Anthony Aubin, a versatile comic artist
Anthony Aubin is a versatile artist hailing from France and currently residing in Montreal. Anthony has honed a style reminiscent of comic book artistry, blending intricate details with vivid colors and a keen eye for light. With a penchant for character design and narrative illustration, his work reflects a continuing exploration of diverse artistic expressions. He’s always seeking new avenues for creative storytelling.
Rooted in a childhood shaped by Belgian comics and animated classics, his artistic vision draws from a wellspring of imagination and everyday inspirations.
On that note, we were keen to ask Anthony a few questions…
What would you say is your best piece of work / collaboration to date, and why?
I recently had the opportunity to work with the publishing house Planète Rebelle in Montréal. The project involved redesigning the covers of a three-book young adult saga: Lalégende du Wendigo, by Amélie Bibeau. In close collaboration with the art director, we decided to create a single triptych cover for all three books. The full scene is revealed when the books are lined up together.
As for my personal projects, my favourite is an illustration of a whale swimming in the ocean. It’s a piece that’s especially meaningful to me and stands out from the rest of my work. It’s also the artwork that people recognised most quickly when I had the chance to exhibit it.
Where do you like to go to be inspired, or how do you find your inspiration?
Most of the time, my inspiration comes directly from my imagination. I usually start with a fairly blurry scene in mind and develop it as I draw. The first few lines I put down guide me toward the direction the piece will take. When no clear idea comes to me, I often start drawing without thinking, letting something eventually emerge. I also draw a lot of inspiration from various reference artists, especially from the way they compose and their techniques.
Beyond that, many ideas come from everyday life — whether in my private locations or out in the world, where I observe what’s happening around me. These are often inspired by moments that seem ordinary but can reveal something entirely different through creation. I like simple things.
My love for narrative illustration plays a big part in this. I find it difficult to imagine creating something without a message behind it — and even more importantly, without a feeling.
Is there anything you'd say you would be a good advocate for? Please elaborate if so.
I hold many convictions and causes close to my heart. Freedom, first and foremost, is a fundamental principle for me. Whether it’s creative freedom or freedom of expression, it’s a basic right that everyone should have access to. Tolerance is also essential—the acceptance of each other’s differences. It’s precisely what sets us apart, what makes us unique, and what allows us to grow. Being in contact with the world helps deepen our learning, pushes us out of our comfort zone, and encourages kindness.
And finally, in a more specific sense, climate change is a deeply important issue — one I believe everyone should take a stand on. There are others, of course, but these are the ones that resonate most strongly with me.
What would you say sets you apart from other illustrators? Something you feel is unique to you.
It’s a complex question. There are so many artists out there that it’s difficult to make direct comparisons. I believe there will always be someone “better” — more technical, more experienced, more inspired. And it’s important to let go of that comparison quickly in order to focus on oneself. Everyone is unique. It’s the learning process and the devotion to our craft that define us. You have to create, and not doubt what you have to offer. In my opinion, that’s the biggest challenge in an artist’s life: to stay inspired, to collaborate, without turning it into competition.
But if I had to define myself: I am passionate and deeply committed. I constantly question my own work, which allows me to adapt in any situation. I’m very versatile and I don’t hesitate to step out of my comfort zone to keep experimenting. Above all, my devotion comes first — I am fully invested in what I do and I put all my energy into it. If I manage to touch even just one person with my work, I consider that an accomplishment.
If you have done paid commissions prior to joining the agency, what would you say is something that clients repeatedly come to you for (up to now)?
They are first drawn to my portfolio. They appreciate my versatility, but they often come to me for very specific types of work. These are mainly pieces where storytelling is highlighted. They also value my precision, my use of colour, and the way I handle light. There are also times when they recognise themselves in the illustration — scenes they’ve lived, simple everyday moments. When we work together, communication and collaboration are always the priority. Respecting deadlines and each person’s vision is an essential part of the projects I’ve worked on in the past. The fact that I adapt quickly to their needs and to the project’s artistic direction is one of the reasons why my collaborations have always gone well so far.
How would you describe your style?
I have a fairly broad universe and I’m a very versatile artist. Inspired by Belgian comics since childhood, I like to think that my style is close to what a comic book author might create (one of my biggest dreams is to create my own comic book or graphic novel). My style is quite precise; I enjoy getting lost in the details while also occasionally loosening my line to see what emerges. I always choose vibrant colours, but I also enjoy working in black and white. I work both with flat colors and with textures. The treatment of light is also very important to me. I’ve worked on children’s illustrations, where narrative illustration is central, but I also enjoy, at times, exploring more geometric, precise work in a more graphic universe. My style changes frequently, but in recent months I’ve been focusing more on character design and children’s illustration — a field where there’s constant room for experimentation.
Please give a scenario of a project that would mean the world to you — something meaningful to you.
On a personal level, as I mentioned earlier, I would love to create a story and be able to illustrate it. I don’t have a specific subject in mind yet. In collaboration with an author, I would be interested in illustrating a manuscript, whether it’s aimed at children or adults.
The importance of the story being told is paramount, and that’s what I look for when a project comes my way — when the author’s vision aligns with what can be brought to life through illustration. I would also like the opportunity to work on a press cover. The key point of any project, regardless of its nature, is the story we want to tell and the message we want to convey. It’s the idea of transmission that guides me in a project. A drawing is worth a thousand words. If the subject touches on issues that are close to my heart, whether political or cultural, it’s a huge bonus.
Are you working on any personal projects you can share with us?
In terms of my recent personal work, I’ve been focusing more on children’s illustration and character design. My latest piece, still in progress, depicts a bear with a young girl on its back, holding her bow, ready to hunt. It’s an enormous bear, which contrasts strongly with the size of the character riding it.
I play a lot with contrasts in my work, something I’ve applied in this scene: the characters are at a standstill, the huge bear with a tender gaze stops at a patch of flowers to smell them, while the young girl looks at her companion with affection. It’s a scene with a simple message: a massive creature with a curious gaze suddenly turns very gentle with the flowers. There’s a balance here between a large, somewhat clumsy subject and an action full of delicacy and lightness. This relationship with nature and the idea of, from time to time, taking a moment to appreciate simple things is what guided me in creating this piece and what informs my process in general.
Finally, if you were to illustrate a book related to a real life person, who would that be?
Oh! There are so many possibilities! Music being my second passion, I would love to illustrate the story of a jazz musician (I have Bill Evans or Miles Davis in mind). But if I had to choose one figure, it would be Albert Einstein.
I am passionate about science, and Einstein is one of the most iconic figures of the last century. We still rely on his work to understand the world today. He managed to make very complex science and a theoretical understanding of the universe accessible to everyone. His genius lies in the questions he asked when he was young — he asked the questions of a child and answered them with the mind of an adult. He is an infinitely complex man in his scientific practice, yet completely simple in the questions he poses. He gives us the impression that anything is possible if you answer a simple, well-posed question, even if it has major implications and consequences. His work is also deeply connected to philosophy and the questioning of our understanding of the world. He revolutionized science by challenging established ideas, allowing us to try to understand our place in the universe. In doing so, he fundamentally changed the way we relate to the world.
If you’d like more info, please contact: [email protected]
At illo agency, we pride ourselves in representing a collation of global illustrators, distinctly diverse in creativity and uniquely celebrated by like-minded clients across a range of commercial markets.