Can your pastry chef draw like this?
Most illustrators go to art school, graduate, and then start building a career in earnest. Very few quit art school, become a pastry chef, and then use the discipline they learned in the kitchen to fuel a successful illustration career. But for French artist Gaetan Sahsah, this unconventional path was the exact right one.
Working under the name Azaazelus, Gaetan's bold, colorful illustration work for the likes of WIRED, Fat Possum Records, and Coco Chocolatier invites the viewer to immerse themselves in a world somewhere between the everyday and the quietly surreal.
Gaetan sat down with us to share the thinking behind his 'note-taking' approach to inspiration, how he uses texture to make his work feel more alive, and why finishing every artwork is his personal cheat code.
Your journey as an illustrator is quite unconventional. How do you end up drawing for a living instead of doing something "normal"?
I've wanted to be an illustrator for as long as I can remember. I was basically obsessed with drawing as a kid. I went to an art school in France, but it was too focused on conceptual art, and I realized pretty quickly it wasn't the right fit for me. So I quit, and I ended up working as a baker, then a pastry chef.
Even then, I kept drawing on the side, every day, until it became something I could actually live from. Now I'm a freelance illustrator, making bold, colorful work for clients. And honestly, I'd rather draw 50 hours a week than be back in a windowless kitchen! haha
"THE FUNNY PART IS THAT THE PASTRY YEARS HELPED ME A LOT. THAT JOB TAUGHT ME DISCIPLINE AND CONSISTENCY, AND IT'S A HUGE REASON I'M ABLE TO HANDLE FREELANCE LIFE."
What's the story behind your artist name Azaazelus?
My dad is from Morocco and is Amazigh, so I’ve always been proud of those roots ‘Azaazelus’ started from an Amazigh word I heard growing up, something like ‘azaadot’, and it evolved over time into ‘Azaazelus’.
I come from graffiti culture, having a nickname was something from when I was younger, but to be honest, these days I’m using my real name more often, it just feels more straightforward.
Has your practice arrived where it is intentionally, by accident, or a mix of both?
I'd say it's a mix, but with a strong base of intention. I've been obsessed with clean lines my whole life, I don't even know why, I just always wanted to draw precise, perfect lines. I started with India ink and a dip pen, and that love for line work never left.
The 'accident' part is color and overall style. That evolved more naturally over time, especially once the iPad became part of my process; it opened new doors and things started to click.
"I REALLY STARTED EVOLVING THE DAY I STOPPED STAYING STUCK IN DRAFTS. NOT FINISHING ANYTHING WAS MY WORST ENEMY, BECAUSE YOU DON'T GROW IF YOU NEVER SHIP WORK."
Your work feels like an exploration between reality and imagination. Are you trying to reveal hidden truths, question assumptions, or simply evoke a feeling?
I'd say it's a mix. I'm not trying to deliver one strict message every time, it's more about a feeling. A lot of it comes from the way we see the world as kids, when everyday life still feels a bit magical (good or not).
I was a pretty shy kid, and I spent a lot of time observing rather than talking. So I'd layer imagination on top of reality in my head, and I think my drawings come from that same place, taking something familiar and giving it a small surreal twist. I try not to lock the work into a single meaning. I like leaving space for people to project their own story onto it.
Over the years you've had more animation creep into your portfolio. How does animation influence the way you work?
I love animation, but I'm not an animator, I approach it more like motion design. I take my layered illustrations into After Effects and add simple movement. It's fun to see drawings come alive, and it also feeds back into my static work because it makes me think more about rhythm, composition, and where the eye should go first.
Do most pieces begin for you as a clear idea, a loose feeling, or a bit of trial and error?
It really depends. With client work, it often starts with a concept or a theme they bring in, and then it becomes a bit of trial and error until I hit that moment where it feels like, 'okay, this is the vibe.'
For personal work, it usually begins more as a loose feeling. I'm a heavy note-taker, I write down little ideas and images that pop into my head during the day, and I organize them in Notion. Not every note is a winner, some are pretty rough. But I take so many that I can't really dive into them without finding at least one idea that makes me want to draw. It's basically my cure for blank-page syndrome!
How did your style develop? Was it inspired by specific influences or did it evolve over time?
I think it mostly evolved over time. I wasn't trying to copy one specific influence, my main goal was to become confident enough to draw pretty much anything and still have it feel like me.
