Exhibition Opening

The Siegfried Exhibition will open online and live at the "9e Art" Galerie in Paris, tonight at 6.

IT'S HERE!

Le Crépuscule des dieux hits the stores in France today. I'll be signing the books at BDnet Charonne in Paris, and this week-end in the Utopiales festival in Nantes. See you on the road!

SIEGFRIED In stores this thursday

I'm especialy proud to announce the Special Edition with 80+ pages of extras including an interview by Laurent Kloetzer and Eric Chauveau as well as art by Denis Bajram, Juanjo Guarnido, Kurt Huggins, Jean-Paul Krassinsky, Keraskoët, Matthieu lauffray, Thimothée Montaigne, Patrick Pion, Christian Rossi, Alec Severin and Zébé!

Thank you guys, it's a great way for me to end the saga.

See you all at the exhibition next week!

Please visit Dargaud's website for updates on signings and events...

Printing Complete!

In the last few weeks I've been overseeing the printing process on Siegfried, thanks to the great Joëlle Remy from Dargaud.
Printing is not an exact science, and more often than not choices have to be made on location. Since 8 to 16 pages are printed on a sigle sheet of paper, they cannot all be a perfect match. It's up to the artist to give priorities to certain parts of the book and so the only choice if you want the book to reflect you vision... is to be there.
I'm very pleased with the work that's been done on book III at PPO, they are patient and committed to doing a top-notch job. A lot of pages came out better than expected, thanks to Bernard and all the "drivers".
Here are a few shots taken on location...

Announcing SIEGFRIED III

The Colors of Twilight

The drawing part of Siegfried book III is almost finished, and now I'm finally able to flesh it out in color. It's a very satisfying time, when months of work finaly come to life in heir final form. Shown here are two pages from the opening of the book, evoking the birth of the world and Odin's initiation. These pages actually work as "bookends" to the whole sequence.

From a technical standpoint, this is watercolor on Sennelier hot pressed watercolor paper - where the black and white drawing has been printed by my friendly publisher. A transparent film (also printed in black) comes on top of the color to keep the line clear. That's Old School for you!
I find it's still the best way to keep both the richness of watercolor and the "easy reading" quality of line work.

Brittany Twilight (Of The Gods)

So I left New York to move back in Paris, via the Angoulême comic book festival. Time for me to take a break in a secluded island off the coast of Brittany, where I am working on Siegfried book 3 : Twilight Of The Gods, in the midst of storms, mist and glorious sunsets. Just the right mood to end the Siegfried saga. Book 3 is epic almost from begining to end, it's a chalenge and I'm taking all the time -and space - I need to try and make the breaking of Odin's spear shatter the sky.

SOUNDTRACK TO THE BREAKING OF SHIELDS AND SHATTERING OF SWORDS
Wagner kindly helps setting up the mood, of course, but if you wand sound as well as the picture above, the moors on the photo usually wake up to this.  If you are a soundtrack or fantasy enthousiast, it will probably blow your mind. If you don't know the piece, it is the absolute escence of Sword and Sorcery. If you already know it, this re-recording is -for the most part- absolutely glorious! (thank you for the heads up, Germanico)

Grand Central Academy painted sketch

A 3-hour oil sketch I made in Rick Pilocco's class. I just left New York, and I am going to miss those sessions a the Grand Central Academy. Thanks Rick!

Live model sessions in New York

"TWILIGHT OF THE GODS" preview

The Castle of Mist in the heart of Nibelheim - the underground realm of the Nibelungs. Stalactites, crystals, giant fungi... Jules Verne's Journey To The Center Of The Earth" is never far from my mind.
Original size : 55x42 cm

Ragnarök

In order to keep up with 2012's End of the World, I'm happy to announce The Twilight Of The Gods, last book in the Siegfried trilogy. It will come out in 2011, so you can read it in light of a dying sun, before the stars fall down and a wolf eats the moon. Happy New Year to all !