Illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso

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The Kept, Middlebury Magazine. Illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso

Italian Illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso
Twin sisters born in a small town of Udine, Italy, Anna and Elena Balbusso’s interest in art started at an early age. According to them, they remember themselves drawing at the age of three. Having finished art school and high school in their home town, the sisters entered the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. In the 1990s, they became members ofy the Italian Illustrators Association. Since 1998 they have been working as a team doing freelance illustration with the unique signature ANNA+ELENA=BALBUSSO.
The artwork of freelance illustrators Anna and Elena appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and exhibited in numerous art exhibitions and galleries in Italy, France, U.S., UK, Canada, and the Republic of Korea.

Among the Thorns, Tor Books. Illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso

In fact, Anna and Elena are digital artists combining traditional pencil drawing with further Photoshop processing. First, each picture element painted separately (background, characters and objects) with black gouache and pencil on paper. Second, they digitize them and use Photoshop to color the image. And the coloring process is very complex, the technique which they have been developed after many years of experience.

Talented Illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso received Gold Medals (2011-2013) from the Society of Illustrators NYC. In addition, two Silver Medals from Magazine Annual Illustration 2010-2012. Besides, in 2013 they became the Winners of the V&A Illustration Awards. In particular, for best book by The Victorian and Albert Museum (London UK) for “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin (Folio Society, 2012).

Illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso

‘Burning Girls’ by Veronica Schanoes

According to the Italian duo of artists, the sources of inspiration for them are paintings and sculpture. Before starting any art project, they do the research, create an archive of sources, studying the history of art. Their work is influenced by Surrealism, Symbolism, Russian Constructivism, and Futurism.

“For us, the color is a key element in every project. Each project contains in itself its own color. We think that the color is part of the personality of the individual artist and it cannot be dictated by an outside person”.