Valeria Favoccia “Luxfero”
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Valeria Favoccia aka “Luxfero,” a cartoonist who is also passionate about the wonderful world of assassin’s creed.
I was lucky enough to meet her at the Assassin’s Creed Day at the Vigamus in Rome, a very nice girl and at the same time really very Professional. ( not surprisingly, I framed two of his works XD )
I leave you with a series of questions asked to “Luxfero” himself.
When did you start drawing and when did you decide that this would be your profession?
I started late to become familiar with drawing. I had always been attracted to it, but I had never tried it on my own. I began by copying my sister’s drawings, envying and admiring her ability to create something from her own hands, and then went further, depending on the tastes or fixations of the moment. Let’s say that when I was a child I was more carefree in drawing, it came naturally to me and I was more attentive to details than others, so I wished that I could continue on the same path, even to the point of making it a profession.
What made you want to become a cartoonist?
I have always read comic books of all kinds, I couldn’t get enough of them. I loved the fluidity of the dialogue in perfect harmony with the drawings, it almost felt like watching frames from a movie! When I realized that someone was behind the magazines I loved so much, I decided I wanted to become that someone too and to ‘entertain readers, just as they had entertained me.
have you done industry studies to improve your drawing skills and if so which ones?
After high school art school, I attended the International School of Comics to specialize a little more in this field. That’s where I began to realize what the work of a cartoonist really consisted of.
What does it mean to be a cartoonist? What is behind your work and how many hours a day do you spend drawing?
Today being a cartoonist is mostly a rare thing. The market, especially in Italy, is full of people who wield a pencil and unconsciously throw themselves into the arms of improvised publishers or those posing as such, dazzled by the prospect of seeing their own work published, which, at best, will be remunerated by imaginary “percentages on sales.”
Did you start using computers in your work right away or did you come to it later? In this case how much has the computer changed your work and how much has it improved it?
I came very late in approaching working digitally and still haven’t completely mastered it. It is certainly a medium that greatly speeds up certain steps such as correcting boards, setting up storyboards, inking or coloring. I consider it a wonderful thing just to be able to digitize drawings made in the traditional way and then develop or define them digitally, and in that, it really helped me a lot.
What are the flaws in using pc instead of drawing on paper. What are your working tools? Do you draw on paper and then refine on the computer or do you use the graphics tablet directly?
I wouldn’t call them real “flaws,” personally it’s rare that I can do everything completely on the computer, I can’t really account for the spaces and I feel little ownership of the work plan. The only “flaw,” if you want to call it that, that working digitally might entail is the risk of chilling the stroke, making it stiff or insubstantial, but it is a very subtle risk since many professionals now work directly on the PC without compromising their style at all.
As mentioned earlier, I rarely make fully digital drawings, usually preferring to traditionally make a work and then pass it to the computer to define or color it. I don’t have any mysterious key-stools to unveil, but I love inking with India ink markers, especially the soft-tipped ones!
What Projects have you participated in to date?
I started a small “career” in 2009, collaborating with Double Shot together with my partner Dorotea Gizzi, and then continued through several publishing houses, the most important of which was definitely Aurea Editoriale, with whom we are still working.
Where do you draw inspiration when you draw the backgrounds and environments of your stories and the faces of your characters. Do you use photos of landscapes, actors or friends, or just make them up?
It depends on the stories and the type of work. Definitely the biggest inspirations are given to me by movies and video games, especially for settings. For characters, if they do not already exist and therefore already have a specific appearance, I try to imagine what they might be like through description and based on character. So if some actor, in my opinion, matches physiognomically (or I simply think he or she is fun to draw), I take him or her as a reference, otherwise, I go by imagination.
How much and what satisfaction do you get from your work?
The greatest satisfaction is to see one’s work come to fruition, to be recognized as an author, and to receive good feedback with readers. But also comparisons with historical authors, critiques and suggestions, meetings and invitations to the fair.
Thank you for your time, you say something to Aosen and My creed ?
A hug to Aosen, always helpful and kind, and a special thanks for his attention and opportunity!
And to the friends of My creed, with an invitation to carry on their wonderful initiative!
See you anon!
For those who would like to contact her, here are her sites
www.valeriafavoccia.blogspot.com
Attached are some of Luxfero’s works
