Francesca Babolin - Professional Artist

Francesca Babolin is a 22 year-old artist and architecture student from Italy. Let's discover her story!

@francescababolin on Instagram

“My first professional experience started at 19 years old in Milan, when I started working for a fashion agency. I was studying Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano while working, and after a year there I had to quit my job because all of the fashion weeks matched with my exams. The great thing about this job, though, was that it really helped me gain contacts and meet new people from the fashion and artistic world of the city.

I have also been teaching watercolor since 2 years now, and I had the opportunity to teach in places like Venice, Paris and London.This gave me the chance to pay my own vacations and fly to major capitals in Europe. I recently started a professional instagram page to expand my classes and book courses for a decent amount of money. This ongoing project of mine allows me to pay rent in Milan, which is not cheap for sure (laughs).”

When did you get into art?

“I got into the art world when I was really small—I actually don’t even remember to be honest (chuckles). When I was in kindergarten, I loved painting and doing shades with watercolor paint. Since very young I have always felt a connection with art. For example during primary school, kids would love P.E and sports but I preferred to draw and paint. On one hand I consider this positive, because I wasn’t exposed to competition and comparison, but as I grew up I understood that you really have to find your own little niche section where you can grow in this profession. I had to work very hard to build my authenticity.

I started realizing many things when I turned 15. The environment I was living in and the people who I frequented made me understand that I had to leave sooner or later. Since I was mainly doing realistic portraits at that time, I would say to myself that I then had to be a realistic person as well. So that’s when I decided to move from Padova to Milan to expand my opportunities.

Many people would say that after you finished the artistic high school, you could never find a job or grow. That’s not true. An artist that has an arts diploma can work in many ways to get a decent amount of income and expand their art. Since it’s not a competitive world, people are often unmotivated, but in reality, you just have to challenge yourself more.”

How would you describe your art?

“Very expressive. My works, whether portraits, architecture designs or watercolor paintings, you can distinguish the soul of the creation. It's like the drawing is telling you something without talking. I love listening to music while I work on my projects. Before I start one, I buy different types of materials that I would use for the future, and start with an idea. In one project for example, I made a portrait of Rihanna using her own foundation! I don’t think many artists use that kind of method, but I was very proud of the outcome!

Right now I am in my third year of uni and experimenting with designing colorful bags. When I finish I would love to do a masters program in NYC. I would also love to incorporate watercolor painting as a new concept in artsy cafeterias. This is so people that are not that familiar with this world can get in the mood of watercolor painting while drinking a cup of coffee.”

On Instagram: @francescababolin