Tano Bonfanti

January 17, 2026

On the Artist Talks of this week, I'm talking to Tano, a Concept Artist

When I first saw Tano's work being shared by the official Procreate account, I was quite intrigued with not only his amazing use of colors and creative design, but also his line work. So much so, that I messaged him right away asking how he managed to achieve those line effects, to which Tano was very helpful and explained his process.

Now, I'm excited to share with you all, a short interview I did with Tano, who was very kind to find time in his schedule to answer it, so thank you again, Tano!

Make sure to check more of his work below, but now without any further ado, the interview.

Can you introduce yourself?

My Name is Mauro Bonfanti, but most people call me Tano. I am a concept artist, illustrator, photographer, teacher and other things...

Can you walk us through your journey of how you became an artist?

In 2011/12 I realized I had to make a radical change. I was in a bad mental place, at the time I was studying architecture, it was not for me.

By searching for answers I learned that you could work in the gaming industry as a concept artist, and something immediately clicked. I dropped out of college and I started to draw like a mad man, until the dream came true...

Do you have any daily or regular practice routines?

I usually start my day between 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning, I prepare a mate, it is a typical Argentinian thing, a sort of infusion, you could say it is analogous to coffee.

Then I open my unfinished projects and start organizing my tasks, I look for inspiration, in my memories or the screen, then I continue whatever I was doing. personal or client work.

How do you overcome creative blocks or days when nothing seems to work?

You have to sit through that uncomfortable feeling, once you have done this enough you realize that is just a fleeting moment of insecurity, be aware that sometimes it will be present, and then it will pass, the inspiration comes back.

The problem is how much importance we give to this feeling and how afraid we are that they will never go away. Once you realize that they do fade, you have learned how to deal with the block.

What's been your most challenging project and what did you learn from it?

My most challenging project was and is leaving my home country, this taught me so much perspective and I gained a lot of appreciation for things I sometimes took for granted. And I was able to level up my skills and understanding of communication in the arts with this process.

Yes, something I tell my students is to look at yourself; the uniqueness of your life experience has all the inspiration you need and it is only yours. Of course, there is a lot of media out there, but I feel like in today's world people are constantly looking outside themselves, and relying on references too much. So, be quiet and find a mirror.

What's your setup like? What tools, software, or hardware do you work with?

I have a laptop and an iPad Pro, I use Clip Studio Paint and Procreate. I also have a few film and digital cameras and lenses, and a VR headset that I need to use more.

Who are your favorite artists?

So many but Katsuhiro Otomo is one of my favorites, but countless honestly.

Just that this is a mental and an infinite process, for you to find your style, you have to find yourself in other ways than art. Art is the vehicle of your mind, in my eyes. You can find the answers to the problems you are faced with in this place; it becomes an always unknown but familiar place.