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.