Today we’d like to introduce you to Davide Bonazzi.
Davide, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always loved drawing since I was a child. Though my background is in Arts and Humanities, I really wanted to make a living out of my passion for drawing. I discovered the world of illustration first in Milan at IED – European Institute of Design, then at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, and I loved it. While I was studying, I got my first assignments as freelance illustrator with some Italian magazines and newspapers, but the turning point in my career happened when I started working for the U.S. market. This profession has been giving me the opportunity to work with major publishers, brands and institutions, not to mention all the beautiful people I’ve met over the years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Well, a creative job seems the most natural choice for a person with a certain inclination, but it is often forgotten how difficult the start could be. I initially struggled a lot to find my own style and voice, like everyone else, and when I managed to create a portfolio of some good samples of my work, a lot of further problems arose. When I got my first assignments, I immediately realized that working on commission needs a lot of flexibility and speed, and at the time my style wasn’t ideal to keep a smooth workflow while dealing with tight deadlines. Thus, I developed a radically different style, which gave back to me the joy of drawing and working. There have also been many challenges related to the business side of this profession. Representatives can help a lot in dealing with clients – I’ve been fortunate to meet one of the best reps out there – but can’t determine the success of an artist. Like every business, it may take time to lift off, and when I started getting jobs with continuity and left behind the obvious initial financial issues, I had to learn how to manage the stress related to working on multiple demanding projects simultaneously.
However, all of these are just physiological obstacles. I would do it all over again!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a freelance illustrator, mostly working in the editorial, advertising and institutional field. I’ve been working with clients like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Nike, Microsoft, Airbnb, Tiffany, UNESCO, Science, Emergency, Roche, Gatorade, and hundreds of others worldwide. I guess my work is characterized by a conceptual take which aims to create clever visual solutions to represent complex topics, as well as narrative, witty images. My style combines digital media with textures of scanned found objects in order to give my illustrations a warm and evocative atmosphere.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I guess the ability to put something personal on an artistic level, even into a work on commission.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.davidebonazzi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidebonazzi24/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davide.bonazzi.5
- Other: www.salzmanart.com/davide-bonazzi
Image Credits
© Davide Bonazzi
