Amandine Dugon — French Children's Book Illustrator, London

Amandine Dugon is a French illustrator based in London who fascinates children all around the world with her captivating imagery. Every little character she creates has a true personality all their own and you just can’t help empathising with them, whatever the situation might be.

The secret to Amandine’s success might just be the amount of consideration she gives to who each character is in every image. “I make a list of adjectives that will help me create their physical and psychological aspects – all the little things that define an individual. It helps create a connection between them and the environment around them,” she says. Each composition Amandine conjures has multiple layers, and as you gaze you gradually discover there’s more to the scene and more to the story than you thought. Studying art history at Poitier and illustration at L’Ecole Pivaut in Nantes, she has a strong background in classical painting, and also draws inspiration from Mable Lucie Atwell, Carl Larsson and Yoshitomo Nara.

Approach

When she has a full understanding of her characters, Amandine sketches their expressions on in pencil or in Photoshop, then develops the composition, gathering references for the background, clothing and colour ways. The final work is executed and coloured in Photoshop, making it easy to amend for clients.

Key software

Photoshop.

Style

Amandine’s loose linework gives it a lively feel, with the quirkiness of her individual hand. Her work is full of wit, she loves making the viewer smile, and she uses depth in the scene for both dynamism and the opportunity to add detail to the narrative.