💎 My journey to becoming a professional artist.
Portrait Gem #0
Bonjour my little demon,
You’re now one of 19,000 souls collecting my gems. Whether you just joined or have been here from the beginning, thank you so much for reading 🖤.
TODAY’S GEM
I get these questions all the time: When did you start? Did you go to art school? How old are you? Where are you from? What inspires your portraits? How did you grow such a large community?
Since we’re about to share this enchanted portrait adventure, I thought it was time to tell you my story.
Maybe it will resonate with you.
1- The good kid.
I come from a Malagasy family that immigrated to France. My parents valued long studies and traditional careers—doctor, lawyer, engineer.
Nothing pointed to me becoming an artist.
And I lived a life without art.
I was the quiet kid in the back of the class. Introverted. Alone. Obsessed with manga and judo. I followed the path laid out for me: law school in Paris, one of the best.
And that was it.
But in 2020, everything changed.
2- From my bedroom floor…
At 22, during the COVID lockdowns, I had an existential crisis.
Cliché, right? But it’s true.
I was done being the “good kid.” I craved adventure. So, I decided to create my own world—one filled with horns and fantasy.
I started drawing.
The feel of graphite on paper? It’s still the best feeling I’ve ever known.
It felt like infinite possibilities. It felt like freedom. It felt like purpose.
Between piles of law books and scattered essays, I sat on my bedroom floor and began my quirky artistic journey.
And let me tell you—it wasn’t easy.
3- The struggle to create
No talent. No mentor. No family support.
I struggled. I learned everything on my own.
It took years to reach even a decent level in portraiture.
I failed. Adjusted. Failed again. Adjusted.
(And honestly, that’s still how I learn today.)
I wanted to quit so many times.
But then, I started sharing my work on Instagram. And I met you.
You, and thousands of other little demons, changed my life.
By 2023, after 3 years of drawing and growing a community of over 100,000 followers, I made a wild decision:
I left everything behind to pursue art full-time.
4- To the French Artist Life
It was chaos. Absolute madness.
But today?
I have my own atelier (No more drawing on the floor!)
Millions of people step into my world each month to see my portraits.
Hundreds invest in my art and portrait courses every year.
I can travel. I feel free. And for the first time, I feel like my work has a positive impact.
And the craziest part?
All of this is built on simple portraits.
Just a few lines of graphite on smooth paper.
It’s nothing grandiose but every line carries my story. My imagination. My drive.
My desire to offer you an enchanted world.
That’s why, I’m proud of my artist life.
And now, it’s time to give back.
5- Let me give you
I’ve received so much, and now I want to give back.
That’s why I created this project: the Portrait Gems.
To give you access to the backstage of my art. To thank you. To share with you a new chapter of this story—one we’ll write together.
Now you know my story: nice to meet you, I’m Léa, 26 years old. I am your French portrait artist.
And now, it’s your turn to share your story:
Who are you?
What’s your connection to art and portraits?
Why are you here?
👉 Tell me everything by replying to this email or commenting just below!
I can’t wait to read your answers.
Je t’embrasse,
Léa