Fine ladies in wigs, angry witches and crazy dinosaurs – these are just a few of the characters French illustrator Agnès Ernoult has created for her clients in recent years. Each persona has its own unique charm, interesting expressions, and little touches of detail you won’t see anywhere else. That’s why her work is in demand at a range of children’s book publishers, magazines and more.
Agnès actually set out to become an English teacher. After studying the language for three years, she moved to Bristol and found herself in the Stokes Croft district. It’s an arty area, full of studios and decorated with all sorts of murals. The creative bug had bitten, and it took Agnès back to when she was three or four years old and worked at a little desk next to her father, who was a teacher marking papers.
“Every time I said, ‘I’m finished,’ he would reply, ‘You can go further by adding this or that.’ That's how drawing became a part of me. I've always loved spending hours and hours trying to represent what I had in mind as best as I could,” she explains.
Now, the artist’s life is a reality for her, she still harks back to old Disney films and Peter Rabbit stories for her inspiration. Agnès loves to see animals wearing clothes, like The Fantastic Mr Fox. Cakes, pastries and famous chefs also give her a creative spark, as does the music of French film composer Alexandre Desplats.
Client List
Ercuis & Raynaud
Hinkler Books
Magnard Jeunesse
Marmaille & Compagnie
Storytime Magazine
Overcup Press Books
Langland
Cricket Media / Ladybug Magazine