We recently connected with Luana and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Luana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I know it sounds cliché, but I’ve always known I wanted a creative path. As a kid, I spent hours sketching outfits, convinced I’d become a fashion designer. In my teens, just as modern graphic design was taking off, I discovered it and was blown away. Finally, a way to study something that combined the two things I’ve always loved: computers and creativity! So I got my diploma, started as a junior designer for a teen magazine, and later became lead cover designer for one of Italy’s top manga and American comic publishers.

But the creative job market in Italy can be tough. After a few years, I had to take jobs completely unrelated to art to support myself. Did I give up? Not at all. Around that time, I started freelancing -logos, brochures, small projects, anything I could. Then, in 2017, everything changed. I randomly came across a photomanipulation on deviantArt: a stunning wolf-like creature in a luscious forest, surrounded by light blue flowers and fireflies. I was mesmerized, and in that moment I decided I wanted to create work like that too.

To be very honest with you: I never had much of a following as a freelance graphic designer in Italy. But once I switched media and reached an international audience, the response was… Incredible. That pushed me to start offering commissions, and from there things just kept growing.
Photomanipulations require a lot of overpainting; it’s basically redrawing and repainting parts of an image by hand. That’s how I learned digital art from scratch! After six years, which quickly evolved into matte painting, photobashing, concept art – you name it! – I transitioned almost entirely into illustration, giving me more creative freedom and the chance to experiment with subjects and backgrounds the way I want. And here we are.

Luana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Name’s Luana, a.k.a Ulfeid3. I’m Italian and have been living in London for two years. I’m a freelance digital artist specialised in ferals, creatures, fantasy themes, and nature-driven landscapes illustrations.

I started my creative journey as a graphic designer in Italy, creating layouts, logos, and book covers. While I enjoyed it, I wanted more freedom to visually explore concepts, so I started experimenting around; discovering photomanipulation completely changed the way I approach my work, as it taught me digital art from scratch and gradually led me to illustration, where I could fully express my vision.

My strenght lies in versatility, as I am skilled across multiple mixed and digital media – which allows me to approach each project in a unique and highly original way; all my artworks feature rich, dream-like and immersive atmospheres with vibrant colors and intricate details.

I love to work with writers, indie authors, TTRPG lovers, roleplaying enthusiasts, or anyone who lives rent-free on that thin line separating imagination from reality, helping them to bring their characters, creatures, and amazing worlds to life.

What I’m most proud of? When the “traditional” graphic design path didn’t work out for me as expected, I reinvented myself learning everything on my own, now slowling building my career in art as I’ve always dreamed of!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is feeling the genuine support from my followers and fellow creatives too. You know, for a long time I felt like I was shouting into the void; long story short, my country wasn’t very kind to me or to my work, and for years almost no one noticed what I was even doing.

Then I started sharing my art with an international audience. And even though my audience is still modest and progress can feel slow, there were people who supported me from the very beginning offering encouragement, support and helping me purely because they believed in and loved my work!

On top of that, most of my clients give me 100% creative freedom when I work with them. Having *that* kind of trust? Someone letting me run with my ideas without limits? Beyond words. It’s a rare feeling to know that someone trusts your vision so much, and it pushes me to keep creating.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn impatience. For so many years, I wanted everything to happen immediately: overnight recognition, instant results, fast validation from followers and… So on. You know, the usual for every beginner artist, hahah! I thought I could start drawing, consistently post online and then booom!, I would go viral. Spoiler: it didn’t happen.

I remember spending days on a drawing, only to feel like no one was caring and that I wasn’t really improving. It was suuuuuper frustrating. It felt like failure, and I’ll admit, sometimes it still does – as progress isn’t a straight line but messy, unpredictable, and full of crazy curves.
But at some point, I realized that real growth doesn’t come from rushing. It comes from keep trying. Showing up every day no matter what, experimenting, making mistakes, and letting ideas develop naturally.

Learning to slow down at my own pace was kinda a game changer, for me. I started appreciating the little wins, the surprises that may come from unexpected experiments, and the evolution of my skills over time. That patience didn’t just make me a better person or a better artist, but it helped me enjoy the whole journey with its ups and downs, rather than just constantly chasing the next milestone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ulfeid3.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulfeid3
• Other: Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/ulfeidthree
  DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/ulfeid3
  Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/ulfeid3
  Blog: https://ulfeid3.wixsite.com/artblog