{"id":311128,"date":"2026-03-03T15:25:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/311128\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T15:25:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:25:11","slug":"how-music-taught-this-artist-to-experiment-in-his-digital-painting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/311128\/","title":{"rendered":"How music taught this artist to experiment in his digital painting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raised in Paris, Thomas Brissot studied fine arts and illustration at the \u00c9cole des Arts D\u00e9coratifs in Strasbourg. After over a decade as a concept artist in games and animation<\/a>, he now focuses on digital painting and illustration, creating atmospheric fantasy and science-fiction worlds designed to exist as standalone images, high-quality prints and books.<\/p>\n

We caught up with him to learn more about how he got started in concept art<\/a> and how his career has developed. For more inspiration, see our other features on digital artists.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Digital\n<\/p>\n

An old, wise diplomat enters the circle of power, where the future of states is decided (Image credit: Thomas Brissot)Where did you grow up and how has this influenced your art? <\/p>\n

I grew up in Paris in the 1980s, a city rich in culture and history. I spent a lot of time in museums, read manga and comic books, and played many video games that are now considered retro classics. <\/p>\n

At home, my mother dedicated an entire shelf to books about painters, so I was surrounded by images of all kinds and genres. Looking back, I think my work sits at the crossroads of all those influences \u2013 fine art, popular culture, games, and illustration \u2013 without ever feeling the need to separate them. <\/p>\n

What, outside of art, has most influenced your artwork through the years? <\/p>\n

Introspection and getting to know myself better have had a huge impact on my work over time. I\u2019ve also been playing jazz for about 25 years and learned two different instruments. <\/p>\n

Music taught me a lot about rhythm, improvisation, and intuition, and I often borrow ideas and wisdom from composers and musicians as much as from painters. It helped me build bridges between disciplines and stay open to experimentation. <\/p>\n

Exploring the digital medium, finding interesting ways to paint light, volumes, their perception and expression. This gang rules the underworld, its reach touching Kaolin\u2019s elite; meeting them by docks or trains means trouble. <\/p>\n

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\"Digital\n<\/p>\n

Exploring the digital medium, finding interesting ways to paint light, volumes, their perception and expression (Image credit: Thomas Brissot)Is there a painting that you saw in your formative years that changed everything? What was it? <\/p>\n

The work of Erik Tiemens was a key revelation for me. It showed me how to connect my European painting background with more modern, entertainment-oriented imagery. His work also demonstrated that traditional painting and digital tools don\u2019t have to be opposed. <\/p>\n

His blog was called Virtual Gouache Land, which says a lot about that bridge between worlds. <\/p>\n

Tell us about your first paid commission, and does it stand as a representation of your talent? <\/p>\n

As far as I can remember, it was a series of illustrations depicting passages from the Bible for a Catholic magazine aimed at teenagers. My current work is much freer, darker, and more graphically experimental. <\/p>\n

Interestingly, though, I find myself bringing mythology and spiritual themes back into my work more and more, so there\u2019s still a subtle connection between then and now.<\/p>\n

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\"Digital\n<\/p>\n

This gang rules the underworld, its reach touching Kaolin\u2019s elite; meeting them by docks or trains means trouble (Image credit: Thomas Brissot)What\u2019s the last piece you finished, and how does it differ from your earlier work?<\/p>\n

The last piece I completed is called The Purple Gang. It depicts a violent group of thugs operating in the underworld of an ancient China inspired fantasy world. I\u2019ve always enjoyed portraying villains and darker themes, which, in a way, are very present in mythology and religious texts as well. <\/p>\n

Compared to my earlier work, this piece feels more confident, more narrative-driven, and more comfortable embracing darker tones. <\/p>\n

Is making a living as an artist all you thought it would be? <\/p>\n

Pretty much, with all the challenges and rewards that come with it. <\/p>\n

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\"Digital\n<\/p>\n

It was at the end of a summer day that the news reached the governor (Image credit: Thomas Brissot)What advice would you give to your younger self? <\/p>\n

Focus on the what rather than the how. Technique will develop naturally with time, but clarity of intention is much harder to build later on. <\/p>\n

How has the art industry changed for the better since you\u2019ve been working? <\/p>\n

There are far more studios and opportunities today, which is a very positive change. When I started, around 2009, concept art positions felt almost unattainable, and I often had to explain what a concept artist even was. <\/p>\n

Now there are excellent schools teaching concept art, and many more ways to share and sell work independently. Comic artists don\u2019t necessarily need publishers, and last year I don\u2019t think my artbook GRIT could have existed without crowdfunding. <\/p>\n

You can sell brushes, prints, books, or even build a career around sharing your process. It\u2019s a very different landscape, and in many ways a healthier one.<\/p>\n

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\"Digital\n<\/p>\n

In humid, deceptive nights, the legendary Tiger guards the Magical Porcelains. Thieves who sense weakness rarely survive (Image credit: Thomas Brissot)What character or scene that you\u2019ve painted do you most identify with? <\/p>\n

I project myself into every character or scene I paint. I approach it almost like acting, briefly stepping into each role. <\/p>\n

My goal is that everything I draw, paint, or sculpt contains a part of me. That feels even more important today, at a time when images can be generated without any human sensibility or lived experience behind them. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s your next step in art or life? <\/p>\n

This year, I\u2019m focusing on producing and selling high-quality fine art prints of my illustration work. I miss the physical presence of images and the relationship they create with the viewer. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m also working on a second artbook, continuing to develop my own imaginary worlds. At the same time, I\u2019ll keep collaborating on video games and art-directing projects, including one I hope to develop myself with other talented artists.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You can see more of Thomas\u2019s work on his ArtStation profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX<\/a> to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.<\/p>\n

Sign up to Creative Bloq’s daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Raised in Paris, Thomas Brissot studied fine arts and illustration at the \u00c9cole des Arts D\u00e9coratifs in Strasbourg.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":311129,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-311128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}