Franco Tempesta (b. 1966)

After graduation from "Scuola Superiore D'Arte del Castello Sforzesco di Milano" Franco started working for the video game and computer magazine Amiga Byte. They were looking for someone who could illustrate the magazine covers with a creative and colourful approach that would make people want to think about computers in a more playful and fun way.

OVGA asked Franco about his time with Amiga Byte and career:

They had me do a test cover, and they liked it very much, and our collaboration lasted for some years. In those early 90's my style was strongly influenced by the world of 'airbrushing and American hyper realism and advertising, over time I have increasingly detached myself from this movement to find my own style, made mostly from mixed media painting and fantasy influences of authors such as Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo.

Subsequently, I became more and more interested in the world of 'natural science illustration and then paleo art, a field in which I carved out my own space and international credibility, winning awards and collaborating with publishers such as National Geographic and institutions such as the Smithsonian, as well as collaborations with museums of Natural Science.

Today, my work is increasingly devoted to the world of prehistory and the reconstruction of extinct animals, but my experience in the world of video games remains a treasured memory and a key step in my career as an illustrator.