Andrea Lucci
Children's Illustrator
How and why did you decide to pursue illustration as your career?
Actually it wasn't a decision itself because I've always been interested in creativity in general and in drawing in particular. While keeping in mind their semplicity, my drawings had a narrative thread even when I was a child. Storytelling is crucial and illustration is the perfect way to combine a story with the graphic research that comes from the most various stylistic influences. This is the path I am on.
Did you attend art school or undertake any other formal artistic training?
My education started from art school, then I attended the comics school in Rome and from there I arrived at the Disney Academy in Milan where I increased my skills, deepening the study of both comic-book and illustrative drawing, the knowledge of narration, the study of colour. My professional career started there.
Who or what have been some of your major artistic influences?
My influences are mainly Eywind Earle, Attilio Cassinelli, Carl Barks for the creation and narration of his stories as well as his oil paintings, characterized by a wonderful light, and Mike Mignola for the essentiality of his sign. I also like the work of Saul Bass, graphic designer and creator of the opening titles of many movies from the Sixties and Seventies, and I am also interested in a certain type of graphics from the Sixties, very essential, as well as a certain type of design from that period too.
Which books from your own childhood really stand out?
One in particular, but I can't remember its author. The theme was the seasons and each page had a small wheel on its side that, by rotating it, showed the various passages of the seasons. During a day seasons kept on changing constantly!
How many times do you tend to draw a character until you are happy with it?
It depends on the type of character and the type of story or project for which it is intended. Often I can see the nature and the physicality of the character from the very first sketch, then often the time needed is the time that you need to be able to define it correctly, above all graphically, without losing that nature that you can see from the initial sketch.
Talk us through the process of creating one of your latest illustrations or books.
The approach depends on the type of project, its target and also on the book or illustration size. Drawing style will be a consequence to all this. Usually I start by drawing very simplified forms of what I have to represent, always remaining very essential, trying to put those elements that will then guide me to the next step, that is the adjustment of the variuos parts, from the characters to the background, to then pass through the different colouring phases, when I will look for the balance between shapes and details.
Take us behind the scenes and describe your studio / workspace.
The space where I work is very essential, white table and white walls. I do not keep any paintings on the walls, I prefer a clean space, without any influence, giving myself a feeling of essentiality, which is what I try to bring to my work. However, as I turn around, behind me there are libraries with all kinds of publications, prints of movies, vinyls, action figures, to a creative person it's crucial to be surrounded by the work of other creative person. It is a collection of what I do prefer and it makes me enter my world every time.
How important is it for you to be part of a creative community of people?
It is very important to be part of it, to discuss when there is the possibility and above all to always have new motivations and new teachings.
What are some of your favourite subjects to draw?
I really like working on characters that are connected to space or science fiction stories, I also enjoy drawing classic horror movie characters (Universal monsters, Frankenstein, Dracula etc.). I also like to draw animals and, being lucky enough to live in a place surrounded by nature, nature manages to be a neverending source of inspiration.
