I am Cinzia Bolognesi, a professional illustrator and art director based in Bologna, Italy, working internationally across editorial, advertising, and visual development projects. Over the past 10 years, I have created over 600 illustrated pages and visual campaigns for renowned clients such as Disney, Apple, Barilla, and Alessi. My artistic work spans editorial illustration for young adult and children's books, lifestyle brand storytelling, and digital art therapy projects. I combine traditional drawing techniques like pencil and mixed media with advanced digital workflows, including Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, and Blender for 3D modeling. My work has been published in five countries and has reached over 2 million views across social platforms, reflecting my ability to create engaging and emotionally resonant visual narratives. I enjoy collaborating with international clients, guiding projects from conception through to final production.…

Cinzia Bolognesi

I am Cinzia Bolognesi, a professional illustrator and art director based in Bologna, Italy, working internationally across editorial, advertising, and visual development projects. Over the past 10 years, I have created over 600 illustrated pages and visual campaigns for renowned clients such as Disney, Apple, Barilla, and Alessi. My artistic work spans editorial illustration for young adult and children's books, lifestyle brand storytelling, and digital art therapy projects. I combine traditional drawing techniques like pencil and mixed media with advanced digital workflows, including Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, and Blender for 3D modeling. My work has been published in five countries and has reached over 2 million views across social platforms, reflecting my ability to create engaging and emotionally resonant visual narratives. I enjoy collaborating with international clients, guiding projects from conception through to final production.…

Available to hire

I am Cinzia Bolognesi, a professional illustrator and art director based in Bologna, Italy, working internationally across editorial, advertising, and visual development projects. Over the past 10 years, I have created over 600 illustrated pages and visual campaigns for renowned clients such as Disney, Apple, Barilla, and Alessi. My artistic work spans editorial illustration for young adult and children’s books, lifestyle brand storytelling, and digital art therapy projects.

I combine traditional drawing techniques like pencil and mixed media with advanced digital workflows, including Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, and Blender for 3D modeling. My work has been published in five countries and has reached over 2 million views across social platforms, reflecting my ability to create engaging and emotionally resonant visual narratives. I enjoy collaborating with international clients, guiding projects from conception through to final production.

See more

Language

Italian
Fluent
English
Advanced

Work Experience

Freelance illustrator & creative director at Freelance
January 1, 2012 - June 19, 2024
Creation of custom illustrations for books, advertising projects, and editorial products with a focus on various styles (traditional, digital, vector) for clients such as Disney Yellow Shoes, Lelli Kelly, Posca, Apple, Alessi, Canon. Developed and supervised visual projects for clients including Barilla, Calvè, Venchi, Timberland, Manila Grace, and Kocca. Collaborated with communication studios to define creative vision, manage teams, and oversee visual production. Experienced in teaching digital drawing to middle school students, focusing on graphic software, artistic techniques, and creativity while fostering teamwork and mindful use of digital tools.
Art direction & illustrator at Novelle ADV
January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2012
Packaging design for major national brands such as Granarolo, Cannamela, Galbani. Responsibilities included brand identity, logo design, and editorial illustration.
Graphic designer at Struchel Communication
January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2006
Worked on logo design and redesign, visual identity for brands, brochures and leaflets, banners, web elements, and newsletter templates.
Illustrator and Art Director at Freelance / Various Clients
January 1, 2014 - Present
Worked internationally on editorial illustration, advertising campaigns, and visual development for young adult and children's books, lifestyle brands, and digital art therapy projects. Created over 600 illustrated pages and visual campaigns for major clients including Disney's Yellow Shoes Creative Group, Barilla, Apple, and Alessi. Specialized in character design and 3D creature development using Blender. Managed projects end-to-end from concept to production with stylistic coherence and strategic alignment to client briefs.
Illustrator for Disney Yellow Shoes Creative Group at Disney Yellow Shoes Creative Group
December 31, 2016 - August 28, 2025
Created cover illustration and internal formatting for Mickey Monitor Magazine, including original spice photography combined with signature illustration style for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival issue. Involved in cover design, internal layouts, and custom photography direction.
Illustrator at Pacini Editore
December 31, 2023 - August 28, 2025
Completed visual narrative for 'The Lorena Kay Chronicles', a two-book young adult fantasy series (426 pages). Provided character design, world-building, and created over 80 full-page mixed-media illustrations transitioning between real and fairy worlds.
Illustrator and Cover Designer at Ali Ribelli Edizioni
December 31, 2018 - August 28, 2025
Designed cover and provided interior illustrations (204 pages) for the cultural journey picture book 'All the Way to Italy'. Utilized traditional pencil sketching techniques with chiaroscuro light and shadow effects.
3D Character Designer & Creature Developer at Freelance / Various Clients
January 1, 2022 - Present
Developed 3D characters and creatures for animation and editorial use, sculpting stylized animals with Blender. Used wave modifiers, bones, and Grease Pencil to animate creatures and create a seamless blend between digital 3D art and hand-drawn illustration styles.

Education

Maestro d’arte at Academy of Fine Arts, Bologna
January 1, 1996 - December 31, 1998
Maturità d’arte applicata at Art High School, Ferrara
January 1, 1989 - December 31, 1994

Qualifications

3D artist & animator (Advanced training course in 3D modeling and animation)
January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Consumer Goods, Education, Professional Services, Retail
    paper Barilla | Emiliane

    Six chefs from Emilia-Romagna captured from beneath a glass table, as they create with edible colors made from the very ingredients of their signature dishes.
    A concept and production developed for Emiliane, Barilla’s egg pasta brand.

    paper Tactile Impressions: A Mixed Media Illustration Campaign

    Partnership w/ Canon Italia Spa for the launch of the Mirrorless EOS M50 Challenge
    A visual project that blends digital illustration with food styling to craft a whimsical and poetic narrative. Real elements — such as citrus slices and leaves — interact with illustrated characters, creating scenes suspended between reality and imagination. The campaign explores the evocative power of everyday gestures turned into creative rituals, using a fresh and unexpected visual language.