On the occasion of the release of our three new Harpy models, "Day", "Goth" & "White", we spoke with Peter de Sève to talk about his career, his desires, and the realization From this exceptional project in collaboration with our Golem label.

It isn't so much a matter of ease, so much as a matter of satisfaction. I generally dislike working on projects with existing characters because as a character designer what I look forward to most is to design something the audience hasn't seen before. My main objective is to have fun on every project I agree to do. The more fun I have, the better the results, and usually, the better for the client.

The approach is very similar in 2D and 3D but it's easier to cheat in 2D. 3D requires a genuine understanding of the character as a sculpture and must work at every single camera angle. 2D can always be finessed in the drawing but ideally the design should stand up to the same scrutiny.

After 30 years I've learned a few things (thank goodness!) and have a better understanding about what works and what doesn't, from the design on paper to the rigging and animation of a character. So I would say yes, I do work differently. Certainly with more confidence. As for changes in the industry, yes, I see many changes and for the freelance designer, it ain't pretty. In the early days, I felt I had much more authorship over a character design, especially in the many Ice Age films. There was a respect for the uniqueness a designer brought to the table that I feel is much more diluted now. So many films, especially from the big studios, shy away from anything too unique. There is a middle-of-the- road sensibility that I find frustrating. I believe it's because films have become more and more expensive to make and the audience is now global. When you're trying to please EVERYBODY on the planet you're going to sacrifice the benefit of aesthetic risk. That's why so much of what is coming out of the big studios is virtually interchangeable. After this tirade, I guess I can kiss my career goodbye.

It's a challenge and one I enjoy tremendously. Telling a story or making a point in a single drawing requires real visual editing. You must include only what helps you make tyour point or tell your joke. Everything else is just extraneous and sure to confuse the viewer.

When I was a kid I was sure I wanted to be a comic artist but I didn't have the attention span. In fact, that's another one of the reasons I enjoy doing single illustrations versus a series of panels, I just get distracted and want to move on to the next thing.

Frankly, the Harpy figure came out of a series of many drawings I made of harpies over the course of several years. I just found them so fascinating and easy to portray in a variety of ways. Like I said earlier, one of my main goals in the work is to have fun.

I loved working on it with the designers at Artoyz. They were incredibly patient with my endless notes but I think the result was worth it. I hope they agree...

Animals certainly do show up in a lot of my work though I wouldn't necessarily say it's a conscious decision. I just have always loved drawing animals. I find the endless variety of shapes, expressions and silhouettes so inviting I can't resist.

Do you mean what kind of a toy would I design? Just say "Let's do it" and I'll show you!