By Emanuela Bonaffini
Emanuela is an illustrator and character design artist from Italy, now based in Montreal. She immigrated to Canada at a young age with the dream of becoming a cartoonist, as Walt Disney movies were all she watched growing up, and opportunities here were much broader.
She now creates and illustrates original and whimsical characters in fun or sports-related settings, using her trusty iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. She loves working with soft brushes and colors that replicate the organic feel of pencils on paper.
Emanuela helps her clients bring their visual identities to life through digitally hand-drawn, authentic creations, ranging from original illustrated characters to concept art for character design. She is known for bringing a rough yet polished feel to her designs, helping clients infuse their brands with personality and energy.
When it comes to humor in her work, her main source of inspiration comes from her pets. For more serious-looking projects, she turns to sports—basketball in particular. She was responsible for conceptualizing and creating a mascot for a region participating in the Jeux du Québec, an organization that unites youth across the province through competitive, multidisciplinary sports.
She also had the pleasure of working with Montreal’s basketball team, the Toundra, who play in the BSL. She designed a colorful and original superhero character inspired by elements of their team logo, which was used to attract new fans and promote their Comic-Con booth in 2023.
Her biggest client is currently Woof Pack, for whom she creates monthly illustrations featuring original characters for their subscription boxes. She is also responsible for designing treat bags and toy concept art. She has been collaborating with them to develop their brand since 2019.
Website : www.emanuelabonaffini.com
Instagram : @emanuelabonaffini
---
