Amin Abbas Dubai

Italian/Australian 2D Illustrator Giorgia Lenzi specializes in drawing anime and manga illustrations. She has contributed to the creation of merchandise, collectibles for popular series, such as One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto Shippuden and more.

Speaking to Arab News Japan, Lenzi said she took inspiration mainly from Dragon Ball Z, which she watched when she was in middle school.

“I always had an interest in comics and cartoons since childhood but once I started watching Dragon Ball Z, I knew something changed, something was different. The story, characters, settings…” Lenzi explained. “Everything drew me to this special adventure that then inspired me to draw every day with the dream to someday, contribute to this fantastic world with my own illustrations.”

Lenzi said she had started practicing manga and animation when she was in high school.

“I always wanted to work on my favorite series, so I knew that I had to practice and observe the art. I am self-taught so I would often draw after school and study how other animators and mangaka worked,” she explained.

The 2D illustrator said the first project worked on was a Saitama XTRA figure from One Punch Man by Tsume Art.

“I made the concept art, character’s pose and facial settings. I was excited to work on this project because the anime just started airing in Japan and I was super invested in the series. It was a dream come true for a fan like me,” she said.

Lenzi said she faced some challenges in her career especially when it came to adapting to different art styles. “I would find more difficult an art style than another and part of my job was also to make sure that I would capture all the facial details in the most accurate way possible.”

She told Arab News Japan that practice everyday is important for those looking to pursue a career in illustration for anime and manga.