Interview with Paolo Iarossi

I mainly work as an illustrator and concept artist, and I definitely got closer to this world for my passion for video games, board games and illustrated books. Art has fascinated me since I was a child, both classic and more modern, in fact I loved going to museums to see statues and paintings and still when I need to be with myself a bit I go around museums alone as if I were looking for some answer to questions I don't know. My passion for art has turned into passion in practicing drawing and painting that until a certain age I practiced only as a personal passion. I found myself then in a very strange period of my life where when I was 19 years old, in which I seemed to have no direction, I finally left the university and decided to follow my passion for drawing, with many difficulties, I I found with fellow students who were far ahead of me studying for many years. During my studies then I discovered that the thing that I was most passionate about drawing was giving a new shape to things by following my imagination and I think it was that joy that I feel when I express my imagination that led me to choose to become a concept artist. However if I think back to the past I can't say if I chose the design or if it is the design that chose me.

I work in digital, I mainly use photoshop as software and as a tool a cintiq 13, however I always try to bring the procedures of the classic and manual drawing into my work. When I approach a new project I start with a very sketchy study for two reasons, the first is that in the initial phase it is better not to take as long as most of the drawings will be discarded and the second because drawing sketched gives me the opportunity to explore more ideas and stimulate the imagination more.When I work I always try to communicate a feeling, so I reflect a lot on the background of the character or the environment trying to get into the emotional state that I would like to convey.

the design phase is very exciting, it usually makes me enthusiastic, especially the initial phase where we proceed with the drafts and the ideas begin to take shape. it is as if I were about to know something new and the curiosity for the result is very high, in fact I express myself much better in this phase where I am free to come up with ideas and have fun with the concepts compared to the final realization phase that I see more as a technical question. Ultimately I think the most interesting part of the job is the initial draft where you are really creative.

Surely one of the characteristics that helped me was my resilience, it is a job that is basically made up of obstacles to overcome and in some moments it can be a little frustrating, I also believe that my ability to solve problems has helped me a lot together the fact that I don't want to be satisfied and always try to raise the level a bit. many of these characteristics have gone to support my learning and working phase helping me to assimilate a lot from the artists I respect and from my teachers, in fact they are the ones who have influenced me the most, artists like Andrea scoppetta, Barbara ciardo and Mario theodosio who they taught me not only to be a better artist but to overcome obstacles using my tenacity.this has helped me a lot in my path which up to now has been very exciting although full of obstacles to overcome, I don't think I have yet found my ideal dimension to fully express myself, I am looking for a context or a job that allows me to express my ideas in full rather than being employed only as a performer.

My growth path has been very intense and tiring, I have been able to recover many years compared to my fellow students, so I had to work a lot more and this was stressful at certain times. However, this allowed me to get to know myself better and to understand my potential both as an artist and as a person and surely this recognition of the A design award is a result of that period. I have many plans and hopes for the future, I recently left a job in a studio because I felt I didn't have the opportunity to express myself fully and I started my freelance career, at the moment I work as an illustrator for several clients, some also in the 'videogame field, but I hope to be able to work also in the publishing sector as a cover artist and as a designer and illustrator for board games. I have many projects in the pipeline, a board game and a video game for which I am definitely assembling a team. I think I can give my best in the initial design phase of a concept, so I would like to have the opportunity to work in that phase of a project with some animation and video game development companies, and maybe to be able to work in the role of art director.

I faced various obstacles during my studies and work, both practical and work related to the choices I made, one of these was the isolation in which I often closed myself to devote myself body and soul to crativity what which often caused me many relational problems too. For this reason the advice I feel I can give to those who have just started is to be ambitious to always give the best but not to aim for perfection, perfection does not exist and if it existed it would be boring, the most important thing is to combine a good result fun while working, it is very important in this job, our job is full of our emotions, so give your best but do not obsess with the competition, take care of your work, commit yourself and have fun, and never forget to nurture your affections, they are the most important thing, you need to build a welcoming environment to be creative.

