A young illustrator from Reggio Calabria, Gabriele completed a two-year specialization in Editorial Illustration at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Macerata in March 2023.
Drawing and storytelling have been with him since childhood, and today his work moves between realism and dream, built with an iPad that he treats like a “2.0 canvas” while keeping a painter’s touch.
What draws Gabriele to illustration and art in general is the chance to turn imagined scenes into something real, building dreamlike, surreal atmospheres through a deliberate use of light and colour.
His process starts with a series of very quick thumbnail sketches, sometimes paired with a phrase or key word. From there he works out the scenes in more detail, thinking already about the mood he wants the colours to carry, before moving on to a final sketch, a colour palette, and a simple colour draft with light and shadow. Only then does he move to the finished piece, where different brush textures come into play.
Inspiration can come from almost anywhere — a play on words, a conversation, a dream, a walk, or simply scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest.
Gabriele doesn’t chase a single recurring subject in his illustrations so much as a mood — something between nostalgic and unsettling — that runs through most of his work. He is inspired by painters such as Hopper, Sorolla and Whistler, and by illustrators like Brad Holland, Maurizio Quarello and Gérard DuBois. Rather than a fixed message, he prefers to let each theme or subject suggest its own atmosphere.
In art, as in life, it’s worth letting yourself be surprised and following the flow — reality often exceeds what you expected of it.
A good START, or what to do to get off to a good start.
On motivation, potential and personal branding.
How much is it worth - or how to price your work
How not everyone will like you
How do you strike a balance in business
Design thinking, or keep calm & Design Thinking
