How did you discover your interest in calligraphy, typography and design, and how did you get your start in the industry? I have been drawing since my school years, back in the 1980s—a time before personal computers. With my natural interest in letters and visual composition, I used to design the covers for my own school assignments as well as my classmates. Eventually, I became known at school for drawing.

I also designed the graphics for graduation class T-shirts. At the time, it was very common for graduating classes to print T-shirts using screen printing, and I was often invited to create the artwork for them. Without realizing it, I was already doing something very close to lettering and graphic design.

When I started thinking about my career, I knew I wanted to work with something related to drawing and creativity. I considered a few possibilities, such as architecture, advertising and design. Before fully understanding design as a professional field, I began working as an architectural draftsman. It was still a very analog time; all the work was done by hand.

With the arrival of personal computers, I became interested in digital tools. I bought my first computer, taught myself how to use graphic software and began producing printed materials for people in my hometown, a relatively small town in the countryside of São Paulo in Brazil. I designed business cards, stationery and even logos. I was already working in graphic design in practice, even before I fully understood that what I was doing was design.

This dual experience, working as an architectural draftsman while also doing independent design work, led me to study design formally. In 2000, I enrolled in a graphic design program in Curitiba, Brazil. When I started the course, I already had some practical experience in the field, and attending university was fundamental in expanding my repertoire and deepening technical and theoretical concepts that I had not yet mastered. It was an important period for refining my eye, improving my portfolio and accelerating my professional development.

By the time I graduated, I already had a small design studio. I worked that way for a while, but after a certain point, I felt that I needed to gain more experience in different professional environments. I decided to leave my small studio, which I ran with two partners, and went to work in several design studios in Curitiba.

My trajectory is quite interesting: I began my career in a completely analog context, drawing by hand. Then, I transitioned to the digital world with the arrival of personal computers and worked in that environment for many years. After about a decade working as a graphic designer and creating everything entirely on the computer, I had an unexpected encounter with letter drawing.

In 2010, I attended a lettering workshop taught by a friend from my college years. That experience awakened something I had enjoyed since school but had never explored professionally: drawing letters. I became curious about that world and began studying it on my own.

At that time, there were not as many online courses or accessible resources about lettering as there are today. So, I began studying typography through books. While studying typography, I realized how much of typography’s history connects to calligraphy. That realization led me to study calligraphy as well.

I then began studying calligraphy in a self-directed way through books and YouTube videos, as well as by attending workshops. As I practiced and learned, I started sharing my progress on social media. Gradually, this process began attracting people interested in my work. Algorithms were more supportive of artists who simply shared their work at that time. Over time, commissions related to lettering and calligraphy began to appear. Within about two years, I had enough work to leave my studio job and dedicate myself fully to my independent career.

What personal experiences have most influenced your work or style? I believe that almost all experiences end up shaping our trajectory in some way, but one of the strongest influences comes from the fact that I grew up in Brazil in a very humble family. My father is an electrician and plumber, and my mother is a homemaker. Because of that, from an early age, I developed a very practical relationship with work.

When I began studying design, I noticed that some classmates had a more author-driven or experimental approach. In my case, my reality was different: I needed to work to support myself and to pay for college. I left my parents’ home when I was around 21 and had to pay rent, college tuition and living expenses at the same time.

In my class, which started with almost 70 students, only three of us worked to pay for our education. Experiences like that naturally shape how you approach work. I developed a mindset very focused on problem-solving and delivering results for clients. I always focused on understanding what needed to be done and executing it in the best possible way. That pragmatism still influences the way I work today.

At the same time, despite my financial limitations, my parents always gave me something extremely important: emotional support and encouragement. Since my childhood, they had always supported my interest in drawing and never discouraged my creative curiosity. That gave me a lot of confidence to follow this path.

This combination became crucial to my journey. On one side, I have a very practical and disciplined approach to work. On the other, I also have the confidence to believe in my own path and continue exploring new possibilities.

