Italian illustrators are really showing up in the illustration scene right now. With bold color choices and meaningful messages, these illustrators from Italy know where it’s at.
There’s an undercurrent in Italian illustration that I quite enjoy—a certain exuberance rendered quietly, layered on in color-blocked shapes.
Each of the Italian illustrators featured below has their own distinct style, but you can still detect this influence of flat color fields throughout.
Sarah Mazzetti
Sarah Mazzetti is a talented illustrator and designer. Her work often includes fantastical settings with intimidating monsters, like in the image above of Rapunzel being threatened by Eugene.
Alessandra Genualdo
An Italian illustrator and storyteller, Alessandra Genualdo is best known for her illustration pieces that have been featured in MTV.
She’s also a freelance illustrator and author of the fairy tale The Little Mermaid, which she created with her daughter in mind.
Alessandra is now working on an updated version of the book with a new ending that focuses on the importance of staying true to yourself and accepting others who are different from you.
Gloria Pizzilli
Gloria Pizzilli is an Italian illustrator and children’s book writer. She attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna and has since become a well-known artist for her illustrations of Disney’s characters. These include Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Pocahontas, and Cinderella.
Gloria Pizzilli is a great example of an illustrator who has been able to put her talent to good use in the world of television. Her illustrations have been used on covers for magazines like Vogue Italia along with posters for movies like The Princess Bride.
Raffaella D’Orazio
Raffaella D’Orazio began her career as an illustrator by traveling around Italy to draw images of towns she came across. From then, she became recognized for her work on children’s books. One series that made an impact was “The Adventures of Pinocchio.” In collaboration with author Carlo Collodi, Raffaella created this famous tale featuring a little wooden boy who would grow up to be a real live boy.
Marek Denko
Marek Denko is another talented illustrator who deserves recognition as one of the leading artists in Europe today. He has illustrated many popular books including Harry Potter and The Hobbit among others that have helped him win awards such as the Neustadt International Prize for Literature
Rita Petruccioli
Rita Petruccioli is a self-taught illustrator who has created art for many famous films, including the Harry Potter series. She’s also done work for Rolling Stone Magazine and other major publications like Harper’s Bazaar.
One of her most well-known works is called The Girl with the Red Lipstick. Take a look at it below to learn more about this talented artist and some of her other outstanding pieces.
Valentina Trimani
Valentina Trimani is a self-taught artist from Italy who specializes in fantasy illustration. She’s been drawing for as long as she can remember, and her artistic talents came to light when she was 12 years old.
With a passion for storytelling, Trimani has illustrated various children’s books and drawn covers for publications such as the Italian edition of Elle and the Spanish edition of Vogue.
Trimani also creates drawings and illustrations for adult magazines like Grazia and Marie Claire. Her works are especially popular on Instagram because they feature picturesque settings that seem out of reach.
Lorenzo Petrantoni
A painter, illustrator, and children’s book author, Lorenzo Petrantoni creates beautifully-detailed paintings of imaginary places. His style is reminiscent of Renaissance art with its focus on intricate details.
Lorenzo has a particular talent for blending his work into pop culture and fairy tales through the use of retro-style illustrations. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s also quite skilled with color theory as well.
His nostalgia-inducing artwork can be found in books as well as in calendars, prints, and cards.
Alexander Bonaccorsi
Alexander Bonaccorsi is a gifted illustrator and graphic designer working in Milan, Italy. He’s also the co-founder of the European Union of Illustration, which was created to help promote the work of European visual artists. With illustrations that are just as beautiful as they are captivating, Alexander has been around since 1995 and has a strong following on social media.
Yamina Naili
Yamina Naili is an Italian illustrator and graphic designer who has had a hand in designing everything from children’s books to video game. Her passion for illustration began in childhood, and it was soon apparent that she was destined to become an artist.
Laura Addari
Laura Addari is one of the most critically acclaimed Italian illustrators of all time. Born in Montalcino, she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and worked on numerous projects, including cartoon books for children and comic strips for adults. After illustrating more than 100 different fairy tales for adults, she began working exclusively with children’s literature as an author and illustrator.
Addari’s artwork has been published in over 200 publications, with her works appearing in places such as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time Out London, and the Financial Times. She’s also received several prestigious awards such as those from the Chicago International Children’s Book Fair and San Francisco Society of Illustrators.
Mauro Gatti
Mauro Gatti is an Italian illustrator who has been working in the industry since 1988. He works primarily in the field of children’s literature—he’s designed over 100 books, including titles such as Il Piccolo Passero è una Bambina Piuttosto Inconfondibile, La Figlia di Orfeo, and Doni di Sangue.
His work features a nostalgic, charming look that stays true to the age-old fairy tales he creates for his young audience. However, Gatti does not limit himself to fairy tales alone—his illustrations are also featured on more modern novels like The Little Prince and Princesses in Love.
Olimpia Zagnoli
Olimpia Zagnoli is a talented illustrator and graphic designer who has worked on everything from children’s books to video games. Her work features fantastical creatures with designs that have a unique twist, like the illustrations in her book The King of Trolls. Her illustrations are often used in children’s books and she also creates handmade cards featuring original artwork.
Gianni Pignatelli
Gianni Pignatelli is an Italian graphic artist and illustrator whose work includes both digital and hand-drawn images. He has created art for clients such as Disney, Marvel, Electronic Arts, Nickelodeon, and more. His style is characterized by its simplicity and attention to detail.
Carolina Iannuzzi
Carolina Iannuzzi is an Italian graphic designer best known for her book covers that feature wild animals or beautifully stylized imagery intertwined with intricate details. She is also well-known for creating beautiful gift tags that gain a lot of attention on Instagram because of their eye catching colors and fresh designs.
Ilaria Bertorelli
Ilaria Bertorelli was born in Italy but now works as an illustrator in France. She creates colorful illustrations which can be seen featured in magazines like Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Architectural Digest Italy, or L’Officiel Homme Japan among many others. Her artwork has been praised by the likes of Anna Wintour and
Emiliano Ponzi
Emiliano Ponzi is a talented illustrator and comic book artist who has illustrated several comic books and book covers. His illustrations are usually drawn in black and white with a minimalistic style that makes them appear almost otherworldly.
