Introduction
Hello! I’m Leonardo Amora Leite, and I’ve been bringing stories to life through illustration since 1995. I love exploring diverse styles and creating unique characters, always with a touch of humor and creativity. My career has included significant contributions to games and children’s books, and I’m a big believer in the magic of a good story.
I also founded amoraleite.com to develop my own projects and collaborate with creation studios worldwide.
Quality Over Price
Story Board
If you already have a storyboard, we can use it as a guide and jump right into creating the art. If not, don’t worry: I can develop the storyboard for you. It’s important to note that this is an additional service, and the time dedicated to it will be included in your project estimate. All that I need this the plain text!
Art process
Every story is unique and deserves special attention. Illustration isn’t just about the chosen style; it’s about the time and effort dedicated to bringing every detail to life. The value of my work reflects a meticulous, handcrafted process, from the initial sketch to the final colored art.
Exemples of art
The complexity of the artwork directly influences the time it takes, which, in turn, reflects the final quote. I always start by diving deep into your story, understanding the characters, and capturing the perfect mood for your book. To give you a better idea of how it all works, here are a few examples of projects and the time invested in each.
Illustration 1 (Simple):
- Description: This is a simple scene, character-focused illustration with minimal background details.
- Estimated Time: This type of piece, from initial sketch to final color, typically takes around 4-6 hours. To buy the book click here!
Illustration 2 (Medium):
- Description: This illustration involves multiple characters interacting in a more detailed scene.
- Estimated Time: With more characters and a richer background, this piece took me approximately 8 hours to complete. To see the sketch process click here!
Illustration 3 (Complex):
- Description: “This illustration involves more efforts, a deep research and a 3D mockup of the scene.”
- Estimated Time: “This piece took me approximately 15 – 20 (…) hours to complete. To see the entire process click here!
My own books written and illustrated by me.
2025 – Monsters vs Robots: The Night of Imagination (To buy the book click here! )
When the lights go out, Nino’s imagination comes alive, bringing with it clumsy, boastful, and noisy monsters! But Nino isn’t alone: with the help of his brave friends, Hero Robot and Monkey Robot, he confronts his fears with creativity and courage. Yet… is any of this truly real? A twist reveals Nino’s greatest power lies within his own mind—and even the darkest night can turn into a huge party!
A rhyming adventure, packed with action and good humor, about facing the fear of the dark with a powerful imagination.
2025 – Star Cow: Everyone Has Their Perfect Moment to Shine
On the liveliest farm around, everyone has a special job — well, almost everyone! Mimosa, the little cow on the farm, isn’t quite sure what her role is… until strange things start to happen: animals disappearing, water vanishing, and a mysterious stranger from another world holding a curious list!
Amid all the confusion and fun, the farm sets off on a stellar adventure — a rhyming, lighthearted story that reminds us: everyone has their perfect moment to shine.
Co-authored Books
2011 – The case of the perch “O Caso do Poleiro”
This is undoubtedly one of my favorite creations. It was one of the first projects where I had complete control. Creative freedom is something every artist seeks in their career. The author only provided me with the text, and I was able to define even the book’s format. The only thing I didn’t influence was the type of paper, as it would increase the cost of the work. However, if it were up to me, I would choose a hardcover because the end result was simply sensational! It was the perfect combination of the story and my illustrations.
Dorival and global warming “Dorival e o aquecimento global”
2009 – This was my first children’s book, and I hold a special fondness for it because of the theme it addresses. These are challenging times for our planet, so any work that focuses on this aspect holds a special place in my heart. It is also a beautiful story that revolves around friendship and cooperation among the characters. The book was made using recycled paper, which slightly affected its final quality. However, it aligns with the theme of the book, the environment, and serves as a meaningful contribution.
Digital Books
Monsters vs Robots (interactive books)
Monsters vs. Robots was the first project that came from my dream of creating my own games. I worked and studied hard to achieve the goal of creating this interactive book and game for children. The first version was coded in LUA in 2010, and in 2020, I ported it to Unity using C#.
This is a delightful app designed for children between 3 and 6 years old, featuring several games and a book with over 20 interactive pages that tell a story in both English and Portuguese. The story revolves around Nino, a little boy who uses his imagination to conquer his fear of sleeping in the dark.
The Secret of the Magical Valleys of Dell Valle Kapo – Coca Cola company.
For this project, I was hired by the Coca-Cola Company through a game production company in our country. My job was to plan the scenes and games for this interactive book. I created about 250 small illustrations like the ones in the image to guide the 3D team in creating the final scenes of the digital book. With my experience in game design, I also created the interactive game designs for each chapter of the book. “The Secret of the Magic Valleys of Dell Valle Kapo” was developed by the Coca-Cola Company. It consisted of 30 chapters of a wonderful story, full of creativity and emotion, created by “The Alchemists.”
Examples of some games for this book:
Single art for books
Arrival in Salvador
Sometimes, a single image can tell an entire story. For this project, I was hired to create an image representing the arrival of the Portuguese in the Bahia de Salvador. My client was writing a series of books featuring local Brazilian folklore characters, and he needed an image to portray this arrival. The image I created became so famous that it is now part of the collection at the Whitney Plantation Museum, Luisiana. You can read more about the process here.
Ghost writer
Starlit Adventures
My creative talent has led me to various other areas of artistic creation. In this job, I took on the role of creative director, a role I’ve held since I started illustration, but for which I sometimes went uncredited, remaining hidden, a ghostwriter. Right here, as a portfolio, I can take credit!
In this job, I was hired to create ideas for this series of short films, but I went further: I wrote most of the stories, which you can check out in the links below.
Veriscape
I crafted this captivating video for our esteemed client, narrating the enthralling tale of their game. Armed with the core storyline provided by the client, I took charge of fleshing out the narrative, going as far as naming the world’s most formidable AI, with the thought of how humans would christen such a powerful entity. Throughout the creation process, I diligently sought out catchy and succinct terms that perfectly complemented the pivotal moments in the film. Furthermore, all the remarkable artwork featured in this teaser is entirely my own creation. I sincerely hope you enjoy the result!
games for everyone 
Show cara, muito bom mesmo!!!!!
Muito bom o resultado, parabéns! Boas referências, também curtia o Frangolino, hehehe!
Obrigado Denny! Eu adoro estas referências 80’s tem cada pérola…
Mais um excelente trabalho Leo, parabéns!
Obrigado Sam! Fico contente que você tenha gostado! Este livro é bacana para conhecer um pouco dos costumes e frases típicas daqui do Rio Grande do Sul. Abração!