What have been some of your favorite projects that you’ve created for clients? How did they change your perception of what you can achieve through your work? One of the first projects that truly changed my perception happened in 2011, early in my lettering career. I received a commission to create a logo for a garage band in Switzerland. It was a simple project with a modest budget, but it had a huge impact on the way I saw my work.

At that time, I was still discovering how lettering could become a professional activity. When that request arrived, I realized there were no physical boundaries to what I was doing. I was in Brazil at the beginning of my journey and already working for a client on the other side of the world. That completely changed my mindset. From very early on, I began presenting my work in English on social media, even though I had not fully mastered the language at the time. I knew that if I communicated in English, I could reach people anywhere. At the beginning of my career, most of my clients were international. Only later did larger projects begin to appear in Brazil.

One special project was a lettering piece created for a campaign for Sol beer from the Heineken group. It was a remarkable project for several reasons. First, I had a level of creative freedom. Second, I faced the technical challenge: I needed to produce a hand-painted piece using signage painting techniques that I was still learning. It was also the first time I saw my work as part of a national ad campaign broadcast on television. In addition, this project helped me better understand licensing and how the scale of a project can directly influence the value of the work. The project also ended up earning me my first international award in lettering design, a very meaningful milestone early in my career.

Another very meaningful project was a piece I created for Coca-Cola. Coincidentally, I was visiting New York when I was invited to participate in the briefing, and I ended up attending a meeting on Wall Street with the agency responsible for the campaign. For me, that was a very symbolic moment. I remembered the boy who had grown up in a small town in Brazil and was now discussing a project for a global brand in New York.

I also have a special affection for a project I did with a Canadian agency for a winery. I created twelve wine labels, each with different calligraphic compositions designed to translate the character of each wine. It was an interesting creative challenge that makes me want to work more with brands in that industry.

More recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Apple on several projects. One of the most memorable moments was creating one version of the Apple logo for a campaign related to the launch of the iPad Pro. Another special project was painting a large mural at the Apple Store in Miami. It was fascinating to work inside a highly technological environment while painting with acrylic paint and brushes directly on the glass of the store.

What all these projects have in common is that each one expanded my perception of how far the work can go. Every new project opens doors to new challenges. I believe the next project I create will also bring something new to learn.

You just won in our 2026 Interactive Annual with your Calligraphy Brush Pack for Procreate, your first brush pack that you created by refined from scans of your calligraphy. What inspired you to dive into the world of digital art tools and create your own? Winning this award was extremely exciting for me. Communication Arts has always been a very important reference in the design field, and I have followed the magazine for many years. Over time, I submitted several different projects for consideration and even had some selected for the shortlist, but I had never had the honor of receiving an award. So, when I found out that the Calligraphy Brush Pack had been selected for the Interactive Annual, it was a very special moment.

The creation of the brush pack also reflects my relationship with digital tools. Since the beginning of my career, I have always enjoyed exploring new technologies. I have never seen digital and analog as opposites; on the contrary, I have always been interested in how these two worlds complement each other.

When I started studying calligraphy, one of the first questions I asked myself was whether it would be possible to bring that manual gesture into the computer in a convincing way. Over the years, I experimented with creating brushes in Illustrator and Photoshop. But at that time, those tools were still limited in their ability to simulate important aspects of calligraphy, such as pressure variation and tool rotation.

The arrival of the iPad and Procreate changed that completely. The interface was much more intuitive, and the Apple Pencil allowed for a far more natural response to the movement of the hand. Naturally, I began testing whether I could create calligraphy directly on the iPad.

However, the brushes available at the time did not fully satisfy me. I tested several brushes on the market, but none reproduced the type of texture and behavior I was looking for. That was when I thought that, if other people were creating brushes, I could create my own as well.

I began studying the Procreate brush creation system. At first, it was just a side project that I worked on whenever I had free time. Everything changed when Apple commissioned a project that needed to be developed entirely on the iPad. That became the perfect motivation for me to dive deeper.

