Amanda Mocci Illustration

Sometimes we put up walls.
Not to keep people out,
but to see who cares enough
to knock them down.
— Thomas Shelby

✏️ Prints will be available in my shop tomorrow

Joel 🔪

It's been a hectic period, causing me to draw and paint less than I'd like. Ironically, I often feel most creative when time is scarce.

I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to do this, along with branding, for a living. But to fuel that passion, it's essential for me to draw and paint on my own terms. No constraints, just pure immersion with the subject for hours.

This process isn't just a hobby – it's meditation. That’s why, even during the busiest days, I carve out moments to create with either pencil on paper or stylus on iPad. These are the hours that help me work better and keep me grounded.

Sharing with you all: this week’s late-night creation, Joel from 'The Last of Us'.

You have to grow through it.

Life likes to toss some curveballs, pushing us down paths that feel all kinds of wrong. But maybe, just maybe, they're the paths we're supposed to be on. Our brains are built to play it safe, but real growth? That comes from stepping out of our comfort zones.

In this age of glossy posts, we only see the highlights of:

🖥️ Work
⛵️ Life
💛 Relationships

What we miss are the behind-the-scenes battles and quiet moments of struggle. So what do we do? We start comparing, feeling like we've gotta have it all figured out from day one.

But here's a little secret: Embrace the awkwardness, welcome feedback, mess up, and stay open. That's how we really grow.

I'm smack-dab in the middle of my own discomfort zone with color portraits. Each stroke is like a tightrope walk, worrying about messing up or not capturing my vision. But hey, I'm diving headfirst into this unease and treating it all as one big experiment.

If I'd played it safe, I'd have never picked up a brush and pencil in the first place.

Those tiny, daily efforts we make? They're like seeds. Give them time and they grow into something big. So go ahead and try something that you’ve been putting off, even if it's just 5 minutes a day.

Remember, the road to growing might not be comfy, but it's always going to be worth it.

Artwork: Max — Digital painting

"I'm way too busy and barely have time to draw," I told myself up until two weeks ago.

As work, my business, and life got busier, I found myself slowly falling into a slump and not feeling as creative as I used to.

I began to think about what could be causing this and quickly realized something: I had stopped drawing and painting for myself.

Even during busy times, it's important to stay connected to the things that brought you here in the first place. Scheduling time for yourself and the activities you love doing is so beneficial.

Now, I wake up earlier to prioritize the things I enjoy, which then pours into the work I do on a daily basis.

What are some activities you enjoy doing when not working?

Artwork: Max, Stranger Things (work in progress)

Branding an online astrology course ✨

I'm thrilled to share the brand identity I created for and 12-week astrology course (.astrologie) that explores the fundamentals and symbolism of the subject.

As someone who's absolutely obsessed with all things universe, this project was an absolute dream for me!

Together, we developed an illustrative icon that represents the course and can be used with or without the logotype. This icon influenced everything else in the branding, including the website, social templates, and branded illustrations.

Check out this small preview of what we created. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with these amazing women. Stay tuned for more updates ✨

—

Account: .astrologie
Clients:
Photography:

—

Hey, I’m Amanda 🙋🏻‍♀️ I also go by Mocci — kind of pronounced like the Japanese dessert, Mochi 🍡

For the last 13 years, I’ve been working as a brand identity designer and portrait artist.

My biggest dream was to be an astronaut but since that didn’t quite pan out, I sprinkle my love for the universe throughout my work 🪐

I’ve been told by my clients that being a good listener and translating an emotion into visuals are my super skills.

Apart from designing and drawing, I can talk for hours about Radiohead, I have a deep love for our planet, and of course, the night sky.

Think we’ll be a good fit for your next project? Visit the link in my bio to book a discovery call so we can talk about you!

—

A very special thank you to for capturing me in my element and letting me be seen through your eyes 🤍

Photography just wasn’t going to cut it 🤪

Which is why illustration was a perfect option for Frank And Oak when they launched their Canadian made wool suit campaign.

One of the best parts of my job is helping clients bring their ideas to life.

From the kick-off meeting, to moodboard, to sketches, and then to the final work—each step is carefully planned and communicated to make sure everyone is on the same page.

The outcome?

A seamless, clear process = A happy client and great results ⚡️

—

Team 🥂
Creative Direction — Edmund Lam
Project Manager — Andrea Ho**er
Illustrations — Amanda Mocci

Awards 🌟
Applied Arts Illustration Award

—

Did you know that drawing people always terrified me?

Bear with me—this is a bit of a heavy story but an important one.

“It won’t look good” is what I told myself which is what stopped me from ever trying to draw a face.

I wanted to jump into it and instantly be an expert. Like not having cooked a day in my life and then one day making the most incredible gnocchi, just like my mom (who has an insane amount of experience).

But everything changed in 2005.

My brother passed away from an illness at 30 years old. He was just starting his life and it was over in the blink of an eye. There were so many things that he wanted to try that he never had the chance to even start.

To keep my mind occupied, I channeled my grief by staying up late at night and learning something that always scared me—drawing portraits.

