Gabrielle Ragusi – Designer

• About me •

I'm Gabrielle, an illustrator and book cover designer based in Milan, Italy.

As both an artist and a reader, I have a soft spot for fantasy, gothic and horror fiction.

I love bringing authors’ characters and worlds to life, with an eye for storytelling and atmospheric compositions.

I've had the pleasure of working with major publishing houses, book subscription boxes, and authors such as Cassandra Clare, Laura Thalassa and Penn Cole. Some of their projects have even taken me beyond the page, with everything from life-size character cutouts to book-inspired countdown calendars!

• What I do •

I offer a range of illustration and design services, including: illustrated and typographic book covers; dust jackets and hardcover case designs; endpapers and tip-in illustrations; chapter headers, maps and ornaments; interior artwork; vector designs for special finishes (like foil stamping).

• My process •

I believe a great illustration should capture the heart of a story, and I approach every commission with that in mind. Each project is created from scratch, using traditional or digital media depending on the client's needs. My tools include acrylics, alcohol markers, coloured pencils, and dear old Photoshop.

My process is collaborative and begins with discussing your ideas and exploring different concepts through sketches and colour compositions. Once we've settled on a direction, I develop the final illustration and design with rounds of revisions where necessary, incorporating your feedback along the way before preparing the finished files to print-ready specifications.

As each commission is individually illustrated and designed, quotes are tailored to the project's scope, complexity and licensing requirements.

• My creative values •

I enjoy working with authors and clients who value original artwork and the genuinely human creative process behind it, and who are looking for something distinctive and personal to their story.

If that sounds like what you're looking for, I'd love to hear about your project!