During that process, I created more than one hundred brush tests. I digitized real brush strokes, adjusted parameters, tested behaviors and refined textures many times. After completing the project, I realized that I had already built a very solid foundation of tools.

At that point, I decided to organize, refine and simplify that material until it became a coherent set of brushes that worked well together. That process eventually became the Calligraphy Brush Pack for Procreate.

For me, this project represents exactly what I enjoy exploring the most in my work, translating the manual gesture and expressive qualities of calligraphy into the digital world.

What would you say makes a calligraphic piece successfully evocative? How do you choose to convey mood, tone or subject through calligraphy and lettering? I may be a little biased when answering this question because, as someone who loves letters, most calligraphic pieces already evoke some kind of emotion in me. Whenever I have the chance to see an original piece made by hand in person, the experience is much more intense. There is a physical presence in the stroke, in the texture of the ink, and in the paper that is difficult to fully translate through a screen.

In my work, I always try to find ways to transmit a little of that experience even when the piece is seen digitally. Of course, it will never be exactly the same, but I try to capture some of the energy and materiality of the handmade gesture.

For a piece to feel truly evocative, many factors come into play. The choice of tool, the style of the letters, the speed of the gesture and even the colors all influence the feeling the work conveys. Softer letters with delicate curves and a slower rhythm can communicate calmness or sensitivity. Faster strokes with more friction or texture can convey energy, intensity or impact.

The tool itself also plays an important role. A traditional metal nib, for example, tends to produce more elegant and controlled strokes. Tools such as a ruling pen can generate rougher and more expressive lines, creating a more dynamic, dramatic feeling.

When I developed that series of wine labels, for example, I tried to translate the character of each wine through the style of the lettering. Softer wines called for more delicate compositions, while others required a stronger visual language.

In my personal work, I often try to convey feelings of calm and balance. Our daily lives are already filled with speed and constant stimulation, so I like creating pieces that bring a sense of pause, harmony and positive energy. This energy appears not only in the letters themselves but also in the colors, the rhythm of the strokes and even in the atmosphere of the videos that accompany the creative process.

Since 2012, you’ve been teaching students lettering and calligraphy through in-person and online venues. What do you enjoy about teaching, and what galvanizes you most about giving back to the creative community in this way? For me, teaching has always been a form of exchange. I started enjoying teaching even before dedicating myself to calligraphy. I have always been very self-taught when it comes to learning graphic software, and in the studios where I worked, I often helped colleagues learn new tools or migrate from one software to another. At certain moments, I even organized small internal training sessions and realized how much I enjoyed sharing knowledge.

When I began studying calligraphy and lettering, the community also played an important role. In Brazil, the teachers and artists I encountered were always very generous in sharing knowledge. I attended workshops, contacted people asking for guidance, and felt I was always warmly received. That gave me a strong desire to give back to the community in the same way I had been welcomed. Over time, I began teaching more formally. I taught at a graphic design college for about seven years and also offered in-person workshops and online courses.

At the same time, teaching is also a way of continuing to learn. When you use a technique in your daily work, you often do it intuitively. But when you need to explain that process to someone else, you have to organize your thinking more clearly, study more deeply and discover better ways to communicate the knowledge.

One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is seeing the progress of students. Not everyone who joins a class knows exactly what they are looking for, but there are always those students who show enthusiasm for learning. Seeing that spark in their eyes and following their development over time is something very special.

Throughout my career, I have also had the joy of seeing some of these students become professional colleagues and close friends. That kind of connection motivates me to continue teaching.

You relocated from Brazil to the Orlando, Florida, area in 2024. What precipitated this move, and how has it been to reestablish yourself in the United States? The first time I had the opportunity to leave Brazil, I was almost 37 years old. In 2014, I came to the United States with the goal of improving my English. I had already taken some courses in Brazil, but I only started studying the language after my thirties, which makes the process a little more challenging. I could understand basic conversations, but I did not yet feel comfortable participating in meetings with clients or conducting professional conversations in English, and that began to feel like a limitation in my career.

