ILLUSTRATOR INTERVIEW: "Charli Aldrighi"
There is so much more that goes into being in the music industry than just playing music, and for someone like Charli Aldrighi you use your artistic talents to create captivating illustrations and designs for your favorite bands and musicians. Charli has created incredible designs for the world's biggest artists like Metallica and The 1975. As well as designing flyers and merchandise, she creates incredible video visuals that are so encapsulating to watch. We were lucky to catch up with her and have her answer a few questions for us!
Hey Charli! Thanks for answering a few questions for us! For starters, how long have you been an artist? Did you start as a kid or did you develop the gift later in life?
Hi Jesse, thank you! I feel like I’ve been an artist my whole life. Of course, I’m not saying that the quality of my first drawings as a kid wasn’t questionable…I just mean that I have memories of enjoying artistic activities as far back as my memory allows me to remember. It’s always been my number one hobby, and this allowed me to practice and learn a lot while also having fun.
How did you start doing artwork for bands and musicians? Was that the goal when you first started on your journey or did it just happen that way?
It was a very natural turn of events. Again, I’ve always been into art, and music as well. So when I was in high school I had many musician friends who played in local bands, and they would ask me to make logos for them or t-shirt designs. I was very happy to do so because it made me feel like I was part of something creative, collaborative and overall very cool. So I kept doing it throughout university, and afterwards. And that’s when I decided to go all-in, pursuing a career as a full time artist in the music industry.
When you were starting, did you find it difficult to try to gain a clientele? How did you go about hooking up with other musicians and artists to do work for?
Luckily it wasn’t very difficult, because I’ve always been involved in the local music scene in Northern Italy, where I’m from. So I started with doing merch design for my friends’ bands, and then friends of friends, and it was basically all through word of mouth. Clients who were happy with my work would recommend me to their friends, and so on. It took a while, but I was truly putting all of myself, my time and my effort, into getting better and better, improving my skills, learning the trends. I’m a very ambitious person. I remember times of my life where weekends weren’t any different from week days. My only focus was working on building my business. I was able to put together a portfolio and consistently add new pieces to it. Thanks to social media and the magic of the internet, I was able to showcase my work to more and more people all over the world, and establish myself in the international scene. People started noticing my art and getting in touch to work with me. At first it was just indie bands, then some labels started reaching out to me, and then I ended up working with some of the biggest major labels and merch companies in the world. I feel extremely lucky and grateful for the opportunities that I’ve gotten and the amazing people that I’ve met.
On your website you display all of the cool artwork you have done and commissioned through the years, there are also videos you’ve made! What got you into doing the illustrations?
I like art in every form, and I’m very into “creating” things in each and every form. I feel like the actual process of developing something, giving it life from your brain to the outside world, is extremely fascinating and powerful. So I would say illustration for me is what I feel is the best medium that allows me to do so. I always feel so comfortable yet also inspired when I’m holding a pen in my hand. I also love painting - watercolors, acrylics, digital painting with my graphic tablet! Learning video and animation just came naturally, because I wanted to be able to bring even more energy into my creations. Also I enjoy being able to do many things. It keeps things fresh and allows you to explore different types of art and take on a variety of interesting projects rather than being stuck into just one box.
What kind of music do you personally listen to and what kind of musicians do you most like to work with?
My favorite kind of music is alternative rock, but I also enjoy different genres. Sometimes metal, sometimes indie rock, sometimes just chill beats…I listen to music all day long, so I like to switch it up a bit, it also helps with inspiration. I like to work with musicians who have a specific concept for their music, regardless of the genre. My goal is to bring their vision to life, so if the project has a message, with layers of depth and a theme, I always find it very interesting and more of an immersive experience.
Now for some fun questions! Are you a Mac or PC person? Android or Iphone?
It always comes as a surprise when I say this, but I am a PC and a Android person. I like the fact that my computer is built specifically for me and my needs, and its components can be easily changed and upgraded whenever I want to.
Who is the one band/artist you would want to work with and why?
I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with most of my favorite bands, so I definitely can’t complain. If I could choose, I’d love to design some art for Pink Floyd. They were my dad’s favorite band and a soundtrack of my childhood memories.
If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you’d be?
This is a very hard question, because I can’t really see myself in a field that isn’t art-related. I would love to have my own art gallery and showcase other artists’ work, or maybe work as a museum curator.
Thank you again for taking some time to answer a few questions for me! Is there anything you’d like to plug?
Thank you, Jesse. I’m always welcoming new projects and happy to collaborate with musicians and artists, so anyone feel free to message me if you’d like to talk about it! Other than that, at the moment I do have a couple projects that I’m extremely excited about, but I can’t share many details yet. One thing that I can say is that I’ve been working with a publisher and I will be releasing my first book in just a few months, so stay tuned for that. It’s a collection of my art and poetry, and I’m so happy to be sharing it with the world after spending a long time pouring myself and my emotions into it.
@charlialdrighi on Instagram for more of Charli’s art
Musicians are only the face of the music industry, they’re the person everyone is looking at. But accompanied with the face is the rest of the body that makes up the other 97% of what it actually takes for the industry to thrive. Designers and illustrators are the backbone of the music industry and quite frankly pretty much any industry. Anything that you see or can physically touch was touched by a designer first and they do not get enough credit for the amazing talents they have. Go follow Charli’s instagram and visit her site to see more!