Illustration in gouache is one of the pillars of high jewelry in France. We have learned its secrets in the most prestigious houses. It brings objects to life before they are even made, it’s a totally magical aspect that we both love.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
We are 2 French twin sisters of Russian origin born and raised in Paris. We have always been passionate about design and decided to study in a jewelry design school. We fell in love with high jewelry after seeing exhibits on this subject and our dream then was to work on the famous place Vendôme in Paris. A dream we both achieved.
Helene joined one of the biggest French houses for which she worked for 15 years. Jeanne worked for a large number of houses there, she specialized in the illustration of high- jewelry and watches. Today we both created our own jewelry brand Karpov, and have launched our online gouache courses which are made for any level student.
2. How did you develop an interest in accessories illustration?
Illustration in gouache is one of the pillars of high jewelry in France. We have learned its secrets in the most prestigious houses. It brings objects to life before they are even made, it’s a totally magical aspect that we both love.
3. What is your favorite color medium?
We mostly use gouache for our work but we can mix it with watercolor and sometimes brush - pens. It really depends on the artwork we are working on and the final rendering that we want to show.
4. Which is your favorite brand and what makes it stand out?
Helene: I will say of course Van Cleef Arpels, as it is the one I feel closer to any other brand. I always admired their poetic point of view, their choice of stones, and the history behind every collection.
It is a house of dreams. Jeanne: Grima! I like the architectural aspect of their pieces and their very particular way of treating gold. I love their brooches all in volume and movement. Their jewelry is very much alive.
5. What tips and advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?
First of all, we recommend working with high-quality material to create beautiful projects. A good illustrator has to be patient and not be easily discouraged! These are essential qualities. Learning gouache takes time, so it’s important to keep focusing on learning the right gestures to try again and again to finally achieve a good level of this art.
6. Which is your favorite book and why?
It is way too difficult to choose just one book but we can’t mention the books of JAR which are pure poetry. We love also any kind of jewelry gouache catalog from high jewelry collections of big brands. They are just sumptuous!
Interviewed By - Anshika Maurya
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