António Soares — Portuguese Watercolour Fashion Illustrator

One of Portugal’s leading fashion illustrators, António’s work is based on his profound drawing skills. For many years he was a drawing instructor at a university in Portugal, and today he continues to give private tuition alongside creating his beautifully detailed images.

Love is the emotion that drives António and his work. “Traveling makes me dream, eating makes me smile, falling in love makes me the happiest man on Earth,” he says. With influences including Botticelli, Rauschenberg, Hockney, Tillmans and Kapoor, António studied painting at the University of Fine Arts, Porto.

Approach

After researching his image, António begins with sketches of the face and then draws the clothing. Carefully arranging his composition, he expertly finishes it in watercolour. “I love the colours, the shades, the transparency – I think watercolour reflects my mood and love for my work,” he says.

Style

The subtle, nuanced expressions on the faces of the models in António’s illustrations are offset by detailed representations of the garments, with strong use of colour. His images have something to say, with passion and romance as strong themes. They drive the facial expressions in his work, and give his illustrations their character.