Alice Conte

Tell us about your first encounter with illustration!
As far as I can remember, I’ve always drawn and read books, at every opportunity. At 4 years old, I couldn’t read yet, so I would take my mum’s fashion magazines and add drawings to the model’s photos. Or when we went out for dinner with my family, I would take along what could be considered my first sketchbook, filled with colours and sheets, and sketch everyone present, including strangers. Some friends of my parents still have my very first portraits and they are proud of them. One of the first books I remember flipping through a lot was a book about Picasso. I didn’t understand what in particular, but his art hypnotised me and I tried to recreate his works. Seeing the Guernica painting, I was moved to tears by the hurt horses – I could almost hear their cries. Suffice to say, I have always perceived art as a living entity.

What was the formative experience that most influenced your path as an artist? It was officially during the second year of
my graphic design degree that I had a close encounter with illustration. Among the subjects was the history of illustration and it was there that I got a taste of this world, so I never stopped studying it. I went to the library every Saturday morning, took a large section of illustrated books, studied them and then redrew them. But it was at the end of the third year when I had the magical opportunity to intern with Guido Scarabottolo that a new dazzling spark was triggered. Seeing his works live, hearing him tell me how an illustration is born, there was a click in my head: I had always doodled but I had never really considered that my little monsters could come out of the paper and become part of books.

How do your illustrations manage to encapsulate the narrative of a book? When I read the text, it’s as if the characters, landscapes, situations, present themselves to me. It’s as if I become a “tailor” and “sew” places, characters and atmospheres onto the images that form in my mind. When an image resonates with me, I can’t help but chuckle with excitement and then begin to “sew” the text into visual representations. Ultimately, the images must dance to the same music as the text, otherwise it doesn’t work.

Just like in Alice’s Wonderland, the creatures that inhabit your illustrations seem to come from fairy-tale worlds. What fuels your imagination the most? Observing my surroundings powers the generator of my imagination. I feed on everything around me, reaching out with binoculars when the details aren’t immediately close. Reality is full of such interesting details that all you have to do is look around to find the right inspiration. But I have to hurry to portray these things, that’s why my drawings are done in very little time because I rely on my instinct and if I were to rethink them, redoing them would no longer please me. My stroke works well precisely because it is impulsive.

What medium do you find best allows you to express your creativity? I have a particular affinity for the ink brush as a means of expression. Yet, when striving for my peak creativity, I delve into an assortment of materials. I enjoy experimenting with their characteristics and observing the unique marks they make, discerning if they communicate something meaningful to me. However, it’s quite common for me to become so engrossed in my drawing that my hands move swiftly, grabbing whatever material is within reach on my desk. If I were to rank my preferred tools, the ink brush, oil and wax pastels, Pantone markers, and pencils would all hold a prominent place.

If you had to think of a publishing project that you would like to illustrate, which one would you choose? I really like the world of picture book publishing. I often pen the narratives I later illustrate, so the prospect of publishing books both written and illustrated by me holds great appeal. However, among my frequently chosen subjects are an assortment of dishes and cutlery, reflecting my fascination with the culinary world. So, I wouldn’t rule out cookbooks, magazines or even wine labels.

Alice Conte: @alicec_illustration alicec.illustrator@gmail.com