Featured Artist: Isadora Zeferino
The world is an inspiring place, full of creators who with each project push new designers to generate new art, and Brazil is one of the most outstanding countries for this. Illustrators like Isadora Zeferino are capable of creating great designs every time they give free rein to their creativity. Don’t know who she is? She’s our Featured Artist of the month.
A Featured Artist From a Special Land
Brazil is renowned worldwide for many things: its music, its landscapes, its beaches, the Amazon – not to mention its jogo bonito – but it’s also famous for its colors and its art. So, to begin to get to know and understand Isadora Zeferino, we decided to start by asking her who her greatest Brazilian references were.
“Brazilian art is beautiful, vibrant, and very varied, there is so much talent that it’s incredible. J Carlos, Mariana Massarani and Ziraldo among others. Also, because I’m very committed to my community, many of those who inspire me are my own peers, like Gabriel Picolo, Irene Freitas, Ilustralu, Paula Cruz, and Aureliano… the proximity makes it very easy to be surprised by their art and their thoughts…”
“As for more distant artists in terms of place and age, I have always looked to the works of people like Victo Ngai, Mary Grand Pre, Gustav Klimt or Anette Marnat… incredible but unreachable people.”
Why Illustration?
It’s not only because of the place where she was born or the references she has followed since her beginnings. To know what makes Isadora a special creative, you also need to understand her point of view, how she interprets the world of illustration, and here, she says:
“I think I found the combination of all the things I like in illustration – pop culture, books, and creativity mixed with imagination and a certain naivety. There’s an interesting balance between the artist’s ego and their abilities as a communicator, although to be honest, in the beginning, my dedication was just a testament to how much fun I always had drawing, getting lost in my thoughts and how, because of my technical ability, I always wanted to learn more and grow…”
“I should also mention a before and after in my career when I encountered the Disney Italia W.I.T.C.H. and shoujo manga comics… they really grabbed me with both their beautiful imagery and their narratives. I never lost my love for these works as I grew up, in fact, I was always looking for new authors, even if they might be cult. Anya’s Ghost, The Prince and the Dressmaker, and Through the Woods left a strong mark on me.”
Isadora’s Art
Naive illustrations, attractive colors, likeable characters – every project by this artist is exciting. This is partly due to her style, which she describes as follows: “It’s soft and colorful! Also, I like to think of my work as jovial in a way. It is clear that I really enjoy thinking about each piece, doodling, painting them, and that the viewers can appreciate this joy and passion. It’s a bit difficult for me to talk about this without sounding smug, but I think my pieces stand out because they are carefully designed. They may be simple or appear unpolished, but they all hide a strong intentionality.”
As she herself says, color plays a fundamental role in her creations. About the palettes she uses, she says: “They are very much associated with how I feel, or how I want the elements to appear to the viewers. Sometimes they also depend on how I think I can use them (in terms of saturation, tone, brightness, contrast, etc.). However, I am very open to change, so each particular piece can be modified as I work on it.”
“I consider certain palettes as old friends because they have made my life simpler in many designs, such as some shades of yellow or reds, but with each new work I feel I can look for new alternatives and combinations to keep learning.”
The World of Digital Platforms
Because of her use of color in each piece, digital formats are a great place to appreciate her illustrations. However, Isadora is an artist who has tried several different tools when it comes to illustrating.
“It all depends on how I feel about the flow of a piece. I often prefer to express an idea or a thought with pencils, for example, because I feel comfortable with the mechanics of pencils. But since I’ve been working as a freelancer, my first choice tends to be digital tools.”
About Freepik
On this special collection she developed for Freepik: “I love it – Freepik – as it’s a great way to build a link between illustrators and all those people who are interested in our work. It’s also very useful when it comes to getting quality visuals, so I’m super excited to be able to offer my images.”
With each Featured Artist, we aim not only to introduce you to some of the outstanding artists we have the pleasure of working with and whose work you can find on Freepik, but we also want you to get to know their stories and their methods and to be inspired by them. Perhaps they will be just the spark you need to make you the next one!
