Illustrator Gomargu

Interview: illustrator Gomargu on her depiction of modern girls without taboos

Illustrator Gomargu is full of a contagious form of passion. The French illustrator, who draws solely in black and white, depicts true femininity in today’s world. As a consequence, her drawings form an inspiration for modern young women. We talked to her about inspiration, femininity and work.
Cover photo: © illustrator Gomargu

To start: can you tell a bit about yourself? How did you become illustrator Gomargu?
“My name is Gomargu, I’m a 26 years old Parisian girl. Like many illustrators I started drawing at a young age. However, I studied graphic design. The illustration part started to take a lot of space when I began to work at a company. Oh, and I made my first comic at 14, because I was bored on vacation. Can you imagine? This formed the very early start of my career so far.”
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Illustrator Gomargu - Girl Power
Illustrator Gomargu – Girl Power

That’s amazing. And how did you develop your ‘handwriting’? Was it the same from the beginning?
“No no, I developed it through the years. I draw mostly in black and white, because I think it makes the final image is way more impactful than in color. First I draw the black areas, to bring out the lines. I’m focusing on the woman mainly. And if not, I draw about my life and funny little anecdotes. Furthermore, I do a lot of collaborations with artists that I love. I usually just contact them to grab a coffee and that works out well so far.”

So, you start with the outer lines and the flat black areas. Does it all start with a sketch? How does it become a whole?
“Yes, it does usually start with a sketch. I sketch a lot on my workbooks. I catch moments or conversations. And in the evening when I come back at home, I restitute them on my iPad. This iPad has changed my life, by the way. I can now draw everywhere, even on the airport, and I love it! At last, the final rendering is only digital but there are often pretty sketches behind.”
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Illustrator Gomargu - Exit
Illustrator Gomargu – Exit

Your illustrations are very feminine and you describe daily situations with a sense of humor and you base them on conversations and moment, you said. Is that always the case or are there other things or objects you draw inspiration from?  
“I think a lot, actually all the time. There’s no clear moment in my mind ha ha. For example, I think a lot about the attitude of people and what they how they appear. It allows me to be able to create funny situations in my head.
On top of this, Instagram is a great fish tank even if we don’t necessarily realize we swim in ideas. I follow a lot of feminist accounts which allows me to put my ideas into perspective. They also make me aware of situations common to many women. I’m also a graphic designer so I have a framework that allows me to talk to people about their lives or situations and that’s very inspiring as well.”
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Illustrator Gomargu - Dance
Illustrator Gomargu – Dance

Is there a certain message you want to spread with your illustrations?
“I’m 26 years old therefore I consider that I’m in a pivotal moment of my life where I’m supposed to be aware of my body and my values. But we all know that it’s not that simple. In my illustrations I try to unpack the girls – that’s why they are often naked but never vulgar. Our body is our best friend for life so why not make an ally? I also want to put myself forward as a modern girl without taboos… Say bad words, show butts and that kind of stuff, because that’s simply real life.”

Sounds very refreshing. And will you continue this? With other words: how do you see yourself in 5 years?
“To be honest I never really thought about that. Probably I can live very well from my job and be a freelance illustrator. My dream is to be able to illustrate books. Oh and on top of that: I want to meet a lot of new people in the upcoming years. That’s very important to me!”
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Illustrator Gomargu - Let's dance
Illustrator Gomargu – Let’s dance

Is there a brand of a person you would like to work with in the future?
“Oh yeah! My dream would be to illustrate for The New Yorker but also in The 1 – an awesome French magazine. Working with clothing brands would be great too. There are so many great opportunities I want to realize. They’re too many to list here haha.”

Great closing words for an ambitious girl as illustrator Gomargu. We will for sure hear more from this successful lady in the near future.

@gomargu
www.monicavelours.fr

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