved "Lisette" magazines ! I came back to my illustration and redid it entirely.
It's a very difficult style. Proportions, movement, everything is so different from the way we work now! I had the hardest time trying to create movements and strokes...Until I looked closely at the pictures and noticed that most faces were facing right, and most movements too...Were all the illustrators left handed? No!
The impression process reversed the picture. So I did, and bingo, it helps a lot!
Thank you so much Angel, you gave me something to help me improve, the best gift ever!