Born in New York in 1958, Peter de Sève is known worldwide for his illustrations and character design. A graduate of the prestigious Parsons School of Design, he saw his drawings appear in such reputable American publications as "Time" and "Newsweek" as well as on the cover of the "New Yorker," before lending his artistic talents to the world of animated films.

Perhaps best known as the creative mind behind the now iconic stars of the hit "Ice Age films," he has similarly designed characters for "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Mulan," "A Bug's Life," and "Finding Nemo" amongst others.

Peter de Sève's latest ventures in the worl of print include a collection of his sketches, A Sketchy Past, as well as illustrations the children's book, The Duchess of Whimsy, written by his wife, Randall de Sève.

An article describing his technique was first published in “Step by Step Graphics,” in 1994. The article was written by Susan E. Davis, and was titled, “Drawing with Character.” It details his technique through a step-by-step demonstration of the pirate painting below.

Click on pirate image below to access a high resolution .pdf of the article and accompanying graphics.