Illustrator Valeria Petrone Plays With Witty Characters And Odd Situations

The world of Valeria Petrone is filled with many characters. They animate the illustrations she draws for adults in magazines and for children in books. From men and women with big observant eyes to cats, dogs and birds casually striking a pose; the cast is deliciously enchanting and entertaining.

The artist is an illustrator with many talents. She juggles from children’s books to serious editorials for magazines, newspapers and ad campaigns from Italy, the UK and the US. She keeps a humorous style whether she’s designing for an informative article or a playful story. Valeria Petrone is often commissioned to create an atmosphere to go along a text.

Her methodology consists of letting her mind wander while reading the text. While doing so, images come to her mind.  She associates these snapshots to the words and then begins drawing.

The set-up and characters express an idea or a feeling. We could imagine the entire story by only looking at the imagery. The main character is always put in a situation that makes us wonder about its psychology and deep emotions. Surrounded by other individuals or animals, the whole picture communicates empathy and sympathy.

  

Most of the time, Valeria Petrone does not create descriptive illustrations but rather complementary visuals with a subtext parallel to the main text. The artist’s many alternative realities.

–words by Tamara Akcay. All images courtesy of Morgan Gaynin, Inc.