Valeria Frustaci
Children's Illustrator
Who or what made you want to become an illustrator?
I always loved to draw and to create new worlds through my colored pencils! I realized I could become an illustrator after I got my bachelor in Architecture: my creativity needed much more freedom.
Did you attend art school or undertake any other formal artistic training?
I studied Architecture and after the bachelor, I decided to enroll in a 2 year class in Milan to study Illustration and Visual Design. I keep taking classes every now and then because I love to learn new things, especially in the creative field! (I just started to follow some classes at NYBG to get a Certificate in Botanical Illustration: just an example... I am never tired to learn new skills. It fuels my creativity!).
Where do you currently live and where did you grow up?
I live in NYC, on a little island close to Manhattan. I love islands. I grew up in Italy, an amazing country where inspiration is around every corner and I still spend 2 or 3 months a year over there.
Describe your working technique and how you came to perfect it.
I love vector illustration. My main tool is Adobe Illustrator and I can really express easily what I have in my mind using it. I always like to draw first with a pencil or sketch things with colored pencils, but I love the digital colorful and bold effect I can get with Adobe Illustrator. At first I liked a lot to add many effects or textures, but lately I enjoy a much more minimal approach, where I can use essential shapes and bold colors to express what I have in mind. The world is already pretty much complicated, and I like the idea to simplify things.
What do you do in your spare time?
I love to read, go for a run or at the gym, or just walk in the nature. When I can, I like to stroll at the beach: you can find many interesting creatures over there (dreaming to move permanently in a beach house, one day!).
Animals feature heavily in children’s books – do you have a pet?
Yes, I do! My lovely dog Olivia. She is a tiny jack russell. She always looks like a puppy, but she is already 9 years old!
Which 4 words would you use to describe your illustration portfolio?
Bold, colorful, geometric, sooo cute.
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I have worked as in-house Graphic Design Manager in NYC for many years.
What was your first commission as a professional illustrator?
I illustrated a book about insects! It was super interesting. I think I ended up drawing around 100 bugs.
