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In the night where the unknown roams, comfort is knowing the silent; at the dawn of an arduous journey, comfort is where new hope awaits.
Let’s greet our sixth collaborating artist for our art kit series— Tom Haugomat, who is known for his minimalistic, vintage and cinematic motifs.
Focusing on the usage of Molotow Paint Markers, this adventurous, rustic art kit collaboration aims to transport artists to the great outdoors, accompanied by Tom’s practical guide on the go!
Read on to discover Tom’s experience as an animation director and illustrator, journey through creating the kit, art tips, and more—
Hi Tom! Thank you for taking time out to do this interview. How about a self-introduction to kickstart the interview?
Hi, my name is Tom. I’m a French illustrator and a father of 2. I share a studio at the very centre of Paris with talented friends I met from Art School.
I love hiking and travelling as much as playing board games near a fire log when it’s raining outside!
Tell us about your experience curating the Paint Marker Art Kit! What were the challenges you faced in the process?
I love learning from other artists so sharing my painting tips and techniques in this Art Kit seemed evident. It was quite difficult to choose a selection of colours that would work well together but I'm happy with the final result!
Compared to our other art kit collaborations, you took a different route with your Practice Workbook and Guidebook by focusing more on composition and utilising space. What was your thought process behind writing the practice books?
I think that it's important to have some layout notions to make strong images.
My idea was to make a painting initiation more than a colouring book and I sincerely hope that these tips will help young artists to build their own graphic style.
What do you hope our customers will feel when using the Paint Marker Art Kit?
I hope that they'll have fun overlapping colours with the Molotow Paint Markers, and that my composition tips will help them desacralise painting!
What advice would you give to artists who struggle to paint a scene with the emotional impact they imagined?
Keep it simple! You'll often give more emotions by drawing minimalist “dot” characters than with complex poses or facial expressions.
However, it's important to draw a lot by observation if you want to progress. So keep a sketchbook with you all the time and don't stop sketching.
Your illustrations embody a sense of pensiveness often captured in cinematic frames. How would you say that your animation background has played a part in developing your current style?
I like the idea that illustration can be a "muted" way of telling stories. Learning animation helped me to understand timing, sequencing and framing. I also learned a lot by watching movies and analysing short sequences. Don't hesitate to do so!
We’ve read that you are a former animation director who is now focusing on being an illustrator. What prompted you to go into illustration, and what else do you plan to pursue with your art down the road?
We’ve read that you are a former animation director who is now focusing on being an illustrator. What prompted you to go into illustration, and what else do you plan to pursue with your art down the road?
We both miss animation, though, so we might be back on track soon enough.
What is the best art advice you have ever received?
The more constraints you have, the more creative you are.
Could you share with us your sources of inspiration that might surprise us?
I'm a huge fan of the Japanese photographer Shoji Ueda. I love his poetic minimalist work and his sense of composition.
More surprising, I'm a big fan of the movie “Alien” by Ridley Scott. I love the aesthetic, the storyboard and the fact that we're terrorised by something we don't see.
Trivia question! If you get to travel to outer space, how would you spend your time there?
I'd like to say that I’d spend hours observing and painting the universe. But the truth is, I would totally freak out, take tranquillisers, sleep a lot and probably miss the beauty of seeing the Earth from Space!
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Tom is an author, illustrator and director based in Paris, and you can find him on Instagram here.
The new Mossery × Tom Haugomat Paint Marker Art Kit is out and now available worldwide! Check out what’s inside the kit here.
Tom's new covers Uphill and Campfire are also available for Planners, Notebooks and Sketchbooks.
Trek to the mountaintop, with hope seen in snowdrops, every step’s a refreshing start; unwind into the night, like the smoke towards the sky, in the song of the crackling log.
We can’t wait for you to experience Tom’s guide to making minimalist masterpieces!
Remember to tag us with your unboxing clip @mosseryco on Instagram so we can share it!
