crafting worlds for young imaginations
Illustration • Visual Development • Background Painting
Contact me at info@elisavaretti.com
I’m an Italian illustrator and visual development artist based in Lucca, where I live and work. With a background in Architecture and several years of experience as an in-house Graphic Designer, my practice is rooted in structure, composition and visual storytelling.
Over the years I have worked across multiple creative fields: from advertising and animated productions to illustrated books for children and young readers. Today my work sits at the intersection of children’s publishing and visual development, where storytelling, character and environment design come together to build immersive worlds.
My clients include Mondadori, Giunti Scuola, Fox Eye Publishing, Ballast Books, Raffaello and Corriere della Sera, among others. Alongside editorial projects, I have collaborated on animated productions as a Background Designer, Layout Designer and Colour Artist and most recently as 2D Background Assistant Supervisor on a short animated film produced by Animando.
Worldbuilding is at the heart of my practice. Through color, composition and atmosphere I design environments and visual narratives that guide the emotional experience of the audience, from intimate moments to more adventurous and dynamic scenes.
My visual language adapts to the needs of each project: from narrative illustration to educational imagery and visual development for animation. I approach each brief as a design problem, balancing storytelling, clarity and visual rhythm.
Since 2022 I have also been teaching illustration and visual storytelling in collaboration with NEMO Academy and IED– Istituto Europeo di Design, sharing both technical skills and professional insight with emerging artists.
Achievements
2024 | 2D Background & Prop Assistant Supervisor for Animando 2024
2024 | Rise Up Animation Mentee (Mentor: Bonnie Branson)
2023 | 2D Background & Color Artist for Animando 2023
2023 | 2D Artist for My Pet Sea Dragon
2023 | Shortlisted for Annual 2023 by Autori di Immagini
2022 | WIA Mentee for VisDev for Live Action/Animation (Mentor: Vicki Pui)
2022 | Rise Up Animation Mentee (Mentor: Kamille Rodriguez)
2022 | Shortlisted for Annual 2022 by Autori di Immagini