Raphael Lacoste

Raphael Lacoste

Raphael Lacoste is an illustrator, best known as the former Art Director for Ubisoft. His most recognised work is his contribution towards video games Assassins creed and Prince of Persia. Lacoste is also known for his most recent role as a matte painter and Senior Concept Artist, working on several films, including Terminator Salvation and Journey to the centre of the Earth.

            Lacoste is set apart from other artists for the way in which he draws. Lacoste uses a number of different techniques to create a 3D perspective, including sketching and photoshop.  The drawings use a number of different elements to create the 3D illusion, for example the use of light and dark tone create a shadow effect. Lacoste implies where the light would be on his sketches, creating the 3D look, just as you could see where the light hits an object straight in front of you. Another thing would be the vanishing point, the point at which all the angles and lines of the drawing meet and , the point where your eye is automatically drawn to. This vanishing point helps create a depth of field, which adds again to the illusion that it’s more than a flat surface. Large figures also play a part, the form and size of things, such as buildings, mountains and people the audience imagine things more clearly, if they have other structures to compare sizes to then they are able to become more of a part of the piece, which is especially important in the gaming industry.

References: http://www.raphael-lacoste.com/www.raphael-lacoste.com/___Home___.html