Exclusive Interview With Morgane Magloire, 2nd Prize Winner of the Digital Art Award, 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize by Addison Devereux
Have you ever read a description of a character or scene in a book and wished for some clarity? Something on the cover to give even a hint of how exactly their smile, their hair, or their armored space suit was imagined by the author? It is these scenes that we take with us on the adventure through words and propelled by the imagination. As an artist, capturing the moment of magic and emotion typed out by a writer can be a difficult stunt. But this artist has found her strength.
The French illustrator Morgane Magloire who has worked for authors, publishing houses, and the role-playing game company Wizards of the Coast. The young artist works digitally but is no stranger to oil paint. Her pieces span a variety of genres inviting viewers from all backgrounds to these incredible scenes. Her submission for the 2025 Art Prize is art for a novel by Analeigh Sbrana. The colors blend and swirl together like conjoining currents capturing the chemistry of the scene. The incredible details, veiled in the watery depths, bring life to Morgane’s work and show exactly why her art is celebrated.
Medium & Dimensions:
Digital Painting & Drawing, Blender, Procreate, Photoshop
Exclusive interview with Morgane Magloire
Where do you find your inspiration from and do your hobbies outside of creating art play a role in that inspiration?
I typically find inspiration from the world around me. For instance, I’m constantly in awe of how the leaves change color from yellow to orange in the fall. I also draw inspiration from the old masters, such as Charles Soulacroix and John Singer Sargent; their work has a delicacy that I want to emulate.
Honestly, I don’t have any hobbies outside of creating art. I usually prefer to watch movies, which helps a lot for providing inspiration, especially for color mood.
“In the future, I see my art style developing with less detail and more texture; I’m learning that realism doesn’t have to mean a lot of rendering, focusing on the focal point and leaving other areas loose is becoming my go-to technique.” – Morgane Magloire
Your submission is for digital art but you also do oil painting as well. Are there other mediums you use and what makes digital art the most prominent art form for you?
Over the years, I experimented with several mediums, including colored pencils, markers, and graphite… but I mainly use digital now because it’s really convenient, it doesn’t take up much space, and the possibilities are endless. Although I think it’ll never beat the feeling of traditional media: the feel of pen on paper, the paint on a canvas, mixing colors, all these little satisfying details that you can’t retrieve with digital painting.
As a self-taught artist, what has been one of your most difficult challenges to overcome?
I believe the most difficult challenge was to practice in a disciplined manner in order to improve my skills. I know that practicing is important, but I found it difficult to stick to a consistent routine; it just feels boring to me.
Tell me about your favourite commission.
My favorite commission was for a special print edition of Thorn Season, where I had to paint the main character in a gorgeous, enormous silky dress! For me, this painting is the perfect example of what I enjoy painting the most, everything went so smoothly, and I knew where I was going. I wish all illustrations were this straightforward.
The characters you create and even the style you use show a diverse range of skills. How do you see your art changing over time? Do you see your art becoming more refined with a more narrowed approach?
In the future, I see my art style developing with less detail and more texture; I’m learning that realism doesn’t have to mean a lot of rendering, focusing on the focal point and leaving other areas loose is becoming my go-to technique.
I understand your submission to the art prize is from a book cover, but tell me the story behind this moment you captured in “The Last Kiss”.
This illustration was made for ”Lore of the tides” book overlay, but only as a pre-order incentive. The author, Analeigh Sbrana asked me to paint a scene from a section in their book, and as I read it, tears started to come up even though I didn’t know the entire story. I told myself I had to make it as powerful as the story, so that people could feel it was a deep deadly moment. It wasn’t simple; painting characters underwater is challenging, and this is the type of illustration where you may doubt your abilities and overpaint everything, but the end result is truly worth it.
What is your dream job? Or what is the commission you would like most to receive?
Today, I can say that I’m doing my dream job and that I’m working on commissions that I absolutely adore, but if I go deeper, I think I’d love to be a fine artist as well. It would give me the best of both worlds, working on some client’s works and making a living from my personal work.
How do you see your art competing with the rapid grown of AI created art?
It’s becoming more and more difficult to compete with AI and I feel like skills are becoming less important, but I can offer my vision and interpretation of emotions. Nobody knows where AI is heading, but I’m trying to treasure every moment I have of doing this as a full-time job.
Why did you enter the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Art Prize?
I saw a post from one of last year’s finalists and thought to myself, ‘maybe I might try to enter the next art prize.’
What do you feel you have gained from this experience?
Confidence in my work! You know, artists are constantly critical of their work, and winning second place felt like a confirmation that I’m on the right path.
Would you recommend it and encourage others to enter? If so, why?
Being chosen among so many incredible artists is also a huge milestone. But I would recommend anyone to enter the contest because it allows you to get your work viewed by a broader audience, and winning is a wonderful confidence boost.