Natasha Devaud
Lighting / Look Development / CHARACTER CLOTHING
Publicity render for Transformers: The Last Knight.
With over 20 years of experience in two of the biggest companies in the Visual Effects industry (22 years at Industrial Light + Magic / LucasFilm, 1,5 years at Rhythm & Hues), I have worked on many high end movies and franchises (Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Iron Man, Avengers, ... see full filmography) as a lighting and look development technical director, where I am known for my good eye and esthetic interpretation. For a glimpse of my work, check my Demo Reel. More recently, my focus has been on combining my background in fashion design and experience in Computer Graphics to model and texture Character and Character Clothing, all the while teaching Lighting and Texturing at the Academy of Arts University of San Francisco.
3D figurine of the character Farinet (Swiss historical figure)
For as long as I can remember, I have always been drawing and doodling, and exploring new styles and ideas by joining various classes. Some of these classes have led me to start designing and selling fabrics, wraps and wallpaper, and develop my own creative style. Having a background in fashion design, I never stopped creating with textiles, whether it’s sewing children clothes, blocking hats in felt or straw, or developing prototypes for start-up robotic companies. For years, I have also been creating the costumes for a big fundraiser organized by ILM. I have a pretty good understanding of pattern making, which is a valuable asset when designing costumes for characters for games and AR/VR worlds.
I am solution oriented, used to work with a team of people of various levels and expertises, and able to lead a small team of artists. I am a good communicator and understand the needs of a production.
Learning to sculpt with Zbrush
Being an avid reader, I enjoyed discovering new stories, folk tales, authors and styles of illustration with my children and dive into the anglo-saxon youth literature, with a soft spot for British and Scottish literature, which I find a lot richer and more daring than original children’s books in French. I would love to find a way to infuse some of that spiciness into adventures and discoveries with other mediums.
Doodle fun
Travels are another one of my big interests, an incredible source of inspiration as much visually as culturally. I favor remote places (Mongolia, Peruvian Andes, Himalayas, …) where, by hiking or horseback riding, you get a stronger sense of immersion. I’m also fascinated by the history surrounding the early trading of spices, silk, colours and pigments, and how these routes have established connections between cultures and continents.
Acrylic on canvas. More portraits can be seen on my site.
Armed with a rich variety of skills and experiences, I’m curious to see where the next opportunities will take me.