A recent graduate lands a partnership with a publishing house

An illustration enthusiast who has found her vocation

“I had just finished school in September 2023, so the course is a bit short; I don’t even know if it can be described as such. I just had time to rest and start looking for a job,” she confides.

Her decision to join ESMA was a carefully considered one, influenced by the recommendations of one of her high school teachers and reinforced by the testimonies of former students and the works presented at open days. She remembers: “I finalised my choice of school after talking to former students and seeing their work at open days, which was very similar to my own work.”

Passionate about illustration for a long time, Inès already had the ambition of making art her profession. It was while discussing her career aspirations that she discovered ESMA. “I don’t think there was anything in particular that made me want to work in illustration; making drawing (or at least art) my profession is something I have wanted to do for a long time.”

During her training, she had the enriching opportunity to meet professionals in the sector, which gave her practical advice and valuable insights for her future. “The illustration and concept art professionals gave us the most useful information for professional life as they are full-time in the jobs we want to do.”

A springboard for her career

Her final-year project, based on the illustration of Jean-Philippe Jaworski’s novel Gagner la guerre, is a testament to her creativity and commitment. Inès explains: “To do this project, I chose from among the fifteen chapters the passages that made the strongest impression on me, while maintaining a certain diversity in the subjects covered and avoiding duplicating the text as much as possible”.

This bold initiative attracted the attention of Les Moutons Électriques, who finally offered our former student a collaboration. “A few months later, they came back to me to offer me this collaboration which, overall, consists of enriching my project with new illustrations.”

Her recommendation for aspiring artists is imbued with wisdom and experience: “I would advise them not to waste time canvassing, making contacts, daring to approach others and not to be discouraged by rejections. (…) You have to show that you are motivated and have confidence in your abilities.”

The story of our former student is a perfect illustration of the potential of the young talent trained at ESMA, and underlines the importance of passion, perseverance and daring in realising their artistic dreams.

Find her work on her professional website : 17HR36

We hope this partnership will be a real springboard for her budding career, and wish her all the best for the future!