Naive Dreams and Bold Colors: Inside Guillaume Denaud’s World
French illustrator and graphic designer Guillaume Denaud made a name for himself under the pseudonym Dans les Dents — a colorful and distinctive name that reflects the style found in his work. Accustomed to editorial, cultural, institutional, and youth illustration, he presents Le gros chat jaune, a vibrant and intriguing piece, marking his first collaboration with Holiyay puzzles.
Can you tell me a bit about your background? What led you to illustration?
I studied graphic arts while maintaining a strong attraction to drawing. I then had the opportunity to work as a graphic designer for a children’s clothing brand, where my role mainly involved creating visuals for t-shirts, designing patterns, and so on — so I was doing a lot of illustration! That’s when I began to develop a more personal style and grow my illustration practice alongside my salaried job. I started out as a freelance illustrator by participating in creator markets, where I sold prints and cards that I printed at home. Gradually, that side of my work grew until I decided to go fully freelance in 2019.
You work as an independent illustrator under the name Dans les Dents… Where does that name come from?
The name Dans les Dents comes from a slightly old-fashioned and playful expression that I liked, and that matched what I wanted to convey: colorful and punchy images!
Your images are indeed very colorful and have a unique style. How would you describe your work?
I would describe my style as naïve, sometimes dreamlike and imaginative. Lately, I’ve been working a lot on images centered around music, instruments, and machines. But what I enjoy most is creating slightly quirky and joyful parallel worlds — like little escapes.
That’s something we also see in Le gros chat jaune, the illustration you created for Holiyay. What inspired this image?
This illustration is part of a more or less coherent series of imaginary cities. I didn’t have a very specific direction when I started — except for wanting to invent a kind, welcoming universe where anything is possible, and of course to enjoy drawing things I like. As for the colors, I wanted something vibrant and luminous… something that feels like walking through a dream!
Were there any specific challenges in creating an illustration for a puzzle?
For a puzzle, I think it’s great when there are lots of details and little scenes… it makes it more fun ☺️
You work on many different types of projects for various clients. Are there any consistent approaches from one project to another?
Yes! I usually start with a quick line sketch, just to get a sense of the overall composition. Then I block in the shapes with color. Finally, once the main elements are in place, I add the details. That said, throughout the process, colors change, shapes evolve, and new ideas emerge — the image really builds itself step by step! I mainly work digitally, but for more personal projects, I sometimes use more traditional methods like painting or markers.