My brother didn’t really get another chance to try something he would have loved to do and here I was, with ”too much time on my hands”, breathing, and still putting things off.
There was a shift in me. I vowed to not waste time and to try and learn something new every week.

The time we have and the state of our health is something we can’t always count on. One day it’s here and in the blink of an eye, it can be gone.

Some days I would draw for 5 hours, some days 15. I never really saw the time go by. It just felt good at the moment so I kept going which lead me to get better and better.

I have now accumulated about 7846 hours of drawing and painting combined.

Saying “I’ll try it tomorrow” is a luxury. Saying “I love you” tomorrow instead of today is a luxury.

Everything in this moment will feel as though we have ample amounts of time which leads to many missed opportunities.

Most times, we only recognize a perfect moment until it’s gone.

So what are you thinking of starting? 🤍

Remember how I mentioned I love designing books?

And poetry books to top it off.

Working on Your Soul is a River was kind of a surreal moment for me.

Here I was, working full-time as an in-house art director for a brand when I got the email.

“We saw your book on The Universe and would love to work with you on a new poetry book we will be releasing next year”

(looks left and right, points to chest and mutters “me?”)

I didn’t realize that a project I made for myself a few years before would actually get me work.

But it did—and the work kept coming, too.

Working with Thought Catalog to bring Nikita Gill’s first poetry book to life was such a great experience. One that I still talk about today.

I was able to bring two of my passions together, space and book design, which in turn created a more immersive experience for the reader.

It’s a curious thing—you pour your love into something without seeing the hours go by, simply because it brings you joy.

—

If you aren’t familiar with Nikita’s work, I highly recommend you pay her profile a visit —>

You can also purchase a copy of Your Soul Is A River at: http://yoursoulisariver.com/

*New Work* ✏️

“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

Who else can’t contain their excitement about the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series?

Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars

Thank you all 🥂

Thank you all so much for your support through the years.

10 years ago I received my first editorial portrait commission and pinched myself for a month after having completed it. 10 years later, I still pinch myself for the fact that I now do this for a living.

Thank you for all the love and care that you have shown over the years. I know I am not the best at posting consistently and showing up all the time but know that I am truly grateful for you all being here.

I am really excited to see what 2022 brings and I am looking forward to bringing you along! Wishing you all only the best for this year.

— Amanda xx

Color study that doesn't have that much color and also might have gone too far 🤷🏻‍♀️

This generation shows promise.

This is the generation that will bring change.

—

I was approached by Another Way Film Festival to create a poster for their 7th edition festival highlighting short films that revolve around climate change. I was 100% in.

The story behind the piece comes from a fable of a little hummingbird that is desperately trying to save his home by bringing small drops of water to put out a forest fire. Slowly, more of his kin get involved and do the same.

No matter how small we think we are or how big the problem, change is always possible in numbers. It’s a mindset. This planet is a jewel and it is most definitely speaking up. So why don’t we start listening? Please start incorporating small changes in your daily lives that can help better this world and those who can’t speak up.

Thank you to and to all the filmmakers that are creating for this cause. Please visit their page for all the details.

Gracias 🤍

Blessed be the fruit 🍎
The Handmaid's Tale

For those who missed the livestream, here I am discussing my art with Ryan Selvy on Behance's first "Best of Behance: Creative Q&A"! Here's a little look into my work, process, and what inspires me 🙂

(interview starts at 3:40)
https://www.behance.net/videos/e38b37f9-e653-4773-8f54-a77dd2f8877f/Best-of-Behance-Creative-Q-A-with-Amanda-Mocci
Adobe

Photoshop - ⭐️ Best of Behance: Creative Q&A ⭐️ with Amanda Mocci! A brand new LIVE show highlighting creatives and their work on Behance. Tune in NOW to hear from artist Amanda Mocci about her creative process and inspiration. Amanda is an artist, art director, and photographer based in Montreal. Her design work focuses on simplicity and functionality while her po...

I was asked by Adobe to participate as the first creative for their new livestream highlighting The Best of Behance: Creative Q&A airing tomorrow April 26th at 11:00AM EST. We will be going through my portfolio discussing my work, process, and inspiration. If you would like to tune in, head to my portfolio tomorrow morning! — https://www.behance.net/amocci

More color studies 🧑‍🚀

I lost count of how many times I watched this movie.

Dabbling in some color studies from movie stills

I’ve been playing around with Lane Brown’s charcoal brushes and really loving the effects. I decided to dive into a familiar face for this one - one of my favourite books and tv shows, My Brilliant Friend.

I wanted to honor this majestic animal today. Here's a quick study of a polar bear 🤍

I wanted to dive into this familiar face to test out my new iPad Pro with Procreate. There's definitely a learning curve from traditional art but it's a whole lot of fun.

No digital medium will ever replace traditional drawing for me but with a lot of client requests for portraits, I need to adapt my workflow for different situations. Never will I stop using paper, sell my pencils or oil paints. It's what brought me here in the first place 🤙🏻