Daisy De Villeneuve

Photographed By Alistair Guy

YOU WERE BORN IN LONDON WITH A FRENCH LAST NAME, THEN YOU STUDIED AT PARSONS IN BOTH NEW YORK AND PARIS,  CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THESE ANGLO-FRENCH RELATIONS?
I am in fact not French but half English and half American, and for the past three years I’ve been living in Paris up until a couple of weeks ago when I moved back to the UK.

WHY DID YOU BECOME AN AUTHOR?
I'd always wanted to do a book of the “He Said She Said” drawings that I had shown during my final project for my graduation show in 1999. I was commissioned to do over 100 drawings for it in December 2000. It was first published in August 2001; that's when I became an author.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOUR NEW BOOK AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ONES?
The new book “I Should Have Said” is similar in vain to the first book, in fact it's the sequel. But, it is different as it's an older version of me and my friends, the experiences are universal yet familiar.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO ILLUSTRATION?
After art school I was approached by the publishers, Pocko Editions, they commissioned me to do my first book. That led to other work, then when a journalist asked what I did I said, “illustration” as I didn't really feel like I was an artist as such, even though I have a degree in Fine Art, I thought I was more of an illustrator.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT TO DRAW?
Faces as that's what I do best.

HOW DO YOUR PIECES COME TOGETHER?
I carry a notebook and jot down notes and ideas, then I sketch out the idea for the drawing. It will take me several attempts until I get the drawing right, I never work with pencil, always with pen first, I make lots of mistakes and keep tracing over the older versions of the sketch until I'm happy with it. Sometimes I like my mistakes and keep them.

WHO ARE THE ARTISTS YOU ADMIRE?
David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Sir Peter Blake and Robert Rauschenberg.

WHO ARE THE WRITERS YOU ADMIRE?
Brett Easton Ellis, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU GET UP TO?
I travel a lot for work and to see my friends. Friends and work are important to me. I'm currently in Austin, Texas.

YOU’RE ALSO QUITE THE FASHIONISTA, IF YOU WERE TO DRAW AN ENTIRE COLLECTION FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL USE, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
A colourful eclectic mix of both vintage and designer clothes. Lots of shoes, bags and sunglasses. I'm a total hoarder.