One thing that really shaped my style was saying yes to briefs that were outside my comfort zone. I'd accept subjects I'd never drawn before because it forces you to solve new problems, and that's where you level up the fastest. Like, I've never drawn a combat helicopter in my life, but if someone asks me to make an event poster with a helicopter, I'm instantly like, 'okay, let's go.' I'll figure it out, and I'll make it work in my own language, that's why I love drawing.
Was there a moment when you realized texture was the thing for you, or did it sneak into your work quietly and never leave?
I don't think there was one single moment, it kind of sneaked in and never left. At some point I realized that pure digital can feel a bit too clean, almost too sterile for what I wanted.
I love super clean illustration, but in my case, since I'm not working in vector, I was missing that physical, hand-made feeling, the paper, the print grain, the little imperfections.
"TEXTURE BRINGS THAT ORGANIC LAYER AND IT MAKES EVERYTHING FEEL WARMER AND MORE ALIVE. IT'S LIKE ADDING A SMOKY SAMPLE AND TAPE NOISE TO MUSIC, SUDDENLY IT HAS SOUL."
Do you remember your first True Grit encounter? How did you find our tools?
Yeah, I remember it really clearly. I'd been using Procreate for about two years, but in a super minimal way, basically just a classic hard round brush. For a long time I wasn't even looking into brush packs or textures.
Then I tried to save time by building my own texture brushes… and I quickly realized it's way harder than it looks. So I started searching online, and that's when I discovered this whole world of digital tools and textures. The first pack I bought from you was Lithotone, and it was a real 'ohhh, okay, I get it now' moment.
What made True Grit stick when so many brush packs end up quietly ignored in a folder somewhere?
Honestly, it's the quality. A lot of brush packs look great in previews, but then you don't actually reach for them in real projects. With True Grit, the tools feel reliable and they just work for my style. I feel we share the same vibe.
And the Distress Actions in Photoshop are a total go-to for me. I use one all the time, to the point where I literally have a Wacom shortcut mapped for it. That's usually the sign something has really stuck!
"WITH TRUE GRIT, THE TOOLS FEEL RELIABLE AND THEY JUST WORK FOR MY STYLE. I FEEL WE SHARE THE SAME VIBE."
Walk us through how texture shows up in your workflow. Early decision, finishing move, or a "this needs something more" moment?
It's usually a finishing move for me. I start clean linework and colors first then I jump into pattern brushes, choosing the right ones depending on the spaces I want to fill. Then I decide if I want crisp lines or a bit of bleed, so I use Distress Actions and small tweaks. At the end I often add one overall texture pass to unify the whole illustration and make it feel more printed and warm.
Which True Grit tools are basically on speed dial for you? Any ride or die brushes you reach for without thinking?
The Distress Press kit and Lithotone is still one of my favorites. A lot of brushes are stacked into my "main brushes" set.
When inspiration runs low, what usually helps you reset or reconnect with your practice?
When inspiration is low, my notes are the first thing that saves me. I've built a really organized Notion system over the past six years, and it's basically my safety net. I can go in with a blank mind and come out with the urge to draw again.
And the other big fuel is looking at other illustrators' work. I'm a true illustration nerd, so seeing great drawings instantly resets my brain. It makes me feel like a kid again like, 'okay… I want to make something cool too.'
"I'M A HEAVY NOTE-TAKER. I WRITE DOWN LITTLE IDEAS AND IMAGES THAT POP INTO MY HEAD DURING THE DAY. I TAKE SO MANY THAT I CAN'T DIVE IN WITHOUT FINDING AT LEAST ONE THAT MAKES ME WANT TO DRAW."
What's the best bit of advice your younger self wouldn't have wanted to hear?
Get disciplined. Be organized in your process, even when it's 'just personal work.' And finish things, treat your own projects like a real client job you can't afford to miss. Shipping the work is what will make you improve. Don't overthink, just draw mate!
FAST FIVE
Favourite subject to draw
Kids doing crazy stuff
What's the one piece of work you're most proud of?
My EP Cover for "Black Sun Empire - Consume the Power"
Something about you nobody would suspect?
I don't like cheese
Most underrated skill required as an artist?
Discipline
Favorite artist/musician/filmmaker, dead or alive?
David Hockney / Pink Floyd / John Carpenter
Gaetan Sahsah is a freelance illustrator based in Albi, France, working under the name Azaazelus
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