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Illustrator Interview: David Belmonte

29 Dec 2014

Let's carry on with our interview series! We really want to interview illustrators from other places in the world, but our home city Valencia has got so much talent that we are still sticking there for our interviews.

This time we talked with illustrator and comic author David Belmonte. Among other things, David has published the comic book [1840: La Rosa Secreta](http://misteriolondres.blogspot.com.es/] with writer Carmen Pardo under Glenat - Editores de Tebeos. David is also a PRO user of Drawfolio, and you can visit his portfolio website right here.

How did you get into the world of illustration comic books?

Like most of people in our profession, I had an early inclination for watching and creating images. Step by step, I learnt the techniques and work process on my own but also on schools, academies or faculties. I discovered the different professional fields there and slowly began to choose where to focus.

David Belmonte

You work in client projects and national-published personal projects alike. Which are the pros and cons of dealing with both dedications?

When a company, agency, or publisher is interested in one of your personal projects and supports it, getting involved in its production, that project has already become "work". Until then, that project is in a seed stage where is a child of yours of sorts, and that "love" side makes you to put a lot more hours into it than it would be reasonable.

Aside from that, both personal projects and client work are similar in terms of the work process, technique domain and achieving goals.

Do you think it's important for an artist to find a well-defined and unique style, or it's better to be versatile? Is it possible to find an equilibrium between these two?

Both options can work, the real important thing is achieving your goals and enjoy of what you are drawing and the way you are drawing it. If your goal is to become a professional you can choose both ways. If you find yourself in the need for a unique style, you'll have to work hard to find that graphic language with which you tune in, feel comfortable and find a market niche (I'm thinking of authors like Paco Giménez or Ian Miller).

What may be not easy is having your unique style with a graphic personality that stands out from other artists, and then at the same time work on more anonymous, standard kind of pieces. It can be difficult, but not impossible!

David Belmonte

What good (and bad) things do you feel the Internet and the new technologies have brought to the illustrator profession?

On a company and personal level you can contact with authors and companies from all over the world, and have the chance to make your company reach people far from your country.

As a work tool, you can document yourself in no time with information that would be really hard to find using traditional sources.

One problem can be the lack of hi-res pictures to get documented, preventing you to get into detail. Printed documentation (books, magazines, photography or carvings) is still essential on a lot of illustration workshops specialized on history or technical works.

And last, but not least: any advice for aspiring illustrators just starting up their careers?

My advise would be knowing, contacting and building relationships with other proffesionals on the illustration sector and others (publishing) via talks, festivals, interviews, associations, etc.

This contacts will provide you experience and knowledge, and can help you focus your ideas and solve problems. Let things flow and don't be too boresome or try to be funny: let others transmit you what they feel like, and don't discard anything they tell you: it may not be interesting today, but tomorrow that advise can be essential.

Thanks a lot David!


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