Illustrator Amber Vittoria on her "natural and noisy" aesthetic evolution

Date
29 March 2018

Since we last spoke to New York-based illustrator Amber Vittoria in January 2017, she’s picked up some big clients. Creating colourful, blocky and hairy-legged figures for the likes of Teen Vogue, The New York Times and Instagram, the stream of work has been bountiful enough that Amber is also celebrating going freelance full-time this year. Over this period Amber’s illustration style has also evolved. “I realised most of my work began to strive for an unrealistic perfection, taking hours to ensure every line was exact,” Amber tells It’s Nice That. “Allowing for more natural, noisy linework within my pieces feels more honest not only to my themes of portraying woman through a woman’s lens but also myself as an artist.”

This fast and loose style has meant Amber has been about the up-pace – something essential for her new swathe of editorial clients. “The turn-around time can vary from a day to a week or so,” explains Amber. “Because of this, I try to actively be on email to ensure I don’t miss a brief!” Once Amber has reviewed the art director’s demands, she’ll create several rough, directional line sketches to discuss with the publication’s team, before taking one option to the final stages. Adding colour digitally and tweaking any shapes and colours after a further conversation with the art director, Amber again applies the final linework by hand.

Her favourite projects of the past year have been her pieces for The New York Times, working both for its magazine and the Book Review section. “The art directors I’ve worked with at NYT are truly incredible and push my work in an amazing direction I’d initially not take myself,” says Amber of her more abstract compositions. Next up she’s working on some products, an “almost-done” collaborative project that will be launching in the next few months. “Over the next few years my goal is to branch out into illustrating for products, and this is a great first experience in that realm,” she adds.

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Amber Vittoria for The New York Times

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Amber Vittoria for The New York Times

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About the Author

Laura Snoad

Laura is a London-based arts journalist who has been working for It’s Nice That on a freelance basis since 2016.

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