If we had a Euro for every hour we’d spent gazing lovingly at awesome Frenchy illustrations, we would have a lot of Euros, frankie friends. Enough to retire and look at illustrations full-time, and nibble on very nice cheese all day. Having established our very real credentials, here are five of our current favourite French lady artists for you to enjoy, too. Vive la pen, paint and pencil!

STEFFIE BROCOLI
Coloured paper cut-outs, block printing and cartoony lines are the go for this arty Paris lady, who’s turned her hands to everything from kids’ books and street art to stamps and embroidery. Her cheerful images are somewhere in the sweet spot where Mr Men meets big ’70s florals, and we are very happy about that.

HINA HUNDT
Inspired by the politics of ladies’ bodies (and particularly ladies of colour), this Parisian illustrator’s work addresses all manner of stuff: fertility, self love, big thighs, big hair, stretchmarks, boobs, race and queerness. We are a bit in love with Hina’s colour palette and graphic style, and all her body-positive power babes.

LEA MAUPETIT
If you have a copy of the frankie 2018 calendar handy, you will be familiar with the pretty painting style of our Miss February: Léa Maupetit. Of course we dig her still life stuff, and we’re also intrigued by her little vignettes of everyday Paris life: people at a café, having a picnic, shopping at a market. Le swoon.

CHARLOTTE O’REILLY SMITH
An Irish-born Parisian who sometimes lives in Amsterdam, Charlotte uses pastels, watercolour and paper cuts to make her cool stuff. We are quietly obsessed with her portraits and florals, but most of all with her insanely delicate paper-cut lettering. Charlotte, we salute your steady blade-wielding hand!

AMELIE FONTAINE
Our current frankie cover artist and lady crush Amelie Fontaine is your go-to for mad yet lovable things in pen and ink. Guitar men with faces and legs, dapper cats calmly drinking afternoon tea, upside-down angels and maybe-alive cocktail stirrers: all of it makes sense in Amelie’s world, and it’s all pretty darn cute.

Now you’ve lost fluids from all that art-induced drooling, it might be time to whip up something tasty. To make a Signature Lillet Spritz, combine Lillet Blanc (60ml) and tonic water (100ml) with strawberry, cucumber and mint to garnish as you please.

This arty blog post was created in collaboration with Lillet, a wine-based aperitif with a smooth, fruity taste.