1 .- Can you explain how he came to become an artist?
From my earliest memories as a child, I always felt attracted to painting. I was quite shy and solitary, spending hours drawing was my best shelter. Not that he had family support to this hobby, but if they let me do and also to tailor my studies to get there. Half way through I began to paint large-format paintings and exhibitions, hence I had to draw comics and then to really do in the illustration.
Never crossed my mind another kind of dedication from the beginning was an obsession and the only world that attracted me. Prior art forms, all books and papers that came to my hands, filled with drawings and my curiosity was always around the image and visual arts.
2 .- In the process of learning, what artist had the most influence on you?
I can not make one stand out, there are hundreds and also in different fields. As a child I was fascinated by classical paintings from the Renaissance to the Impressionists, as I walked to the stage to paint and to exhibit, paint the whole movement of social and contemporary trends most influenced my work. On discovering adult comics, there were also many authors who opened my horizons. And when my path was drawn on the illustration world, again I was interested in the classics.
Just to name some basics for me, among the hundreds that should be mentioned, and not separated by periods, or by whether they are painters, sculptors and illustrators, because I think this type of separation has now lost its meaning, he would quote Michelangelo , Caravaggio, Velazquez, Rembrandt, the last stage of Goya, Rodin, Repin, Toulouse Lautrec, Giger ... and I am unable to close the list.
3 .- Could you talk about your first job? How do you get? What's the story?
Editorial Norma I contacted when I was doing comics, and Rafa Martinez saw on those pages of comics that was closest to the processing pictorial discipline typical of comics. From the first thought in my work and suggested I do some free artwork and present them to test the market. They worked quickly and were published. Then came three orders of cover for English novel once finished and definitely opened the U.S. market with new orders.
4 .- We know you have a unique style, how you found?
At the same time all those years performing commissions for book covers, magazines, video games etc.. From the beginning I kept a room to do my work free and able to combine the two types of production.
The commission is a challenge, because you have to immerse in a world that somehow you get through bases. Still, your way of conceiving both artistically, as a concept, framing etc. must be personal, because what they want is your prism. But the work leaves you free to go but to your own dreams and fantasies and I think that is what makes you evolve more deeply as the author. I think the mixture of these two types of work is what has been shaping my style, rather than a totally default.
5 .- All his works are as wild and inhospitable worlds scenario. Why would you like to use these contexts?
Background offer many works in the same image opposites, sharply softness, delicacy, ferocity, and so on. The scenario gives me the opportunity to play with these opponents, make the opposite side of the figure and use it as such.
On the other hand, I like to represent the figure showing confidence and determination and this is accentuated by surrounding it with more unpleasant environments. Within the same figure also look for that mix of opposites, a soft features with a defiant look, or a fragile anatomy in a provocative manner. Use the opposites in general and rattle in the picture is one of my constant and I think one of the demands of the viewer.
6 - We know that you are a traditional artist, digital tools do you use now? What do you think of this change in techniques?
Yes, my materials are traditional, from the pencil, watercolor, airbrush or acrylic painting, and a majority of work using superimposed in the same work. But it is a personal choice, there are now quality work done with digital media.
In my case, my way of conceiving the work, I was better suited the traditional means and brushes.
In the development of an image, first part of previous sketches and a design approach and before the definitive work, but always leave a part of its implementation to the subconscious, and asking how I am doing the same work as I tones and contrasts forward. This form of work is I would be very difficult with the digital environment because they have the dialogue that is created on the drawing board or easel always shows the entire image into a whole. The digital media, constantly makes you see the picture with zoom back and forth and plot. In my case, I tried this kind of form of work, but I could not wrap and I found it difficult to immerse myself in it and in fantasy he represented.
7 .- I know that you may have already been asked this question hundreds of times, yet we want to know: why women choose to shape your work?
The world of the feminine has always haunted me, all your halo. But to capture the woman, my attraction is inclined to try to capture the richness of the feminine world and its symbolism: the mystery, night, the intuitive, subtle, unseen.
There is something strange that inclination for indulging in this universe, the attraction to female representation in thousands of paintings and painters throughout history.
8 .- From his point of view, what is the model of feminine beauty? And what about the man?
