3 simple tips for proportions

8 Establishing the light source Light is important when working in black and in a fairly realistic style. It enables me to create volume, to emphasise certain parts, and to give a sense of foreground and background. It’s therefore at this point that I decide where my light source comes from, and when I settle on the main areas of shadow. 9 Details and textures I really like details. This is why I use very fine pens. They enable me to create the most delicate of marks. I use my 0.03 fineliners – the finest that I’ve been able to find – for this level of detail. The fineness of the point ensures that I can work slowly and gradually bring out the textures of stones, small bricks, metals and so on.

10 Frame and backgrounds I often finish with the frames, the ornamentation, and sometimes the background, only to adjust these elements so that they work with the main image. Sometimes I apply a different texture to what I had initially thought, in order to lighten everything. Here I chose a metallic effect to mimic the sword blades.

11 Apply gold ink I don’t use it in all my artwork, but I seem to be working more and more with gold ink. It enables me to highlight certain parts of the composition, whether that’s an important part, blood, golden pieces and so on. Here I want to highlight the tears, which symbolise sadness and nourish the flower that signifies rebirth.

12 Gold details and shadows Once the gold ink has been added, it must integrate into the overall artwork. Gold ink added at the end of the process takes precedence over the black ink. And for that, you have to give it volume, shadows and sometimes even textures. 13 Preparation of the photo The creation is finally finished, signed and varnished. Finally, we come to an important stage in my work: the presentation. For that I have a lot of objects linked to the recurring themes that I use in my drawings. I also use them for reference or as models sometimes.

14 Set up the photoshoot I don’t have a very large workspace, let alone a photo studio. Working on small A4 formats most of the time, I just have a wooden board on my drawing desk. I then place my drawing on it, and build up the staging using different objects that I’ve chosen beforehand. These items evoke themes and elements that appear in the drawing itself. 15 The final picture Photography is the very last step in my creative process, and one of the most important. It enables me to present my artwork the way I want it to be seen, as shown here, to highlight it, and to share my creations on my social networks. It is the attention I pay to this final step that made it possible for me to discover my world, and to make drawing my daily work.