My experience in the United States was very meaningful to me. I have always been interested in American culture, which had always been present in my life through sports, music and movies. Being here for the first time reinforced that curiosity and planted the idea that perhaps one day I could live here for a period of time.

At the time, that seemed like a distant possibility. I already had two daughters, and an international move involves many challenges and responsibilities. Even so, the idea stayed with me for many years. In addition to expanding my career, I also wanted to give my daughters the opportunity to learn English at a young age and grow up in a multicultural environment.

Another important factor was professional curiosity. For many years I worked with international clients, including many from the United States, while still living in Brazil. That experience made me wonder what it would be like to live and work there more directly. Would that open new opportunities? Would it lead to closer relationships with clients or new types of projects? These were questions I could only answer by actually living the experience.

After many family conversations, we decided that it was the right time to try. I began researching legal options for artists and creative professionals and discovered that there was a type of visa designed for professionals with recognized achievements in their fields. We began the process in 2022, and in 2023, we were finally able to make the move.

It has been an intense experience. Moving to another country brings many challenges, such as distance from family and friends, cultural adaptation, and the practical aspects of everyday life and work. At the same time, it has been extremely rewarding. My daughters adapted very well and now speak English fluently, almost like native speakers. Seeing their growth alone makes the entire journey worthwhile.

For me, it has also been a process of personal and professional growth. It is one of the biggest challenges I have faced but also one of the most rewarding experiences.

Where do you think the fields of typography and design are going? Today, there is a major question in the air across almost every creative field: To what extent will AI replace or transform human work? Very few professions are not thinking about it at the moment.

In my view, ignoring this change is not the answer. I have always been a curious person when it comes to tools and technological transformation, so I try to understand what is happening and experiment with these technologies. When I see what AI tools are already capable of doing, including generating images or simulating calligraphy, it is impressive how quickly they have evolved.

At the same time, I believe that every technological advancement also creates a new type of value. Something similar happened with the arrival of the personal computer. When digital design became widespread in the 1990s, there was a strong wave of extremely clean and standardized aesthetics. For a long time, we saw the dominance of very perfect typefaces and highly uniform systems.

Over time, people began to miss something more human. In this context, lettering and calligraphy began to regain strength in contemporary design. Brands started searching for expressiveness, personality and imperfections that communicate authenticity.

Something similar may happen again now. If AI makes creation more accessible and automated, the value of the human gesture, craft and authorship may become even more relevant.

Perhaps in the future, it will not be only the visual result that matters but also the story behind the creation: knowing who created the piece, what their personal journey is and what life experiences influenced the work. That human dimension may become increasingly important for creating emotional connection with an audience.

For me, the future of design and typography will likely be a coexistence between increasingly advanced technologies and a stronger appreciation for human perspective, personal experience and the creative process behind each work.

Do you have any advice for creatives starting their careers today? One thing I always try to share with my students and friends is the importance of self-confidence. Believing in yourself is a fundamental element for any creative career. Clients notice when you are confident about taking on a project and when you are uncertain. Naturally, they prefer working with someone who communicates confidence and conviction.

For that reason, I often tell my students that you need to be the first supporter of your own work. External encouragement is important, but you cannot depend entirely on validation from others. Developing self-confidence and trusting your own potential makes a huge difference throughout a career.

Another essential element is curiosity. Curiosity is what pushes us to learn new techniques, explore different tools and discover unexpected paths. The constant desire to experiment and understand new things has guided much of my own professional journey.

I also believe it is important to be willing to listen and learn from others. We live in a very fast-paced world, and sometimes, younger generations feel they need to reinvent everything from scratch. But there is great value in the experience accumulated by those who came before. The combination of experience and new technologies can generate powerful results.

Finally, persistence is fundamental. Many people give up very close to reaching what they were looking for. Enjoy the process, and do not rush to reach the final result. Every stage of the journey has something to teach.

And perhaps most importantly, be grateful and be kind. Kindness and respect for the people around you will take you much further than arrogance ever will. ca