I think the best advice I can give to other artists is not to focus on looking too much like their reference points. The artists we are inspired by are fundamental but you have to get away from it at some point to develop your own personality, and experiment. Experimentation is essential for me, to get out of the comfort zone and not limit yourself to what you think is your own style.

The first thing I do in the morning in addition to organizing the work and responding to customer emails is to go and look at the drawings that my reference artists have published, often when I feel stuck or bored it is right in the galleries of my favorite artists that I find refuge and new stimuli, to face also new technical experiments and new approaches. Surely the thing that makes me more enthusiastic in a day of work is when I have a job or a commission on which I know I can freely express myself.

Observing market trends is very important, whether you decide to align your style or decide to observe them only in part, for this reason it is important to observe the other artists and the products that companies publish. As far as I am concerned I always keep an eye on trends without homologating, I try to understand how to insert them in my work but I am not interested in working according to the fashion of the moment to find work more easily, I think an artist must always be updated on the trend of moment but must develop it according to its own vision without limiting itself. I try to take the elements that I like and insert them in my work but the artistic research is by definition also something that detaches itself from the fashion of the moment so to stay in a working context in my opinion you need to find a balance between market fashion and personal research.

As a concept artist and illustrator my artistic skills must support some practical needs of the job and the market. A job well done is as regards what is beautiful to look at but also functional for the purpose, we could make the most beautiful design ever seen but if it does not work and cannot be finalized it is a job that serves no purpose. The most common mistake I see is seeking too much perfection in the details rather than the vision of the whole, without the vision of the whole we tend to fill up with details to give strength to the design but in reality if a work is not conceived correctly in the its entirety will be only weak and confusing.

When I work I don't try to create a successful job, I have a commission I have to do it to the best of my ability based on the time and costs of the project and these are two fundamental factors to keep in mind when planning a job. I have a tendency to always try to improve a product and I never feel fully satisfied, for this reason I try to set deadlines to complete a job, there are jobs that often need a final touch up, others don't, simply to me a design is ready when it is both aesthetically beautiful and functional for the purpose for which it was created and credible.

Certainly the "orfeo e euridice" project is one of my works of which I am most proud, not only for the final result but also for the design phase and for what I learned while developing it, it gave me the opportunity to experiment with new shapes and a new work approach that allowed me to take a step forward. I realized it as an experiment during my training master in concept art and the challenge was to propose a classic myth in a new more modern perspective by modifying the story to adapt it to the new context. This has required me a lot of work and study on all the characters both in the design phase and in the creation of technical material for the development of the characters and the final illustrations. Lately having recently started the work of the freelance I am taking advantage of the time between a commission and the other to devote myself to personal illustrations that recall classical painting clearly in a modern key in a fantasy imagery, a new challenge.

I have many artistic landmarks, for classical painting my favorite artists are Caravaggio and Van Gog for painting and Bernini for sculptures. The modern ones are many, Antony Ones, Ruan Jia, Mike Azevedo, Raphael La Coste, Thoot Wu, Antonio De Luca, they are all great artists who have achieved great results in their careers and who have taught me a lot with their works.

I live in naples which besides being the city where I was born is also my favorite city, the cultural heritage preserved in this city has certainly inspired me in my journey. Music is part of my creative process helping me to relax on certain occasions, however I don't like working with music in the initial design phase because I prefer to be silent. I am currently working on commissions of private customers as an illustrator and for a company as an illustrator and animator for 2d video games. Design certainly influences the quality of life, both from an aesthetic and functional point of view, as we said before, good design is something that not only gives you visual pleasure, it must be a beauty aimed at the practicality of the product.

Currently I work alone as a freelance, or with some partners, I have also worked in a team both as a team member and as art director. I don't know how easy it is to work with me, I am a person who always tries to create a good product, I am not discouraged and I tend to solve problems in the least expensive way possible, but I am also very demanding with me and with others, in fact I prefer I usually work with people who have a great imagination and desire to do, people who can stimulate the creative process even more.I currently deal with illustrations for individuals and the production of characters, assets, backgrounds and animations for companies that I have as customers. and my task is not only to produce the necessary material but to make sure that everything is done in such a way as to facilitate the work of the programmers who will have to assemble the job.I think this job is full of challenges and moments of crisis to overcome therefore I think the best skill you can have is not so much the technical ability but the ability to solve problems quickly in a functional way at work and respect for the initial idea.

