Sometimes we just want pretty! And it does not get much more pretty than the absolutely stunning animal artwork in water color, from the hands of the young French artist Rozenn Grosjean. The game Darwin’s Choice by the trio “Treecer” is her first board game illustration job, and her animal illustrations for this game is reason enough to own it :). I’m excited to share this interview with her with you.
Tell us a little about your artistic background and how you got into making art for Darwin’s Choice?
I always liked drawing and studied illustration during 4 years at the school Emile Cohl (France). I was contacted directly by the creator of the game to illustrate the cards and I was really interested in the project!
Was there anything particular good about the way you were briefed on the art.?
I really had a lot of freedom for the drawings and they gave me their trust to do my best. One of the creators also draw so we could easily exchange our ideas on the art.
The watercolor style for the game is fantastic and I think . Can you tell us about the different steps you take when making a piece of art for the game from start to finish?
Thank you! I have to stretch my paper first, then I transfer my line with tracing paper before starting to paint. Then, I scan and rework the colors and details on photoshop until I’m satisfied with the result.
What are your preferred tools?
I use mostly inks (colorex) they have stronger colors than watercolors and I like their texture. I only use one brush, a martre n°3 from Raphaël that I have since school (an amazing brush). My computer is always near me for references when I paint.
What was the most challenging on Darwin’s Choice?
The gorilla card? Mh, maybe the cover, there’s a lot of elements in it and working the composition so every part is understandable and work all together was quite a challenge! But I’m very happy with the result on the final box!
What is the best piece of advice on making art you yourself have been given?
“Fail this drawing” It sounds strange right? Though, with traditional painting, you sometimes have to… try things out, without knowing the final result. And then play with the possible mistakes to give a special vibe to your drawing! “Don’t be afraid of failure”.
“Fail this drawing”
Name up to 3 other artists or designers you admire?
Where can the readers find more of your work?
Here’s the main two I’m using at the moment :
https://www.instagram.com/rozennillustration/
https://twitter.com/RozennGrosjean
Thank you Rozenn. I am sure we will see you again in another board game production soon.
