Tom Bernardes's Laslo & Lia an animation series, idealized by the brazilian animation studio Hype CG and presents two siblings silver bugs who are living in a magic library. Immersed in this universe, they lived many adventures through the books. Laslo is a rational genius, and Lia, the brave and impulsive. The villain, Moss, will do everything to ruin the happy ending of these stories. When they confront each other, someone will arise the most unexpected ends. Currently, it is still a work in progress. Tom is hoping so much for this to happen and get more involvement on this.

I had a great support from the Hype CG studio. Those guys gave me a clear and detailed briefing with a lot of ideas completely structured. My first sketches for the characters were abstract silhouettes, because I was looking for simple forms which gave me the personality of each character with the minimum information. Laslo, for example, is a smart buddy and he don't like to get in trouble, so I started with square shapes, the opposite of Lia, who have triangular body, like an arrow. She is fast, strong and have no fear about anything. Together, the studio and I were communicating and coming up with the singular characters that we have now.
-Tom Bernardes

My inspiration for this was definitely the Disney movies when I was looking for some mood more magic. And also, the Disney Infinity style. I love cartoons. So my style reflects a lot of some caricaturist and sarcastic mood, but also, a little of cuteness. My biggest inspirations are the Disney movies, especially artists like: Milt Kahl and Glen Keane. Also, I really really love the style of Cory Loftis. In terms of paintings, my references are from Da Vinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt, to the most current artists like Serge Birault, Sergey Kolesov, Tiago Hoisel, and a long etc.
-Tom Bernardes

Well I’m still learning about all of this, I’m just a 25-year-old guy and changing my focus to the entertainment area. Even if I have been working for five years on advertising illustration, there is still everything new to me. But one thing I know: make sure about what you want and study very, very, very hard. If you don’t know how to draw an eye, don’t draw it ten, but a hundred times!
-Tom Bernardes

Don’t lose your time searching for shortcuts, thinking about what the people will like, what will have more views and likes on your Facebook, etc. Keep focus on which area you want and think about what you need to study to achieve it. Draw what you really like, no matter how strange or weird your inspirations are. Also, ask for feedbacks on your portfolio from the artists that you like and listen what they told to you. They all are surprisingly accessible.
-Tom Bernardes

My favorite character is Lia! She’s hyperactive, adventuress and impulsive, like when I was a kid. I’ll be glad if one day she became a toy and stay on my desk. Haha.
-Tom Bernardes

About Tom Bernardes

Tom Bernardes has been working with advertising illustration for the last five years and now his goal is to dedicate all his passion to work for the entertainment market as a visual development artist. By now he's a character designer and illustrator open for freelance. Almost every advertising illustration that he did was produced in Fescher Studio, Brazil for companies like Brazilian tv channel Rede Globo, and others like Walmart and Nestlé. As a freelancer he has worked for a few companies, highlighting the Children's Book to the Brazilian Child Health Secretary where he did all the visual identity combining illustrations and text. See more of his works on Behance or his website.