Teresa Alberini

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Animals

Children

Lettering

Christmas teddy bear holding a cookie by gifts and holiday decorations by Teresa Alberini

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Christmas kitchen scene with fox chef baking gingerbread cookies by Teresa Alberini

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Holiday flower shop scene with a badger and Christmas plants by Teresa Alberini

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Squirrel smelling cup near festive bakery shelves by Teresa Alberini

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Girl sitting with backpack imagining mountain climbing by Teresa Alberini

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Child swimming underwater with dolphins, seals, turtles, and coral by Teresa Alberini

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Children playing near a colorful circus tent at night by Teresa Alberini

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Illustration of a person near campfire, a white animal and a fox by a cave, by Teresa Alberini

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Colorful wetland with birds, swans, fox, and plants by Teresa Alberini

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Teresa lebt in der Toskana und arbeitet mit Bleistift, Grafit und digitalen Tools.

Fein schattierte Tierwelten zwischen Handzeichnung und digitaler Farbgebung.

Teresa’s devotion to her art shines through in every image, with the underlying sketch drawn and shaded by hand either in pencil or using an iPad stylus in Procreate. Watching her meticulous technique is mesmerising – and so is Teresa’s artwork. Clients love the fact that she puts everything into each project she works on. Based in Tuscany, Teresa studied set design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, and then illustration at the Nemo Academy. She’s inspired by the Impressionists and early 20th century illustrators, and there’s a little of that golden age elegance in her art.

Approach

Teresa’s process is grounded in traditional drawing with each image fully shaded by hand, often in graphite. Then she moves to digital to colour the work in Photoshop using soft, muted colour palettes.

Style

Fairytale realism would be a good way to describe Teresa’s style. The animals she draws look as they should, with just enough anthropomorphism to give them character. Every image is rich, tactile and enticing, full of convincing detail.

Languages

Teresa is fluent in Italian with workable English.

Impressions

Interview

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Interview

What led you to become an illustrator? Ever since I was a child, I have always loved to draw. I grew up with a pencil in my hand. I would get lost in the details of the figures in my favourite books, fascinated by the skill with which illustrators were able to put a thousand details into their work. During my studies in visual arts, it was natural for me to gradually approach the world of children's illustration, which had captured my heart since I was a child.Did you study illustration in college? I studied visual arts at high school and scenography at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. After my academic studies, I broadened my skills by participating in several short illustration courses held by internationally renowned illustrators. Finally, I chose to enrol at the Nemo Academy, where I attended a specific course dedicated to illustration.Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small town on the Etruscan coast, lulled by the magic of the sea and the tranquillity of the Tuscan hills.Do you have a childhood memory relating to art that you hold dear? When I was in primary school, I enjoyed making portraits of celebrities by copying them from photographs, I drew a portrait of Posh Spice on the cover of my fifth-grade exam folder. This small artistic success caught my grandmother's attention, so she asked me to do my first commissioned drawing: a portrait of her. It was a formative experience that confronted me with the harsh reality of how much more challenging it was to make a live portrait than to copy a photo. Every wrinkle and every facial expression had to be observed carefully and precisely, now, after so many years they continue to be fixed in my memory.Where do you live now and what drew you there? I live in the small town where I grew up, in my grandmother's old house. The house is surrounded by a beautiful garden, the same garden where I spent my childhood afternoons, playing and discovering the world.Describe your studio for usMy studio is a cosy and bright room. The large west-facing window lets the afternoon light filter through, creating a warm atmosphere. I have chosen to enrich the space with numerous plants, scattered here and there among the shelves of a large bookcase full of illustrated books.Do you have a studio pet?My two dogs Semola and Daisy often wander around curiously while I am working in my studio, however, I must admit that their insistent gaze always means that they want something specific: to go out or to eat!Who or What is your biggest inspiration? Nature is my greatest muse. The intricate details and vibrant colours of the natural world never cease to inspire my work.If you could collaborate with another artist or creative of any genre, living or dead, who would it be?I would love to work with the great masters of Impressionism, sitting in a Parisian café with Claude Monet and Edgar Degas.If you were funded for a dream artist residency, where would you go, and what would you create? I would go to Japan to explore and create works that combine my style with traditional Japanese aesthetics.What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?Since becoming a mother, I dedicate my free time to being with my family. Together with my daughter, I have rediscovered the joy of small things.Do you have a favourite joke?In Italian we say ‘’The shoemaker's wife has her shoes off‘’, I like it because it reminds me that you cannot always be perfect, even in your work.What's your most prized possession and why?A gold necklace that belonged to my grandmother that I wear all the time. It depicts two lovers at the foot of a tree, it reminds me of my family, plus I love its antique design, it looks like art nouveau jewellery.What causes are you passionate about?Environmental sustainability, I believe in the importance of promoting practices that reduce pollution and conserve natural resources for future generations. I try to have a plant-based diet. I firmly believe in the importance of avoiding disposable items, embracing the world of washable and reusable products. I try to buy second-hand items to give them a new life. Every small gesture counts and I try to do my part.How do you separate your work life from your home life?I try to have fixed working hours but often I can't and everything gets a bit mixed up, I do my best.Do you collect anything? I have a collection of small tiles that I buy from places I visit on my travels, or that my friends give me after a holiday. These tiles decorate the wood oven in my garden where we make pizza a few times in the summer.What do you listen to when you work? I generally follow TV series on Netflix or similar, listening without watching!What is the first record you bought?North, South, West East by 883, an Italian band from the 90s, As a child I remember walking alone to the local record shop to buy the cassette tape with my savings.What was your favourite assignment ever?My favourite books to illustrate are those that have animals as protagonists, in the last year I illustrated a book set in the forest ‘ Missione letargo’ (Mission Hibernate) which I enjoyed very much!Who is your art hero? Gustav Klimt.Who is your design hero? Antoni Gaudí.Who is your music hero? Fabrizio de Andrè.If you were not an illustrator, what would you be? A veterinarian or at least a person who works closely with animals.If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would like to visit Japan, it is a trip I had planned to take in spring 2020 but was postponed for obvious reasons, I hope to be able to go as soon as possible.Have you any hidden talents? I am a good cook, I love to cook for myself and for the people I love.What is your go-to comfort food?Pizza!What movie can you watch over and over?The great Disney classics.What is the last show you binged?Series MadMan, mini-series Zero Day.What was the last exhibition you saw and loved?An exhibition on Okusai seen last January.What career advice would you give your younger self?Don't be in a hurry to start, go to the library and read as many picture books as you can. Look at the world and nature around you and you will find all the answers.Is there a work lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way?To be humble and punctual.What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? The best advice I have ever received is to accept failure as part of the creative process.Do you have any tips/advice for other illustrators?The same advice I would have given to a younger me i.e. don't be in a hurry to start, go to the library read as many picture books as possible. Observe the world and nature around us. I would add don't be discouraged by the first no's.