This artist uses pencils and watercolours to capture whimsical fantasies inspired by the magic and wonder he found in books and nature as a child

Based in Plouzané in the Bretagne region of France, Brazil-born Gabriel Ribeiro is an author and illustrator who's inspired by the magic and wonder that he found in books and nature as a kid, as well as his experience as an immigrant in the US. His first children’s storybook was The Autumn Fairies.

He continues to find inspiration in the natural world for his art, which he mostly makes using watercolours and coloured pencils (see our guides to the best watercolour paints and the best coloured pencils). Below he talks us through four examples of his work.

Portobello and the Hatmaker

“A character study I did for a book that I hope to work on in the future. I wanted to focus more on creating strong silhouettes and character design, while trying to tell a full story with just a couple of characters.”

Fin and the Foul Root

“I created this fun concept over the course of a week-long workshop. It was the most planning that I had ever put into a piece. I began working more with colour compositions and character design before moving on to the final piece.”

Animal Band

“This was one of the first pieces where I started to work with a warmer colour palette and began to dive a bit deeper into narrative. In this story, during every fall, the animals and fairies welcome in autumn by staging a concert and a festival.”

Firewood Brigade

“A continuation from ‘Animal Band’. I wanted to show more of their village, including glimpses of everyday life. This one depicts the firewood brigade that delivers firewood to all the animals and fae folk on especially cold nights..”

You can see more of Gabriel's work on his website.

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This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.

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