I have participated in the past in cultural events in which I exhibited my works, certainly an artist for a long time in society, not necessarily participating in public events pro bono, I think the value of what an artist from society is in the work he does every day enriching everyone's visual culture and I think this is something that will be supported mainly based on my experience.

It was exciting to participate in this design competition both personally and professionally. It is important to use these opportunities as a test to understand if you are proceeding on the right path and to show your work. Surely whether you win or not there are various advantages including visibility and a recognition of quality in being selected. Being the Design of the day is certainly a great satisfaction, this experience confirms that I have to continue on this path.

the passion and pleasure I feel in the search for forms and problem solving has always fascinated me to design; this path has allowed me to make my passion a job.

It was my choice, I decided to go my way at 19 against the wishes of my relatives, leaving the university. I felt I wasn’t in the right place for me.

mainly deal with the design of characters, assets and environments for 2d videogames. I’d like to find a way to deal with experimental projects, I know it’s hard but I’d like to launch a personal project.

experience, be curious and passionate about the search for the right look to give to the product, but above all be resilient to the obstacles to overcome.

I believe that a good design must ride the wave of fashion of the moment. is the wisest move economically. a great designer must instead overcome the limits and experiment with new things, even if it is safely more risky because it could have less feedback to the public and would suffer economically.

its credibility is in fact in its real plausibility. In my field you work with ideas, and it is absolutely necessary that they are likely to be, a good design must be beautiful but also workable.

it is very important to have a beautiful design both from the point of view of aesthetics and appeal of the product. In commercial terms it is essential for a company to have a design that can attract many buyers.

I would like to develop a board game as a personal project, also for companies in my country such as “Paizo” e “giochi uniti”. I am pleased to have the opportunity to produce illustrations for card games such as “ Magic” by Wizard and “heart of stone” by Blizzard.

A videogame created by me for a console.

I am very fond of the idea of transmitting a certain state of mind through my work. when I draw I try to completely immerse myself in the emotional state I want to convey.

Antony Jones, Maik Ozevedo, Thoot Wo, Ruan Jua, Antonio De Luca, Karl Kopunsky

I love works by Antony Jones for his research of shape and their expressiveness

My version of Caronte. I really like the idea behind that work and how I managed to achieve it.

observe the works of those who are ahead of me. this has always helped me in my work.

probably the psychologist

for me the design represents the search for aesthetic beauty.

the greatest help were my masters: Andrea Scoppetta, Barbara Ciardo; Mario Teodosio, they not only teach me the job but also they pushed me to improve.

maybe starting late compared to my fellow students, I found myself having to recover ground and this made me discover a very determined side of myself, although I have often suffered for this.

the conflict I had with my parents who wanted me to embark on a university career and the initial distrust in my choice. another obstacle is the economic situation of my country: being behind in this area compared to others, makes the search for work very difficult.

cleanly and clearly, no frills i think taht the essence is much more important.

I am designing illustrations and environments to expand my portfolio. my goal now is enter in the world of publishing and games production as a freelance

have fun while I’m working and entertain those who see my products

an original and high quality work

do designe does not mean seeking only the aesthetic factor, but also support ideas capable of improving everyday life, if you imagine objects such as the chairs for the posture or cars with aerodynamic design, in this kind of object designe is of foundamental importance. For me is useful to make people happy.

I work on a series of illustrations that allow me to experiment.

I worked in a team as art director for developping a motion comic. This one tells the story of two autistic children and their family; than i worked as art director for developping 2d game. I like working in team it is very stimulating.

I would like to give more space to young people with innovative ideas, even if with little experience. It’s something I often bump into, a lot of people told me “you are perfect for this role, but you haven’t enogh experience”. A labour market less tied to qualifications and more attentive to quality is needed.

A lot of people are aiming to virtual reality

time always depends on the type of project. I worked on projects that lasted two weeks and projects that lasted even months

I start to creation of shapes to do a wurmup of ideas and discard those that do not work.

