Every Body is Welcome: Drawing with Marie Boiseau

Marie Boiseau has been drawing for as long as she can remember. In 2017, after what she herself calls “not-so-successful” studies at the Beaux-Arts school in Angoulême, she decided to pursue illustration as a full-time career and became a freelance illustrator. Since then, she has worked on a wide range of creative projects, all highlighting her joyful, energetic style. Her illustration Marché éphémère, part of our new puzzle collection launching this summer, is no exception.

Your illustrations often explore themes like body diversity, shapes, and color—which we clearly see in your puzzle artwork, full of unique characters and vibrant patterns. What draws you to these subjects?
Body diversity inspires me because there’s still such a lack of representation—in the media, in pop culture, in magazines, in advertising… I simply like to draw people who look like me or like my friends. I always try to infuse them with joy and lightness, especially through bright colors and rounded shapes.

You often work with gouache, is that right? What do you love about this medium?
Not all projects allow for it, but yes—I mostly work with gouache. I love it because it creates rich textures and vibrant colors. There’s also something very meditative about painting by hand. You focus on the gesture, and everything else just fades away...

Your Holiyay puzzle illustration is full of life. Where did the inspiration for this image come from?
I had been wanting to create a tribute to festivals, art fairs, and maker markets for a while. A puzzle felt like the perfect format for this kind of scene—I could include tons of little details, cute objects, characters... I also chose a color palette that felt festive and joyful, to reflect the feeling of being at an art festival.

You mentioned the importance of small details in puzzle illustrations. Are there other challenges that come with creating this type of image?
You have to find a balance—enough detail to make it fun, but not so much that the puzzle becomes impossible to complete! Marché éphémère is actually my thirteenth puzzle, so I’m quite used to this type of work now. I’ve even created two puzzles for Ravensburger that were used in the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in Valladolid in 2023 and 2024. I really love working in this format! It’s actually kind of funny to imagine, while you’re drawing, what the pieces will look like once the image is cut.

You’ve worked on many other kinds of projects too—from clothing and stationery to magazines, posters, and home décor. Do you have a consistent creative process across your work?
Yes! My process is almost always the same: visual research, creating a moodboard, selecting a color palette, exploring compositions and doing some tests, and then creating the final illustration. It’s a fairly structured routine, but it really helps me stay efficient.