CÉCILE CARRE
ImagineFX|May 2020
From being headhunted out of school to moving to New York to work on new animation titles, this artist’s career is on the up
Beren Neale
CÉCILE CARRE

As an animation artist, Frenchborn Cécile Carre is an all rounder, working in storyboarding, visual development, character art and 2D animation. You can see her highly expressive work online, with oodles of loose, funny personal pieces updated over the past few months on her Instagram page. Recently working on the 2019 animation Klaus, and now brandishing a freshly printed US work permit, she’s poised to embark on top-secret projects in New York. Yet unlike one of her beloved Disney characters, none of this was written in the stars.

As the daughter of two doctors, growing up in France’s idyllic Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean, animated TV shows were banned in the house – although Cécile and her three sisters did fill up afternoons endlessly drawing. Perhaps something of the island’s surrounding volcanoes, rainforests and coral reefs would later inspire her in her creative career, but initially Cécile was all set for a career in engineering.

ENGINEERING A CAREER IN ART

However, after a year in this field, things weren’t quite right. “It was not fulfilling me,” she recalls. “It’s probably like any first-level job – but it’s even more frustrating when you’ve chosen a field that you then realise you don’t even like that much. I didn’t feel useful. I didn’t find a strong meaning to the job. I was like a minion and I felt completely useless. It was defeating and disappointing.”

This story is from the May 2020 edition of ImagineFX.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 2020 edition of ImagineFX.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM IMAGINEFXView All
First Impressions - Glenn Arthur
ImagineFX

First Impressions - Glenn Arthur

Influences from Disneyland shape the artist’s work

time-read
2 mins  |
September 2023
THE ART OF BRIAN SUM
ImagineFX

THE ART OF BRIAN SUM

Dominic Carter talks to the mech master about honing his cyberpunk visions, character designs, and his new artbook

time-read
6 mins  |
September 2023
Karla Diaz
ImagineFX

Karla Diaz

Clean and cosy Discover a studio of two halves as the Chilean comic artist gives us the grand tour

time-read
2 mins  |
September 2023
A day in the life of...Daniel Hyun Lim
ImagineFX

A day in the life of...Daniel Hyun Lim

Learn smart The illustrator and storyboard artist opens up on his non-stop schedule, and explains why new graduates need to spend their time wisely

time-read
1 min  |
September 2023
MATTAHAN
ImagineFX

MATTAHAN

Dominic Carter talks to the EarthNight artist about making art for video games and how he keeps his creativity sharp

time-read
7 mins  |
August 2023
Technique focus: FIND THE RIGHT TOOLS
ImagineFX

Technique focus: FIND THE RIGHT TOOLS

LEONARDO GONZALEZ explains why specific pens and pencils are so important to his creative process, including his Pokémon fan art

time-read
1 min  |
August 2023
FXPosé
ImagineFX

FXPosé

SHOWCASING THE FINEST TRADITIONAL ARTISTS

time-read
1 min  |
August 2023
Technique focus: EMBRACE REFERENCES
ImagineFX

Technique focus: EMBRACE REFERENCES

Alone Lee explores being inspired by emotions, observations, and imagination

time-read
1 min  |
August 2023
Procreate: CREATE A BOLD FAN ART PORTRAIT
ImagineFX

Procreate: CREATE A BOLD FAN ART PORTRAIT

Bo Feng Lin shares the process behind his quirky Wednesday Addams painting, which features suitably abstract elements

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2023
Emily Chapman
ImagineFX

Emily Chapman

My aesthetic A personal haven where bloomcore meets splashes of boho, pastel and RGB

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2023