How French illustrator Lapin turned sketching from a pastime into a way of life

One can only envy him. Twenty years ago, Lapin worked in a studio as a graphic designer on campaigns for Air France, PlayStation and Porsche. But the urge to sketch was always there, and after publishing his first sketchbook in 2008, he turned his back on sitting at a computer to strike out into the world as an urban sketcher. To date, he has produced 48 books full of illustrations, working with historical, cultural and commercial organisations around Europe. From dinosaurs to ancient French architecture to vintage cars and on to the latest aerospace technology – he's drawn it all, adding whimsical strokes of watercolour in a free and natural style that more or less sums up his entire way of life.

Based in Barcelona, Lapin roams the great cities of Europe with a Coleman folding stool and sketchbook in hand, his art case attached to his belt. "My sketching gear is simple because I carry it with me everywhere," says the 43-year-old artist. "A Uni Pin 0.2mm indelible black fine liner, Winsor and Newton paint in a bijou 19th-century box, and a white Gelly Roll pen size 10 for highlights."

His most recent sketchbook was created last year for the Musée d'Histoire et d'Art de Bormes – MHAB – which serves the medieval village of Bormes-les-Mimosas on the French Riviera. Over a period of three weeks, Lapin explored the village and witnessed its carnival, celebrating the blooming of the mimosas with their spectacular flowers.

"Between sketches, I tasted the specialities of Provence and experienced the hospitality of the Borméans while capturing everything in his artworks. It's drawn to give the feeling of a promenade through the village, with its medieval buildings, the castle, narrow streets, parks and gardens, vineyards and beaches," says Lapin.

Two editions have been published: a run of 2000 for sale in the museum and a luxury edition of 500 signed and numbered copies that can be presented to special guests and dignitaries.

This summer, Lapin jetted off to Australia with the French Air and Space Force and the RAF to sketch the Pitch Black exercise, which involved 20 countries, 140 aircraft, and 4000 personnel. Lapin's father was an aviation technician. He grew up near Dinard airport in Brittany and holds a pilot's licence. Since 2019, he's been an official painter for the Air and Space Force and has developed a strong relationship with the organisation.

"I have the honorary rank of captain, a badge and ceremonial uniform, and I spend a few weeks at air bases each year. We've published several books about aviators, the French aerobatic team Patrouille de France, and the National Air and Space Museum near Paris. The next book, covering Pitch Black, consists of 130 pages of sketches and comes out in 2025," says Lapin.

When lockdown hit in 2020, it took Lapin a few days to recover from the shock. All his commissions were cancelled, travel was out of the question, and he couldn't even go out and sketch the city. Anxiety set in. To combat this, he focused on the succulents on the terrace of his home in Barcelona. He switched from sketchbooks to large-format paper and began practising botanical illustration.

"I observed them closely and drew slowly, leaf by leaf, spending days, weeks, months growing my illustrations. The anxiety was replaced with contemplation. I learned a lot from this exercise, developing my skills in observation and colour work. I've shared my process through an online course which takes a meditative approach to botanical sketch-booking," he explains.

When he's not sketching, Lapin is out searching the flea markets for vintage ledgers. He loves drawing in old accounting books, with their ageing paper and red and blue lines. It's an aesthetic reminiscent of early scientific journals from the 18th-century expeditions of Lapérouse and Captain Cook.

"As a freelance illustrator, I don't know what I'll be doing in three weeks, let alone five years. Hopefully, I'll be on the same path, publishing four or five books a year, discovering the world by sketching and meeting people," Lapin concludes.