Clément Morin is director and a motion designer from Normandy, France. In his own words, he tries to recreate a half remembered dream through his art.

SUMMER ROLL by Clément Morin

Can you start by introducing yourself and your artistic background?

My name is Clément Morin and I’m a 3D artist freelance artist, a motion graphic designer as well as a director based in Normandy, France, and I have more than 15 years of experience in this field. I started 3D after entering Gobelins to study photography but the school was mainly know for animation. So after my studies, I found myself intrigued by 3D and learning photography really allowed me to excel in this medium since I had good knowledge of lighting, composition and such. Since then, I’ve worked on some publicities, documentaries and short films and I worked on a documentary that took 3 to 4 years of full-time work. Additionally, during that time, I lived for 15 years in Paris but my family and I moved back to Normandy. Paris was becoming very noisy and heavy for us so we wanted a calmer environment, especially at my age, and moving back here was really a needed change.

Do you dwell in different mediums other than digital art? 

I used to do music for a few years, I played base to be more precise, but I’m having a hard time now to pick that up again. Otherwise, when it comes to traditional mediums, I do some sketches here and there between my work, but it stops there. I do enjoy it a lot but it’s not really my thing. So I stick mainly to digital art even if I can get my way around traditional mediums because I feel like I can create much more with the digital tools.

What helped you develop your art style?

My style has evolved a lot compared to many other artists who have a more definite and recognizable style. It changes a lot depending on where I go or the things I see. For instance, my art is influenced a lot by Japanese traditions inspired from Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, but there are also many other things that have helped me in developing my style. I also look into some traditional environmental paintings that I use as reference for the lighting and atmosphere I aim to create.

What is your process when you’re creating a new piece? 

I don’t have a specific way of going about creating a new piece. Sometimes, I’ll just get an illumination and get to work or on different occasions, I’ll think about words, objects, locations, etc, to find inspiration and references for a new piece. Then, I’ll start arranging the lighting and the composition by thinking about my focal point, the lighting’s origin, the scenography and the elements that can really push the potential in the composition. I enjoy the freedom I have with my creative process. Finally, I’ll start working on the piece and it can take up to two months to finish it and at times, I’ll start getting other fresh ideas and start working on those as well.

How did you get introduced to NFTs and how has your experience been in this space?

I was already investing a bit into Ethereum a few years prior with some of my friends but I never ever mess with money, so I was lost when it came down to handling the money it could generate. When I put some money in it, its value started going down immensely and I started questioning whether it was worth it to invest any more in crypto. A few years later, I would hear about NFTs here and there when it slowly started becoming the talk of the town, but I didn’t look into them much since I was very busy at that time. I started researching and getting invested with NFTs in the beginning of 2020, because I saw that almost everyone was in on it or talking about it. It was around the time when there was a wave of applications on the platforms. Then it was my turn to jump in this space starting with SuperRare. I was very nervous about minting my first few pieces, but I was fortunate enough since I was doing really well in that space. Within the first few hours after minting a new piece, there were already a few bids on my works. I can’t look back since then. 

Do you have any advice for up-and-coming artists in the NFT or digital art space? 

Patience is very important in this space, or as an artist in general. When we see all these artists succeeding in this space, we naturally want to follow their footsteps and have a similar recognition, which often takes more time for some artists. Patience can get you anywhere as well as accepting that things might not always work out. Some days may seem bit darker but the light at the end of the tunnel will always shine through. I really think that it’s important to meditate on that and to take pleasure in doing what you’re doing above all else. Also, I recommend to often give yourself some space from social medias and appreciate everything you have to cool off from the stress and pressure these platforms can bring.