Interview with artist Xaxaxa
Today, we present an exclusive interview with artist Xaxaxa, conducted by our awesome partner Geek-Art (and, more specifically, by Thomas Olivri)!
The interview was carried out as part of the crowdfunding campaign launched by Caurette and Xaxaxa, which aims to bring you a reissue of the Xaxaxa Illustrations art book. You can find more information about the book on Kickstarter or directly on LiberDistri.com.
In short, sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and get ready for an exciting read! Enjoy!
First of all, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers? Where are you from, where do you work...
My name is Xavier Houssin, aka “Xa” or “Xaxaxa.” I'm from northern France and currently work from home in Lille, so I haven't moved around much. I'm best known for having been lead character designer and artistic director at Ankama on quite a few projects. These include the MMORPG Dofus, the feature film Dofus, The Return of Julith, the game and animated series Wakfu, but also Krosmaga and Waven. After 14 years at Ankama, I went freelance to devote myself to smaller-scale but more personal projects. After working as a character designer on the indie game Young Souls, I started a Patreon account and a Gumroad account (funding platforms) to draw manga-style pin-ups. In my spare time, I also like to develop mini video games.
And how did you get into illustration?
I was fascinated by video game graphics, so I was already drawing a little, inspired by them, and I was tinkering with little animations on Amiga using Deluxe Paint software. But it was my rediscovery of anime that sparked my passion for drawing, with the arrival in France of anime such as Porco Rosso, Akira, The Chronicles of the War of Lodoss, and manga such as Video Girl Ai, Dragon Ball, and Dr. Slump. I was in my final year of mechanical engineering, and working in the video game or animation industry was still just a pipe dream. Despite everything, I continued to draw while pursuing my studies until I obtained my degree in Industrial Product Design. As I became less and less interested in this industrial sector, I pestered my parents to let me do a one-year course in computer graphics. The content of this course was fairly basic, but being around students who were as crazy about video games and anime as I was allowed me to flourish in this field.
How would you describe your graphic style? How did you manage to “find” it, and under what circumstances did you say to yourself: “I want to do this for the rest of my life”?
My graphic style is inevitably based on my various influences, starting with those from Japan. For my work at Ankama, I was heavily influenced by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball) for his offbeat style, which is never too serious. My Capcom art book (Street Fighter) was also never far away, inspiring me with their approach to anatomy and their dynamic, exaggerated character poses. I also did a lot of isometric backgrounds for the Dofus and Wakfu games, and there my influence came from Final Fantasy and Ghibli films for the treatment of colors.
I don't know if you can “find” a style overnight. It evolves with the influences and projects you work on. That said, my style really started to take shape when I arrived at Ankama (I was already 25). Since I didn't know how to ink or really draw, I used Flash, which is vector drawing software (like Adobe Illustrator), for illustrations. This allowed us to do without traditional inking, to standardize our style, and to give Ankama productions their distinctive look.
As for the moment when I said to myself “I want to do this for the rest of my life”, it was precisely when I discovered the anime The Chronicles of the War of Lodoss. I was so captivated by the drawing style that I immediately started drawing that very evening, and I haven't stopped since.
What advice would you give to young people who want to become illustrators?
Go for it! Try to find out quickly whether they really enjoy drawing. That's an essential ingredient for success in this field. Learning can sometimes take a long time, and if you don't have a passion for it, it can become very laborious. I would also advise them not to isolate themselves, but to connect with other people who share their interests. This could be through training courses or art schools. And finally, I would encourage them to take on small projects and challenges, either individually or as part of a team. It's always more motivating than drawing "into thin air". I would also advise taking an interest in various creative software programs (3D, editing, video game engines, etc.). The world is becoming increasingly digital, and I think it's important to be comfortable with that.
What is your view of the profession and its challenges?
Today, it is possible to work in many different media and environments. There are, of course, the traditional avenues, such as animation, video games, and publishing. But in recent years, a whole host of new ways to earn a living have emerged. This can be done through digital platforms to sell your work directly to your community. Or by working for YouTubers, influencers, etc. For example, I know illustrators who create designs for virtual YouTubers (“VTubers”). The possibilities are much greater than in the past, but the difficulty is that there are more and more people in these sectors. Since creation has become accessible to everyone, it's difficult to stand out. Creativity is still key to achieving this! But you also need to keep up to date with new media. Things have changed so quickly in recent years! AI is also shaking things up, as we'll discuss below.
AI is on everyone's lips and all over social media. I have to admit that, personally, I detest it for a whole host of reasons. What's your opinion on the matter?
Like all revolutions, it has its good and bad sides. I sometimes use it to help me with video game coding, translation, specific research, or even to write the answers to this interview (just kidding ^^). But when it comes to generative AI, it is already causing many problems and clearly jeopardizing our business. We are already inundated with AI visuals: magazine covers, novel covers, board game illustrations, event posters, advertisements. These are all commissions that were not placed with illustrators. In addition to this, it can also discourage aspiring illustrators from persevering. Human competition was already difficult to understand, and AI adds another form of competition, this one unfair. I dare to hope that AI will go round in circles and that only humans will be able to bring a breath of fresh air, but I remain generally pessimistic about our business. Especially since I don't believe for a second that there will be any regulation on this subject. Added to all these questions are the disastrous impact on the climate and ethical issues relating to copyright and the plundering of artists' work. I know that there are already AIs (Loras) trained specifically on my style and that of Ankama...
What is your favorite piece in your portfolio and why?
Perhaps “Chevalier Blanc.” I had a lot of fun mixing these very cartoonish shapes with a realistic rendering. Among my pin-ups, I like “Scooter Girls” because it was my gateway into 3D. I challenged myself to model it with Blender. I managed to do it in three weeks, while teaching myself, and I really enjoyed the experience!
What are your sources of inspiration?
Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball), Rumiko Takahashi (Lamu, Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku), Takehito Harada (Disgaea), Alessandro Barbucci (SkyDoll), Capcom. I also have a large collection of art books (around 300), which are an endless source of inspiration!
