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Today, we are excited to introduce our first artist on Art4Fans Signature - Gregory Fromenteau. Gregory is an Art Director and Illustrator who currently works at Behaviour Interactive. He has been a major contributor to the video game industry, having worked for 15 years with Ubisoft on popular franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Prince Of Persia, Avatar, and Rainbow Six Siege. However, in addition to his successful professional career, Grégory is also a highly skilled artist who creates incredible artwork in a fantasy universe full of poetry. Get to know more about Gregory in the following section below.
Interested in collecting a limited, signed and numbered artwork by Gregory Fromenteau? Don't miss our flash sale on Friday, January 26th, 2024 - 12 PM EST. More info here. |
What were your beginnings as an artist? How old are you when you started drawing?
"I have been drawing since my youth! My parents constantly enrolled me in various artistic activities such as painting and pottery classes. I started with classical painting, where we drew still life, for example, which taught me the basics but also a lot of things that still serve me today. It was funny, and I was actually the only child in my painting group. But let's face it, what has always given me the most love for drawing is the world of comics, of which I am a huge fan."
What did your career path look like?
“Initially, I aspired to pursue a music career. I was actively involved in a band but felt uncertain about my next steps. That's when I stumbled upon VCS (Visual Communication School), a renowned institution for academic drawing. The preliminary year was truly captivating, so I pursued a Master's degree, specializing in 3D. Regrettably, soon after my graduation in 1999, the video game industry in France experienced a downturn. It was certainly not the most opportune time to embark on a professional journey. However, I eventually secured an internship at a studio that had just wrapped up the second season of Funky Cops. Subsequently, I contributed to animated series for Cartoon Network, France Animation, and engaged in 3D projects such as Invisible Man, Code Lyoko, Fantastic Four, and Pet Alien. Later, I made the choice to relocate to Canada and commenced my tenure at A2M (now Behaviour Interactive) before transitioning to Ubisoft.”
You spent 15 years at Ubisoft, most notably as Artistic Director on Rainbow Six. Can you tell us more about this long period in your career?
"I have worked in various positions at Ubisoft such as environment and lighting. Initially, I started as a Level Artist on Prince of Persia (2008) where I was responsible for all the lighting. At that time, the teams were smaller and we had to do everything from modeling to texturing. It was a complete experience! Later, I served as an Art Director on Avatar (Nintendo DS) and then spent the next 5-6 years working on Assassin's Creed, primarily as a lighting artist, but I also worked as a director of photography. Finally, I continued my career as an Art Director on the reboot of Rainbow Six Siege, which was an extremely enriching experience."
What was your best souvenir and what did you take away from the experience?
"I have fond memories of my time at Ubi. It was a lot of fun! One of the highlights was the Six Invitational, where I got to interact with fans of the franchise and cosplayers. It was a great opportunity to gauge their satisfaction with the game and the universe we had created."
Apart from work, you also draw a lot for pleasure, so much so that you've already published an artbook. Can you tell us more about it?
"I have created two artbooks named Out of Scale - Vol 1 and 2. Although I draw frequently, I have been primarily focused on traditional drawing since the pandemic began, as opposed to digital drawing which was my focus before. Initially, I posted a few drawings on Facebook, but I received such an overwhelmingly positive response that I continued to post more. It brought joy to many people who saw them during a difficult time, and I found myself enjoying the process more and more. Initially, my artbooks were mainly requested by family and friends, but I enjoyed creating them so much that I continued to make more."
How did you develop your current art style?
"I used to read a lot of comic books as a kid, particularly those by Jean Giraud or Moebius (L'incal). Their work was very detailed and interesting, and I loved it! American comics were harder to find in France at that time, but artists like Frank Miller had a big impact on me. I always admired the way he played with light in his work. More recently, I've been a fan of Marini (Le Scorpion). His use of watercolor as a medium for comics has been a big influence on me."
So, do you have any interest in creating your own comic book?
"I actually have a lot of respect for comic artists because it requires a great deal of work. To create an interesting story, develop the storyboard, illustrate it and maintain consistency throughout is a tough job.I think it would be difficult for me to limit myself to a single universe. I prefer to move on to new things quickly, so the repetitive nature of comic book creation wouldn't be a good fit for me. Although I have thought about it, I just don't have the motivation to do it."
Whales, fish, turtles and more. Where does your passion for the sea life come from?
“To be honest, I am not passionate about sea life. I lack sea legs and even get seasick. However, I have watched numerous wildlife documentaries with my kids and have always been fascinated by the gracefulness of whales, despite their imposing shape. I imagine them anywhere if I ignore the water. "Flying whales" is not an invention of mine, it's a fantasy that has been around for a long time. I am a big fan of fantasy and science fiction, and I have a basement full of books, especially Terry Pratchett's, which provides me with a lot of inspiration. I consider myself more of a conductor. I take things I like and put them together. When I start a drawing, I usually have a precise idea, but most of the time, it drifts along with my inspiration.”
We have today the honor to collaborate together, what made you decide to join Art4Fans Signature?
“The main idea is to provide a unique format or offer to my followers. Since I don't frequently organize events or shows, I also don't get many opportunities for signings. However, I am now able to offer limited and numbered editions through Art4Fans, which makes me happy.”
Finally, if you were a sea animal, what would you be and why?
"Not an easy question... I would say a killer whale! It's an animal that I often draw. I'm fascinated by its intelligence and agility, and the fact that it has no predators. So, if I were a killer whale, I would be sure to survive in the marine world, which is something I'm not comfortable with in reality. 😊"
Interested in collecting a limited, signed and numbered artwork by Gregory Fromenteau? Don't miss our flash sale on Friday, January 26th, 2024 - 12 PM EST. More info here.