Never give up!

It depend on designers, there are people who do what the audience likes in that moment, and than there people who try to make a concrete contribution, investing in research and directing it

It is crucial, from the search for reference to the implementation of the real work, because I work in digital only.

I use Photoshop, after effect, animate and blender. My work equipment are: my mac and a Cintiq 13 HD.

Colour is one of my workhorse. It is the best thing in my job because it allows you to experiment in an unlimited way through infinite combinations.

according to my point of view when people ask you a few questions then the product is really successful. However I always like to talk about the creative process that led me to that result.

I’m always fascinated by it, at that moment I’m a spectator, I wonder how the author got to that point, how he managed the process and which technique, which tools he used.

I believe in team work. my ideal work partner is a very practical person and full of inspiring ideas.

My masters, I mean. Barbara Ciardo, Andrea Scoppetta and Mario Teodosio.

Framed Ink by Marco Mathie Mestre, imaginative realism, the art of colour and the book byAndrew Loamis.

practicing a lot and always trying to overcome my limits in every job. It’s a mood that can create disquiet, but i think that it is part of my journey.

With the best masters of art such as Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci and Bernini.

They give me confidence, it is like confirmation that I’m on the right track. I don’t consider myself a famous person, I am pleased to think that I am a person worthy of esteem in my field, to confirm the fact that the research has given good fruits.

My favourit colouris green, my place historic center of my city, food pizza, season spring, my favourit object is my cintiq, my logo “rifle”.

One day I talked about my job at the bar with my friends, and a guy came up and asked me to draw him a tattoo, it often happens when I say that I draw, but this time it was very funny.

At the beginning of my day I try to imagine what I’ll create during my job day, and when I finish I hope to be better than the beginning of the day.

I don’t know. I loved drowing, but I wasn’t even that talented. I won’t lie by saying “It’s what I’ve dreamed of since I can remember” as many people say. it was a journey that I decided to start when I was 19 years old, it was quite tiring. fortunately my passion has always pushed me to continue.

we are in a world in which everyone is immersed in great conflicts, mainly due to education, to society, to market economy. I think it has been understood that to feel good you have to go from majority thinking to minority thinking, even if crushed by economic interests, it was the most intelligent thinking. I am called to become more intelligent, it isn’t a bad thing. I imagine a humanity that has learned to respect and take care of the planet.

When I was youg and I saw people in my position now, I imagine them like super heroes. I was wrong. I find myself here I feel like I’m a normal person, with normal problems, doubts and uncertainty. however I always try to improve myself as a person and then as a professional. through my drawings I always try to entertain my audience and to stimulate anyone who does me the honor to stop and devote some of his time to see them.

I worked at “GBS Italia” for almost two years, after two weeks from the end of my studies. I looked after: illustration, concept and development of character, assets and environments for the production of 2d games also taking care of the animation. A few months ago I decided to leave the company to become freelance.

Design is a fundamental part of the work, comes before the return and treatment of the work, it gives a soul to the idea: it makes a production work. I think that design is not only the appearance of a product, but the result of a precise and targeted research.

Surely planning the design of characters and environment of a videogames; I like to participate in the planning phase of the project and turn the idea into a drawing.

In respect of the Sci-fi part “Antheme destiny” are my reference point; for Fantasy world “war of warcraft” is; I like to use as reference artists and stimulating products to expand my point of view and to evade the forms like “Antheme destiny” and “war of warcraft” do.

Illustration and interface for a videogames screen

I studied and worked all the classical and manual techniques, but now I work in digital with Photoshop only and i think that I’ll never come back.

In the morning in a quiet and calm situation

My focus falls on image silhouette and shape, so I prefer the global vision that the spectator can have at the first sight, and so I like make functional what I’m drawing, it is a fundamental thing to make the live and credible product.

