Featured Artist: Mel Ferreira
We’re back with our Featured Artist, and what better way to start 2023 than getting to know the work of Mel Ferreira, a young Brazilian illustrator and cartoonist, who has won us over with her cartoon-style work packed with colorful, fun touches.
Mel Ferreira loves her work and this is reflected in her illustrations and her characters, who radiate light and enchant us with the sparkle in their eyes. She confesses that she can’t imagine herself doing anything other than illustrating, although she has also worked in other fields such as photography and printmaking.
On this occasion, we asked her to bring out her romantic side to create a special Valentine’s Day collection that you’ll only find on Freepik.
We couldn’t love the result more!
Mel Ferreira’s anime style
You only have to take a look at Mel Ferreira’s Instagram profile to realize that one of the styles that most inspires her work is anime.
“My artistic style has evolved after watching a lot of anime and cartoons that I love. I believe that consuming many things you like, you build your style with reference to each thing, as if you were molding with clay.”
She says that she likes to create fun illustrations and that she draws not only on her characters, but also on the use of color, which is also where she finds inspiration for her projects.
“My main inspiration is colors and my daily experience that I put in the form of comics that I currently publish on my Instagram.
I identify a lot with Cartoon Network animation. Steven Universe is my favorite, the drawing, the palette, the characters, everything, and the way it teaches you to deal with your feelings and our differences. I find it extremely incredible!”
Comic strips full of feelings
When it comes to creating her characters, it is clear that Mel Ferreira prefers to approach them from the feminine side, emphasizing strong and determined women, but also showing the whole “rollercoaster of feelings” that we go through at certain times.
“Most of my characters are empowered and colorful girls. This aesthetic comes from my family circle, I grew up among super empowered women who always supported me.”
However, what Mel Ferreira likes most is trying to convey, beyond the aesthetics, the feeling behind what’s happening in each illustration.
“My creative development starts with the thought of ‘what’s going to happen in this scene?’ How the characters will be interacting and, most importantly, what they will be feeling. Through that I sketch and go to my favorite part which is the coloring. There I bring my idea to life, I use Procreate and Photoshop for my illustrations.”
Special Valentine’s Day collection
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we also wanted to talk to Mel Ferreira about the beautiful special collection that you’ll only find at Freepik. You’re sure to want to use it to celebrate the most romantic day of the year.
Discover her characters and experience the love stories through her illustrations, add them to your Valentine’s Day designs and bring your most romantic ideas to life.
We’ve already fallen completely in love with Mel Ferreira’s collection. Now it’s your turn!
