@lila.lefranc

Instagram: @lila.lefranc

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

Hi, I am Lila Lefranc, I grew up on the lovely Oleron Island on the Atlantic Coast and after my studies, I worked as a textile designer for fashion studios in Paris. Now I have been a freelance illustrator for a year and I live in a sunny city near the sea: Marseille, France.  

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

I love to create illustrations about sunny days. My aesthetic is really about the little enjoyable things in life, observing a flower, hugging someone, sleeping in the sunlight, embracing our bodies etc.. 

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

I work digitally because I love to move a lot!

Being able to work wherever I want only with my iPad is the best thing for me! But when I am at home I try to paint "for real" more because I love unpredicted mix of colors and textures!

4. What is your artistic process like?

First I come with a theme and try to arrange different elements with a simple sketch. I love to work in black and white first to focus on the composition. Then comes my favorite part : choosing the colors and textures! I often try a lot of color combinations before finding "the one". I can say that working digitally doesn't help me to make a choice!

5. Who and/or what inspires your work? 

I love walking and taking pictures of people and landscapes! I almost never take the subway or the bus, so my daily walks inspire me a lot!

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

I am always looking at colors, textures, forms around me, I can spend hours looking at some foam in the forest, looking at the tiny grain of sand on the beach or insects living their lives in a garden. I have a strong passion for colors and cute details! 

7. Where did you study?

I studied applied art at ESAA Duperré in Paris! I have a degree in textile design and a master in fashion. 

This was an amazing school with people studying ceramic, embroidery, graphic design, fashion etc, so we were able to imagine very cool projects together! 

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Probably illustrating in the countryside. I am lucky that my work doesn't depend on a particular place or city so I would love to live away from the city one day! 

9. What about in ten?

So hard to imagine life in ten years! Maybe I will be doing something a little bit different, it would be great to be working with other people, creating workshops around art, etc!

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

I want to connect with different people. What I love about illustration is being able to collaborate on a lot of different projects. Ideally I would love to create visuals for sustainable brands, local ones, related to self-care etc... I love to be surprised by unexpected projects, they are often the most natural ones! 

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

Anything cooked by my family actually!  One of my favorite personal recipe is a homemade baba au rhum ! 

12. Favourite book?

All Claude Ponti's books, his drawing are the most poetic ones, and his stories are amazing. It was such a great way to develop my imagination when I was a child. Now that I am an adult I can not pass near one of his books without buying it! 

13. Favourite genre of music? 

Early 00's rnb!  It motivates me, makes me nostalgic and happy. I love to listen to these songs while driving with my friends and I have a full playlist just for these moments! But actually I listen to very different music from one day to another! 

14. What are your hobbies? 

I have a passion for massage and took some classes in a massage school ! I illustrate mini tutorials on my second instagram account @les.2.mains, if you want to have a look!

15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

I would probably be a cook! I love cooking a lot and my family has a restaurant. I could also be a masseuse, something related to feeling good, and self-care... who knows ! But for now illustration is the perfect job for me :)