I’m usually a curious person, I love seraching anything that i don’t know what it is,I think that it’s a funny process.

it is always a source of happiness and pride to see your work finalized. often the creative process can be full of difficulties; when I see the finished product, it can give great satisfaction and I forget the fatigue.

a successful design is the result of careful research, I try to teach the client something innovative, but it must also give emotions, like something already tried in the past. For me this is a very important aspect

How the shape is interesting and how much the silhouette can tell me

I think that the designer responsability is to show through their own imaginary and their own ideas, a differnt concept of things, trying to direct people towards creativity. another important aspect is to combine the aesthetic shape with the functionality of the object.

is a sector that evolves very quickly, rich of creatives people, i’ve seen in these yars a search for new forms that has given great result; however I noticed that the trend is going towards a return to the past, so I think that we can see a reworking of obsolete things in a modern key.

I’ve never participated in an exhibition, this is the first.

there are many creative people with exceptional abilities, they are my inspiration; I look at the work of my masters and profetional of concept art, they inspire me to give my best.

I call my style semi-realistic, something between figural realistic and stylized approach of shape and colour; I think that this kind of approach is more free because it gives me the opportunity to experiment instead of a well-defined style that places limits. I prefer a type of approach in my job that allows me ti undertand how to give strength to the image with few lines. For the first time I define an idea and than I add the details.

I live in Naples, its cultural heritage. influence my way of working. I have always used this cultural heritage like a reference. I don’t find any good and bad, naples is a city that has a lot to offer, I try to exploit the positive to my advantage.

Now, I do it as an external resource and as a freelance.

select people based on their skills and ideas, and not only their CV and schooling, I think that the experiences, the abilities and skills are the most important in the creative sector.

when I start a new project first i seek the inspiration in my favorite art references: the creative process consists of a series of tests to give shape to the idea. initially work with essential shape so not to waste too much time, than I Step to the study of the character, trying to maintain a traditional approach also in the digital form.

My Mac, the cintiq I work with, my watch, my workstation chair and my kitchen furniture

Usually in the mornig, I wake up at 8.30 and one hour later I’m at work. I start with exercize to loose the hand for 20 minutes, than I work until 13.30. after lunch I rest for an hour or two, tahn i work until 19.00. in my free time I do some sport and meet my friends.

I remember a day when my teacher asked me only “Why?” and I aswered “ why not?”. Ait was in that moment, I think, I have earned his esteem. no one can tell you what you can or cannot do. Just do it.

The positives aspects are: do a challenging and challenging job, love what you do, think outside the box. Some situations are not easy to manage especially short-term deadlines, bring stress.

Never give up. this is a job for seekers, you can’t settle for the first test.

Mental flexibility and problem solving and a great fantasy.

I work in digital with a cintiq 13yd, on Photoshop the instruments such as levels and brushes are chosen according to the kind of work, my favorites I use them always adapting them to the situation, my supporti are: a manual of colour and imaginative realism, photo and reference by pinterest and art station.

I dedicate the right time to things in draft phase, without having a time limit, i know when the lines guide are clear and good for the next step.

It depend on the project that i have in my hands, usually for a commission does not take more than two days.

A lot of people ask me “How can you imagine such things?”

although as a freelancer he had many satisfactions, i think that the most important training experience was working in a studio.

currently working for private commissions, occasionally for companies and companies with short-term projects under illustration and concept art.

i love work on environments, I find it interesting to experiment with wider color ranges and I think it is relaxing. I like working in character’s visual development phase, because I love planning their shape according to theirpeculiarity.

I just started working as a freelancer and the lockdown stops my plans. I will devote my time to job search in the videogames, board games and editory sectors.

I also worked in team and as art director, but now I work alone at home.

I’m starting to design new illustrations in fantasy, and conceptual entironment for a personal study of colour.

On my personal mail address: p.iarossi_6@libero.it
On Behance you can see my online portfolio and contact me:https://www.behance.net/piarossi_67294
On My Instagram profile:https://www.instagram.com/paoloiarossi/?hl=it
On my Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/PaoloIarossiArt/
On Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolo-iarossi-7a583316b/?originalSubdomain=it

I would remind those who do my job never to be discouraged. it’s a long and winding road especially if you have a few people who believe in what you do.
I feel like saying thank you to the people who have always believed in me.