A conversation with Jean-Christophe Defline from “An Illustrated Journey”

Posted on by dannygregory

Here’s the next interview with the contributors to my new book An Illustrated Journey: Inspiration From the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers

Like me, Jean-Christope Delfine is not a professional artist. He’s a businessperson and a family man.  BUt when he hits the road, man, he makes beautiful things. He loves to experiment with media and I am especially fond of his experiments with kraft paper. See more on one of his blogs.

J-C loves Tintin as much as I do and he hast taken it a step further. Every trip he takes with his family is turned into the cover of a Hergé style book.

flinflins-la-dolce-vita

Here’s a little film tour of them hanging on his apartment wall in Paris.

And here’s  a link to a blog he has set up devoted to this work

Jean-Christophe shares a lot more in my book. Here’s an excerpt:

“I draw mainly because I need it: it makes me happy and it’s a way to absorb intensely all feelings while away from home and try to record them. It’s also a way to better understand life in a country. Drawing things pushes you to analyze details and understand why life is different here. It tells you a lot of things you wouldn’t even notice at a simple glance or with a snapshot. If you are drawing a rickshaw, you’ll see that under different layers of blue paintings an old rusted framework hides. You’ll notice the old wooden pedals handcrafted, the patched hood and the worn towel on the handle bar to wipe out sweat. You immediately understand how much love and effort are needed to run this heavy engine on a daily basis.…” (continued)

12 thoughts on “A conversation with Jean-Christophe Defline from “An Illustrated Journey””

  1. This is awesome! These interviews are such a great way of keeping us all in touch with the progress and getting to know these wonderful artists you have connected us with through your book 🙂 inspiration! 🙂

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  2. These interviews have been great Danny – just one small gripe – you are positioned in the lower left corner – just exactly where the artists (all right-handed so far) are showing whatever they’re showing – and it’s almost totally obscured by the box with you in it.

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  4. Thank you so much Danny and Jean-Christope for this interview! I am enjoying the book so much and am learning so very much. I am getting many ideas to use in my sketch book, for my everyday entries and for travel. The interviews give a feeling that I have met each artist! Oh, we do love TinTin also!

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  5. Hey Danny, hey Jean-Christophe,

    I’ve loved to see Sintra in your drawings, I live in Cascais, 20Km away from Sintra and I go there a lot; I was pleased to see that village is visited and loved by so many tourists 🙂

    I really loved the Tintin like covers that you do, it’s a very creative and original souvenir to bring from a familly trip and I’m sure those drawing will be keep in your familly for many years.

    Thank you for sharing.

    Cristina

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    1. Thanks Cristina
      I really loved your country and the people and it inspired me a lot of drawings. And the Tintin covers have become over years a family topic of discussion, like how are we going to figure this travel

      Best
      Jean-christophe

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  6. Danny –

    Love these interviews. I’m finding that I’m learning something new from each of them.

    I sat my 8 year old down and had him watch the part of the Tommy Kane interview where he talks about messing up, and how he finds that he can make something great anyway.

    Inspiring stuff, thanks for sharing.

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    1. Elizabeth, I love your drawing. I never imagined Danny and i could be such a source of inspiration during the interview.:)
      It’s great fun to see us here !
      Kindly

      Jean-Christophe

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  10. thanks for this vidéo Danny, it’s very interesting
    I think that Jean-Christophe “is” very meticulous, searching details… I admire he stays hours in a church to draw an his kids doesn’t cry!!!! When I do this my kids become nerveus hhaha

    I’m in the SketchbookSkool classes on the 4th chapter with Jean-Christophe. it’s incredible, I thought he was an artist !!! But that’s why he speaks english ha ha ha

    bye bye

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