The ideal female beauty has changed its canons, his face and even his attitude over different periods. At each moment had its stylized, his message more mystical or carnal and his own eyes. In my case, I seek constantly to reflect the ideal of beauty and mystery with the canons and thought of my time.
The man also has wealth of nuances, but in my opinion less mystery, less represent attracts me, I see less subtle and more evident.
9 .- You've worked with the magazine Heavy Metal, could you explain when it started to collaborate with them?
It started with one of those first illustrations Editorial Norma took to start my journey as an illustrator, one of them placed as Heavy Metal cover of their magazine, and since then the partnership has been continuous and rich, even in our personal relationships. I published covers, calendars and books my copyright under the seal Heavy Metal for over twenty years.
10.-We know that Heavy Metal is a magazine for adults in our country, the word "adult" means eroticism and violence, mainly. Do you think your work is so? What does it tell people through your work?
Basically, our world is framed in fantasy, a fantasy an adult gaze focused. Within that field and I think in almost every facet of life, also enters the eroticism and violence. They are in our brain and when what is inside plasma is our dreams, there is no remedy. Making it not so, would be corseted and distort our world of fantasies.
When you work in this world unreal and fantastic that comment, a look inside these dreams all asleep and plasma and publish sure to connect with an audience, I think because those dreams coincide and are common. That's my reward, feeling with my audience we become complicit in these fantasies.
11 .- Most of his characters have tattoos. Why? Would you like tattoos in real life?
The tattoo I use to characterize a character, to give it his seal and sometimes their qualities. It is a more visual element that enriches the character.
I do not wear tattoos, because everything lasting me back but I feel a more personal added to beauty, such as ornaments, jewelry and costumes, and has been the case in all cultures.
12.-Let's talk about his new book, Dead Moon. Why this title?
Dead Moon brings a bit of everything this world of shadows and night of the feminine, the masculine world faced, but flat and solar. Its main character, Luna, so named precisely because it represents the embodiment of all that mystery female.
It is a story about the dependency between these two worlds and in turn their struggles. Its purpose, leads to tragedy and an apocalyptic vision.
Approached as an epic story in a feudal, wanted both intimate and poke out its symbolism.
Its achievement is mixed plastic from large-format paintings on paper paintings or graffiti. Romulo Royo helped me to make this range of techniques that could provide images with different formulas to discover and realize that world. Thus leaving more descriptive images, some more conceptual and others more based on atmosphere than in the data, as requiring the time of the story.
13 .- We see that in Dead Moon has been used mainly Oriental theme. Does that mean that now you are interested in oriental culture?
The esoteric and magical world of the Orient, and his stories are a source of inexhaustible imagination to drink it. In Dead Moon, especially in his second book, the epilogue that will appear briefly, we see that is a fusion of cultures. A look at East and West also touches sensitivity.
Search the richness of Eastern aesthetics fantasized has been a very exciting year for me.
14 .- Do you have something in mind for your next book?
The next book is already practically in print and is the epilogue of Dead Moon, where it deepens and shelled the details of the story and characters to better understand that world.
And my next work after Dead Moon, will return to a project that began in 1992, of which I have illustrations, notes, sketches and texts that have been accumulating loose all these years, but where I had not yet been able to get full. Its main character, Light or Lucia, a female character is also accompanied by a sword, Malefic, which is a symbol and hieroglyph. A story set in New York in the near future and apocalyptic.
15 .- We live in an age of information, and using the Internet, we can access thousands of illustrations, most of them very similar. How do you manage to be enriched by other works, while maintaining your personal style?
It is a very rich to the overall image, the Internet is one of the places where the artwork to come to large crowds and has made its popular authors. In my opinion, there are many authors varied and personal, but of course, also many others, his work is influenced by the aesthetics or the line of authors to whom he admires, this is normal.
My eyes are placed more classical painters in other authors of my time, I guess this is what I give you that personal online.
16 .- We know that in addition to painting on canvas, you have done some murals. Could you tell us how it felt to make murals? What is the difference on the canvas?
