Resolute John Florio
at the French Embassy
Illustrations by Martina Dimkoska | Story by Marianna Iannaccone
This project reimagines scenes from the historical novel Resolute John Florio
through AI-generated illustrations and artistic direction.
01. About Project
For Resolute John Florio at the French Embassy, I used visual references provided by author Marianna. These helped me build the historical context and shape my cartoon-style illustration approach.
● Character Design
I received reference images of John Florio and Giordano Bruno to better understand their features and personalities. I then reinterpreted them with a more stylized, cartoonish look.
● Scene Inspiration
I also worked with historical visuals of the French Embassy and Renaissance settings. This ensured the scenes felt authentic to the time period, while fitting my preferred color palette and visual storytelling style.
02. Creative Process
For Resolute Florio at the French Embassy, my creative process began with clear directions from author Marianna, who provided visual references and gave me a sense of the story’s atmosphere. Using these guidelines, I developed my unique style, which is a mix of cartoon-like elements with warm colors and a 2D illustration feel.
Initial Concept: Marianna shared visual references that helped me understand the characters and their surroundings. I started by sketching key scenes, focusing on the relationship between John Florio and Giordano Bruno, and the atmosphere at the French embassy.
Developing My Style: My style is cartoonish, with a focus on warm, vibrant colors. I blend 2D elements with soft lines and textures, giving the illustrations a playful yet atmospheric feel that fits both the historical setting and the tone of the story.
Using AI (MidJourney): I used the MidJourney AI tool to explore different artistic ideas and create rough drafts. The AI helped me experiment with shapes and colors, which I then fine-tuned to match the narrative’s mood and style.
Final Artwork: Once the initial concepts were generated, I refined them by focusing on details like light, color balance, and the overall mood. The final illustrations are a mix of my cartoon style and historical elements, creating a visual story that is both vibrant and fitting for the themes.
03. References and Inspirations
For Resolute Florio at the French Embassy, I received visual references from author Marianna, which guided the creation of my illustrations. These references helped me capture the historical context and character designs, while also shaping my unique cartoon-style approach.
Character Designs: Marianna provided images of John Florio and Giordano Bruno, which I used to understand their physical features and personalities. I then adapted these into my own interpretation, giving them a more stylized, cartoonish look.
Scene Inspirations: I also worked from historical references, such as images of the French embassy and Renaissance settings, to ensure that the illustrations stayed true to the time period. I adjusted these references to fit my preferred color palette and visual storytelling.
Overview:
This project is based on the book Resolute Florio at the French Embassy, a historical fiction written by Marianna Iannaccone. I had the privilege of collaborating with her to visually bring key moments from the story to life.
| Implementation | Midjourney, Photoshop |
|---|---|
| Type of project: | Book Illustration |
04. Final Illustrations
Here, I present the final illustrations created for Resolute John Florio at the French Embassy.
Each piece highlights key moments from the story, combining historical themes with a cartoon-style illustration approach. These visuals capture both emotional depth and the contrast between past and present through strong visual storytelling.
