We had the good fortune of connecting with Rafael Dante and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rafael, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Because art is my favorite thing to do since I was a kid. I grew up in Brazil and my dad always told me that no matter what I chose, I would have to find a way to make money and have a career out of it. I have always been into drawings, paintings, comic books and ended up finding I could use those skills in the Advertising industry. I went to design school and also graduated in Advertising. I started working at agencies when I was still in college, which was good because I could learn and find even more about the creative career and how I could still use and improve my artistic skills.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was really lucky to have great art instructors that were very good at doing different techniques. I was fascinated to see them painting beautiful watercolors in one class and then the next month, where the class technique was about acrylics for example, their work was still amazing. That versatility was something I thought ”ok I wanna be like this guys”. Today i can work with a big range of art styles that goes from comic book art, to realistic portraits to vetcors and 3D animated graphics. I’m not saying you can master all the art techniques (maybe you can) but I love to try new ways to make art.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
During the day I’d go to Venice Beach, take a walk around the boardwalk and watch the sunset having a cold beer at the Venice Whaler, in front of the Venice Pier. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family. Without my parent’s support when I was a kid, my sister’s professional advices and my wife’s day-to-day dedication would be impossible to find success and life balance.

Website: www.rafaeldante.com

Instagram: instagram.com/rafaeldante

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafaeldante/

Twitter: twitter.com/rafaeldante

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