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Q&A with Jacopo Rosati

Illustrator from Venice, Italy

My name is Jacopo Rosati, I'm an illustrator based in Venice, Italy. Until the last years I was working exclusively with digital artworks but I was seeking for another way to express myself possibly with handmade artworks. I've choose to work with fuzzy felt because it's a medium that is rarely used within the world of illustration.

How did you get started in illustration, what is your background?

I’ve started working as illustrator in a graphic design studio here in Venice. At that time I wasn’t focusing on a single illustration style, since a graphic design studio need to meet different needs according to different clients.

Therefore you choose the style for better convey a specific concept, so I was drawing stuff like realistic pencil portrait, digital illustrations, handmade artworks and graphic design.

Looking back I have to say that this mental flexibility helped me to change style in these last years.

Where did you study? Looking back, would you recommend your path for beginners in design/illustration?

I've got a major in printmaking techniques including woodcut, engraving, etching, lithography and screenprint.

I started to work in the above mentioned graphic design studio right after the highschool therefore I've been directly launched in a practical and commercial vision of the design world. Despite of this abrupt transition from highschool to an actual designer job I would recommend my path since it helped me to be versatile and quick.

What is a turning point in your professional career?

The first turning point has been the change from digital to handmade, but in this world the style and fashion change very often. Therefore I think that there are more than one turning point in a career, and the most important is probably the next one.

What is your ideal work environment? Do you prefer to work at studio or mix a few activities?

My work environment is a mess because I need lot of stuff to realize my handmade collage, including studio lights and tripods for taking pictures.

Lately I've been chained to desk since I work also as a designer for a company which produces USB Drive. Furthermore editorial and advertising deadline for illustrations are very tight so I have to focus about 8-10 hours per day. Even when I don't have any urgency I have to work on accounting, update the portfolio and stuff like this.

Where are your favorite places in Venice or outside?

I really like the hidden places here in Venice and the rest of Italy. There are lot of little town beautiful localities which are less renowned than the common tourists destination, I find this places very inspiring. For example here in Venice, behind a closed door you can find lush gardens or unique hidden architectures.

Who are the designers and illustrators, colleagues you admire most?

There are lot of them and I don't like to tell the names because I'll sure forget some of them. Overall I think that you have to seek lot of inspirations at the beginning of the career but after this phase you need to focus on your own personal vision of illustration and arts. Because in the last years there has been a proliferation of illustrators and in this profession is always more and more hard to stand out from the crowd and be unique.