How did you become an artist?

For a very long time I didn’t like drawing that much (yeah weird uh?) because I thought that I would never be good enough. But I’ve always wanted to share the stories I imagined in my head. This took a lot of different forms until I narrowed it down to drawing those images.

After studying 2d animation and concept art I decided I preferred the pre-production side of things. At the moment I’m working as a freelance artist, I teach concept art in an art academy in Italy and in the meantime I’m (slowly) putting together a personal project about sad anthropomorphic seals.

Where do you get inspiration?

Well this is a difficult one. I watch a lot of films. I am a huge fan of sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner and I also love animated films. Studio Ghibli works are among my favorites.

And then there are french comics, video game art books, old photos, an army of illustrators and all kinds of strange stuff from the internet. Being curious is key when you’re trying to create something interesting. I personally like to see my work like a huge patchwork and I am constantly in need of new pieces to add to the mix.

What’s your hardware setup?

I mainly use a 12.9 inch iPad because I’ve been moving around a lot and It’s an awesome tool for working on the go. Apart from that I still have a good old Wacom Intuos plugged to my home pc.

What do you like best about Clip Studio Paint?

For someone like me that does a lot of environment design and backgrounds I must say the perspective rules are a lifesaver! They help me throughout all the steps of my work, from quickly set up a scene to drawing the details of very complex stuff, like buildings or vehicles.

How long does it take you to make a single illustration?

It really depends on the complexity of the illustration, but I’d say from 4 to 8 hours on average.

Would you consider Clip Studio Paint an industry tool?

Absolutely! I really appreciate the flexibility of being able to work both from my workstation and on the go with my iPad.

Where can we follow your work?

Instagram: lem_leonardomazzoli
Artstation: Leonardo Mazzoli

*** Leonardo is doing a #Giveaway with us! Reach his post on Instagram, follow him, @graphixly and leave a comment. Winners of Clip Studio Paint Pro will be announced on June 7, good luck! ***