Today, I’m thrilled to bring you young illustrator and street artist Francisco Fonseca. Like many of the artists I profile, he was drawn to creating art from a very early age, but after studying many different forms of art, he finally settled on illustration because it fit in with his desire to be a storyteller. And what stories do his artworks tell! I’m most in love with his drawings of buildings and streets in his native Portugal. Everything is always a little off kilter, a little seedy, a little under-maintained, and all that character makes me want to know more. They all feel like they’re straight out of a children’s book, which makes sense, since children’s picture books are a particular passion of his.

Because he had a fairly utilitarian and non-creative upbringing, Fonseca says he periodically buys children’s books “as gifts for myself.” I love that he’s so in touch with his inner child, and I’m certain that has a lot to do with how magical and unique his art feels.

“I hope that children who see my illustrations are inspired to dream, travel, and explore their own imagination. I hope that my artwork make them feel happy and motivated to do something. I basically hope that they get to feel the same way I feel when I create them.”

– Francisco Fonseca interview with ChildrensIllustrators.com

His illustrated works start with physical sketches which he colors with markers and watercolors. He then imports them into his computer for a little extra magic, which enables him to create both a nighttime and daytime view of many of his subjects.

You can see all of Francisco Fonseca’s amazing art on Instagram and YouTube, and you can buy prints of his work in his Etsy shop.