Artist 83: Joana Faria

Fist five illustrations are created for Amelia's magazine.

A multi-talented creative for you now. Fresh and vibrant work pours out of illustrator and art director Joana Faria. Joana's work has a great cosmopolitan feel with her elegant fashion forms projecting both grace and humour, at once bringing back that sense of 50's chic that is prevalent currently but also having a unique flavour all of her own. Her work is not locked to any period but also has a richness to it as well. Its great to have a style that works and that can be used in multifarious ways. Her style is firmly rooted in fashion illustration and uses the deft elegance that is the trademark of really stylish work. She skilfully employs a choice of palette that not only gives her work a similar tonal range that unites it but allows her to have a good basis from which to explore. Finding something which works and then building from it is the hallmark of a great working practice and will stand her in great stead in the future. Wishing her the best of luck in the future in all she does it's Joana Faria!

Who are you: 

Joana Faria - Born in Brazil, raised in London, currently living in Portugal.

I am a self taught illustrator and have been drawing ever since I can remember. I love books, old photographs, art galleries and fine point markers. Trips to Paris are on my list of favorite things too.

What do you do:
I am a freelance illustrator but also work as an art director at an advertising agency in Lisbon.

How did you start:

I've been drawning all my life. Back in Brazil, I spent most of my childhood days drawing girls in big elaborate dresses and flowers in their hair. Some years later, my family and I moved to England and so I grew up in London, where I went to university and studied Photography at Goldsmiths College.

After uni, I went on to work as a creative in advertising. Little by little I started to drift away from illustration which made me so sad. So after a few years I made a personal decision to force myself back into drawing. I started small. Doing little scribbles here and there, whenever I had the time. I printed some t-shirts with my designs and gave them away as presents, which was fun and started doing a lot of illustration for friends and family. The more I drew, the more I loved it and the more I felt comfortable with it. I created a blog, went on twitter to meet other illustrators and started taking part in competitions and collaborations. I did a lot of assignments for Amelia's Magazine, especially during London Fashion Week, which gave me a huge confidence boost. I was published in Amelia's book of Fashion Illustration and was asked to do live fashion illustration at the launch, which I never thought I'd be able to do. The rest, as they say, is history. 

I'm currently involved in a couple of very exciting projects. It involves another book on Fashion Illustration, a website and also a Children's book, which has been a major dream of mine. It has been an very good year so far, I have to admit.

A Personal statement about you or your work:

I take inspiration from everywhere: books, photographs, a dress, a certain color, a pattern... I feel that everything is beautiful and worthy of observation. Drawing makes me incredibly happy and I am a firm believer that when you put love into your work, it really shows. 

Joana's portfolio
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