Contributor Spotlight: Céline Rolland
Céline Rolland, who goes by Lynea on Adobe Stock, has been drawing ever since she was a child. After ten years in fashion design, she branched out an opened her own creative design studio and began creating stock graphics on the side. What started out as part-time endeavour has flourished into a fruitful career.
Image source: Lynea / Adobe Stock
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started as a creative?
I started drawing and I never stopped In France, Wednesday is a day without school. Usually it’s a special day for kids to play sports, music or stay at home. I chose to study drawing in a fine arts school. I went to an arts high school and during this time I studied design, photography, graphics, and architecture. It was so stimulating! In the end, fashion design was my preference. So I went to Paris to study fashion design at École Duperré and after graduating I worked as children’s fashion designer for 10 years.
How did you get started with stock?
After 10 years working and living in Paris, I decided to come back to live in my hometown. The work opportunities were not very exciting in my little town, so creating my own business sounded like the best solution. I created my little studio and found images were very useful for commissions, and this is how I discovered the stock world. I quickly realised that I could become a contributor myself. It was easy to understand the needs of buyers because I was a buyer myself!
Image source: Lynea / Adobe Stock
Do you do stock part time or full time?
It’s been a progressive journey. First I did only few hours a week, then after a year I did it part time, and now after three years it’s become a full-time job.
What are the advantages of selling your work on Adobe Stock?
In the beginning it was just a good opportunity to go on working during moment without client commission. Now I think I am very lucky to be so free to create. Stock is a perfect opportunity to choose and explore my style without prejudice.
Image source: Lynea / Adobe Stock
A lot of your work has a vintage, historical feel. How did you discover your style and where does your inspiration come from?
I think we are all the result of a mix of our personality and our culture. It’s the essence of inspiration and style for everybody. I have always been a fan of vintage. As often as possible I visit flea markets. One day I was on vacation in the south of France (a good place for vacations!) and I found an old book. It was a book from the 19th century with incredible birds engraving. I literally fell in love with this kind of illustrations and started working in this style.
Image source: Lynea / Adobe Stock
Have you ever come across your work being used in real life? How did that feel?
Yes, many times, but always by chance. I am always surprised and also proud. It’s like a child who becomes an adult: my baby flying on its own!
What are some of the rewards and challenges of having a stock portfolio?
Working alone can be hard sometimes. There are some moments of doubt. There is so many questions that must be answered alone. We must always renew ourselves and stay motivated. But in the end it’s very gratifying to see the number of sales increased. It’s the best reward, and I am always amazed to see my images sold on the other side of the world and being used by so many different cultures.
Image source: Lynea / Adobe Stock
What is the process behind creating one of your vectors?
My work is mainly vectors but everything starts on paper. It’s the best way to stay creative. After drawing, I work with a scan to make my vector file. I always try to do several versions of my work. Sometimes the end result is very different from my original idea but it does not matter: only the result is important.
Can you tell us about one of your best sellers, and why you it’s has been so popular with buyers?
This image represents men with business costumes and animal heads. It is a mix of old and modern style. The strength of this image is its originality – it’s different from the standard stock image you find. Plus it has humour and it is easy to modify and integrate.
Image source: Lynea / Adobe Stock
Do you have any advice for people who are looking to become stock contributors themselves?
I have only one advice: be yourself. Stock has evolved considerably. There is more and more contributors, more and more images. Putting forward your own personality is the best way to differentiate your work from standard.
See more of Céline’s work on Adobe Stock.
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