A Letter from Olivier de Lajarte

I certainly get a lot of interesting mail as a result of running this blog and Today's Inspiration. The painting below arrived recently, along with a note from the artist, Olivier de Lajarte:

"Hello; I am a French artist in illustration and I recognize myself in those painting illustrations that you show. I would be curious to have your point of view or advice. Here are two samples."


Olivier and I began corresponding and I quickly discovered that he is also a storyboard artist. He next sent some examples of shooting boards he did last year for a film by Philippe Lioret called "Welcome".


Olivier writes, "It is a story about immigration and the guy is trying hopelessly to swim across the channel from France to England."


"These sequences are the most dramatic of the film and they end up with his disapearing into the sea. The film is based on a terrible reality."


Olivier continues, "Here [in France], cinema storyboard is the poorest job. It's only quick sketches. Directors don't care about the quality of drawing."


"Most of my work is for advertising agencies with a very usual looking style of colouring. I also work for productions and I have had some very interesting experiences in cinema. As I have learned drawing more by observation, I still have a lot to learn in imagination drawing. I was not taught in a comic or animation school. However, I work on that."

Olivier's passion, obviously, is his finished painting - and he sent along the remarkable piece below. He writes, "I just finished a large size painting for the French Marine. I hope you like it. It's nice to think that some people still enjoy illustration and painting from the heart."


*You can see many more examples of Olivier's work on his Flickr account.