Alida Pintus is an Italian freelance idea artist and character designer. She studied artwork in a number of colleges in Italy, together with Mimaster in Milan and the IDEA Academy in Rome, after which sharpened her abilities overseas on the Quentin Blake Heart in London and Anomalia Artwork Labs within the Czech Republic. She says her work is strongly impressed by all these totally different locations she has been to and the folks she has met alongside the best way.Right this moment she works in each conventional supplies and in Procreate on the most effective iPads for drawing. We caught up together with her to get a glimpse inside her sketchbook and study extra about her work.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)”Once I was a baby I used to spend so much of time alone, I had the privilege of being so bored,” Alida remembers smiling. “To fill that hole, I turned fascinated by books, significantly previous illustrated fairy tales. I believed: Once I develop up, I might love to attract my very own characters and tales! However truthfully, I did not know what it was prefer to be an illustrator, not to mention an idea artist.”
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She provides: “Right this moment, I discover myself illustrating very totally different books and tasks: from the friendship story between a baby and a rhinoceros in Sixteenth-century Liguria to a gothic kids’s collection curated by Edizioni Piuma.”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)Alida says she began drawing persistently in a sketchbook throughout her freshman 12 months of highschool. “Everybody had a sketchbook and shared their work on Instagram, so I began doing the identical,” she remembers. “Due to social media, I found much more artists sharing their Moleskine flip-throughs. Their sketches regarded so interesting to me! From that second on, I began carrying an A6 sketchbook and a black ballpoint pen with me in all places.””I used the methods they taught us in class, and truthfully I used to be not at all times happy with my drawings. Really I’d at all times cease after finishing half of the sketchbook after which begin a brand new one.”Picture 1 of 1(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)Alida says she that like lots of her friends, she was a fan of Loish at the moment. “I copied her manner of stylizing characters. However I additionally admired cartoonists like Cyril Pedrosa and Ken Niimura, and all of the behind-the-scenes content material from huge studios like Pixar and Dreamworks,” she says.Every day design information, evaluations, how-tos and extra, as picked by the editors.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)”Then I received into kids’s illustrations. I spotted that I at all times most well-liked the color stage to the drawing stage. So I began experimenting with collage and texture and being extra spontaneous with my brushstrokes. I used to be fascinated by the work of Gek Tessaro, Narges Mohammadi, Laura Carlin, Suzy Lee and Isabelle Arsenault.”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)I am curious how a lot Alida’s strategy has modified from the primary sketchbooks to the most recent ones. “At first I used the sketchbook extra as a proof of being an artist. One thing I might present to individuals who wished to see my work. That generated loads of strain and insecurity. You possibly can see it in my drawings, they had been small and took up each inch of the web page,” she says.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)”Now I do not take into consideration displaying my sketchbook to anybody. I can do what I really feel: I can keep in my consolation zone or experiment with new methods. I will also be disenchanted with the end result and have unhealthy pages. That is okay,” she continues. “Currently I have been making an attempt to attract open air. As an alternative of simply taking photos, I additionally take visible notes of the locations I see.”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)Talking of strategy, Alida has some recommendation for younger artists who battle eager to create super-curated pages and find yourself not drawing in any respect. “All the time attempt to keep in mind that on social media you solely see what folks need to present,” she says. “Everybody needs to look ok. However nobody creates solely masterpieces,” she says.”We at all times are inclined to hate errors, however in artwork there aren’t any errors, solely completely happy accidents, to cite Bob Ross. When the clean web page intimidates you, strive gluing a bit of colored paper or making some ink stains and begin drawing from there.”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)As you may see on Alida’s Instagram, she participates in lots of challenges resembling Inktober and Birbfest. I requested her how she managed to attract day-after-day and what advantages she has observed. “It wasn’t at all times as simple as it could appear,” Alida says.”The primary time I did Inktober, I finished after the primary immediate. I did not really feel ok to attract one thing lovely for each single theme. The second 12 months I made a decision to make my very own listing. Being very obsessed with folklore, I selected a Grimm’s fairy story for every day. I had a lot enjoyable and accomplished the problem!” she provides.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)”Wanting again, I do not like several of the drawings I did throughout the problem. However they helped me work quicker and really feel extra assured on the subject of composition and character design.”For me, these challenges are a stimulus for once I really feel caught. You do not have to finish them to really feel happy. Take them as a chance to spend a while in your private artwork and experiment with new methods and types as an alternative,” Alida suggests.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)I ask Alida what are her favorite sketchbook pages up to now. “Paradoxically, those that I did not like at first look, that I’ve left unfinished and picked up at a later time,” she says smiling.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)”I additionally actually like those the place I pasted some notes or some receipts as a result of they remind me of a spot I have been that I favored,” she provides.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)What about her favorite instruments for fast sketching? “In my bag there’s at all times a 12b pencil, an ink-filled brush pen, markers that I exploit to shortly draw the silhouette of my topics and colored pencils (currently I desire orange, blue and rainbow ones),” says Alida. “I additionally carry a glue stick and cut-outs from magazines or leftover papers with textures I created for different work.”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)”Once I’m at residence, I desire to make use of calligraphy inks as a result of they create good results on moist paper. I really use somewhat little bit of all the pieces, from wax crayons to grease paints.”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)How does she mix conventional with digital instruments? “I began utilizing digital instruments afterward, however I do know I am unable to do with out them now. It’s extremely sensible once I transfer from one metropolis to a different. I simply put my iPad in my suitcase and I can work on Procreate in all places,” Alida says.”However I have to admit that I take pleasure in it extra once I use conventional instruments. Additionally, some textures are simpler and quicker to make on paper. So I often put together backgrounds on paper, scan them and incorporate them into my digital illustrations. This provides extra heat and character to my digital work.”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)What do you assume are the advantages of conventional drawing that you simply would not in any other case get from working solely digitally? “Oh, I believe there are various!,” Alida solutions. “To begin with, the truth that you may really feel the consistency of the instruments you’re utilizing and you may grasp the distinction between holding a pencil and a wax crayon.”Then the truth that you may’t use ctrl z. You must cope with that mistaken spot or line. That stimulates you and trains you to cope with errors and remodel them or work round them. Possibly that is somewhat bit too emotional, however I believe some sensitivity is at all times wanted on the subject of drawing,” she provides.(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)I ask Alida the best way to discover motivation on unhealthy days. “I do not depend on motivation,” Alida replies. “I imagine in getting used to doing one thing day-after-day, accepting that there shall be extra productive days and days when that one thing is simply sharpening a pencil.”I often depend on my curiosity. I prefer to go round locations and draw all the pieces that catches my eye. I like to watch folks and catch potential characters and tales in all places. Why did that man select that outfit, how lengthy has that previous girl had that canine, why is that lady in a rush? I at all times attempt to ask myself these questions when I’ve to attract a personality from scratch. My recommendation is to by no means cease being curious!”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)Ending our dialog, I ask Alida about her future objectives concerning her private artwork. “Currently I have been having fun with nature illustrations so much: I’d like to make a nonfiction ebook about foxes, my favorite animals.”I’d additionally prefer to get higher at backgrounds and check out to attract extra objects, making use of the identical guidelines as for characters. And ultimately I purpose to attract and illustrate my very own tales. Really I have been engaged on a number of pitches this 12 months that I hope will come to fruition!”(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)(Picture credit score: Alida Pintus)In the event you’re impressed, see our roundup of Procreate tutorials and our information to the very best drawing apps for iPad. For extra concepts for method, see our latest piece by an artist on how he does determine drawing on an iPad.
