Sergio Argentino: Bringing Music and Art Together from Italy

Sergio Argentino, a talented illustrator from Piedimonte Matese in Italy, has built a name for himself through his unique artistic style and passion for creating memorable works. His journey as an artist is deeply connected to his love for music and his ability to translate it into visual form, as demonstrated in his work with bands like Queens of the Stone Age. In this interview, we delve into the highlights of his creative career, his sources of inspiration, and the personal philosophies that drive his work. From his most cherished projects to the advice he has for budding illustrators, Sergio offers a glimpse into the mindset of an artist who is as dedicated to his craft as he is to enjoying the process.

My name is Sergio Argentino and I come from Italy, more precisely from Piedimonte Matese in province of Caserta.

Q. What has been one of your most memorable projects, and what made it stand out for you both creatively and personally?

A. The work I am most attached to is a poster of Queens of the Stone Age that I made for their concert in Rome last July 4th. I am attached to this poster from a creative point of view because I had a lot of fun making it, since they are one of my favorite bands, and it was nice to try to bring their sound into a poster. On a personal point of view, I am attached to this work because it was shared on the band’s pages, for me it was a great satisfaction as a fan and as an artist.

Q. What’s the most unusual or unexpected thing you’ve ever used as a reference for one of your illustrations?

A. I like to make illustrations that portray people, whether they are musicians or actors, and superheroes so my references are often of who I want to portray. But one of the most unexpected references I used was a cigarette pack to create the poster for the concert in memory of Mark Lanegan.

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators trying to carve out their own unique style in such a competitive field?

A. I don’t feel in a position to give advice but I can say that drawing every day helps a lot. I think that having a trained hand leads to being ready to face a bit of everything we want. Although, in my opinion, style doesn’t come only from drawing but comes above all from what we are, from what we prefer to express, from what we prefer to listen to and watch. Each of us has a unique style and personality and will surely find their own way to express themselves in such a vast art.

Q. How do you stay inspired and keep your creativity flowing, especially during challenging or uninspired moments?

A. As I said before, it is important for me to draw every day or as much as possible and this is the key to staying inspired. I have faced enough uninspiring moments, where whatever I tried to draw did not convince me, but I continued to draw as much as possible, perhaps trying to do simpler things, to overcome this barrier. The advice I feel like giving for these moments is to not forget why we decided to go down this path, when I was a child I did not worry about the result, the important thing was to draw. This is basically a passion and therefore it must be fun and we must try to never forget it.