When Romulo Royo realized with a cupola in Moscow, we had several months of previous work in Barcelona, had to be taken into account that would be a brick from a different perspective and with a certain distance. The concept was to make a general scene where the distances distort architecture with leakage exaggerated perspective to fool the eye, also figures that were rendered with exaggerated perspective.
Apart from this special approach, was to study the materials and pigments for a dome that would be receiving a cold climate like that of Moscow, even the snow on its roof.
Also on scaffolding painting was a difficult experience, especially the position of painting up and working long hours each day. In short it was a tough experience but a rewarding challenge.
17 .- How long reversed when you create a new image, in general?
I do not use the same technique to each of them, nor the same or similar format, which is varied at runtime. There are works that have taken weeks and some are made in a day or two. Other jobs that do are often unfinished graphite color, in this case I do several in one day.
18 .- How to exercise your art? Does your book of sketches by hand each time?
When a job is free, comes from an idea that takes time and sticking in your head.
When a commission is to extract the order read, plot and description, and then I put on the drawing board with papers to be releasing all kinds of ideas that come on the reading, usually spend a couple of days so until I start to have it defined.
When I leave the study, especially in travel, I bring some papers and pencils for sketches, but use only in specific cases.
19 .- When making a new work, what's the first thing you think? Can you talk about your work process?
Normally I get into a project from a central idea which usually group the contents of a book. To get to that project before days have passed and written notes that I saved.
This process many times I'm doing while I'm immersed in other work fully. Arrive early ideas while I'm doing this other work and I loose sketching and supporting material will not forget. Sometimes it is a process of months until the day comes that you meet all the loose material and will start finalizing.
20 .- Listen to music while working? What is your favorite music? Do you think that there is no relationship between music and your work?
I think there relationship between music I hear in my study and my work. I spend much time on it and that makes me go changing music, heard very different things. I can hear from blues, soul, rock ... This is why I am changing seasons and music from exhaustion and freshen up with a different style. Many days I can not say I heard, my thoughts are flying and the music is like a fund or withhold.
21 .- Where do you usually find your inspiration?
As the famous words of Picasso "that when you get caught me working." I think that being in front of the papers in the study, and work space to become your little personal universe, where, alone with your thoughts brushes and placed in your fantasies, I think is the best way to find it. Have your haven where you feel receptive.
22 .- What is the hardest part of your job? How do you get beat?
The sketches and ideas of where everything is brewing fills you with concern but at the same time makes you feel very alive, is the moment that you're dipping into this fantastic world. Then comes the time of the execution of definitive work is also very rewarding and you discover yourself all its detail. All these moments carry their tensions, but the one that I find it more difficult is when it touches decide when you have to terminate a work, doubts arise whether or trackback leave cooler. More than once, for not having taken this choice, brings me back to repeat it on the ground that has lost its power to spend unnecessary terminations.
23 .- For how many customers have come to work throughout his career? What impressed you most?
For many years I have conducted hundreds of covers for books of fantasy or science fiction, magazines, video games ... etc. This involves having worked for many publishers and countries. It should make a very long list, many years of work. What we do is very gratifying about this is when a writer sends you a letter to tell you this excited, because the world has been imagined as reflected in my work, or when you meet with the public that when praise your latest book these firms. These things fill you up.
24 .- Do you have any advice for young people who want to be a successful artist like you?
With all the caution that I think makes the paths of each are different, the only thing I would say is that the effort in this vocation is important. The human figure, perspective, atmosphere that sets the distance, find a world and an aesthetic of its own, and so on. Is required to spend much time and dedication to become familiar with it (do not use the word "master" because it is a dream that never gets a challenge year after year makes you excited to continue working in the solitude of study)
Moreover, until the work is recognized, live without flavors and must be consistent and not give up.
25 .- What are your plans for the future?
In the next project, in collaboration with Romulo Royo, I intend to extend the general concept with experiences in other visual media and input from other artists specializing in the media. We tried to conceive of a world and a story by relying on various media, video, real image, performance, painting and even the volume for large exhibition spaces and finally the book.
The first project under this proposal will be TIME MALEFIC taking his first steps in sketches and approach. The intention is that the core of the idea with the potential for other media outside the illustration and painting, such as comics, video game or film.
It is an ambitious project, hopefully to reach a satisfactory conclusion.
