Illustrator Interview: Pablo Manuel M.R.
29 Jun 2015
On our next interview, we travelled to Murcia to talk with Pablo Manuel. Pablo works as illustrator for the publishing field, and also founded and managed Ilustrafun, a series of workshops & leisure events around illustration. He is also a PRO customer of Drawfolio, so we couldn't wish any better!
How did you get into illustration and design?
I studied Fine Arts at College, and tried a bit of everything: design, photography, or sculpture. I did a subject on illustration and got interested from there. Two years after I finished my degree, I got on second place of the Badajoz Adult Illustrated Tale Award with "Extrañas mujeres de Azul", and that really made me see I had to devote to illustration.
How do you deal with clients and projects on terms, deadlines, etc?
I work with two main premises: deadline and budget. These will shape the nature of the project. A few days project is highly different from one supossed to be months long, as a three-figure budget looks different from a four-figure one. Aside from that, there are more elements to manage and discuss on a project: concept art, illustration application, etc.
What qualities does a client and project need to have for you to feel comfortable and motivated?
Above all things, I seek that our terms and roles are well defined and understood by both parts. A lot of clients want to dictate changes without an informed opinion, and will stick to them even if you try to reason or argue. That is quite bad for both client and the illustrator. You wouldn't tell a surgeon how to do this job, so why you can do that with illustrators or designers?
You are founder of manager of Ilustrafun, a great initiative looking to add value to illustrators with events and workshops. How did it began, and how was the journey until here?
Ilustrafun tries to bring illustration workshops and events to Murcia and its region, just like the ones who happen at big cities. We tried to bring relevant illustrators to teach workshops, and combine that with leisure activities to make the environment fun and enjoyable. We have done workshops so far with artists such as Malota, Sr. López, Adolfo Serra, Luis Demano, etc.
Everyone, from the teachers to the students and team, were very happy with the results. Nowadays, Ilustrafun is on hiatus due to finance matters: running the whole thing without sponsors or public helps has proved very tough.
We see a lot of startups and projects appearing lately around the world of illustration. Do you think this will continue to grow, or is it some kind of "heat of the moment"?
Illustration has been for a long time in our life, it's not something new. But it definitely has more visibility now, and it's sort of "fashionable". But I don't think the mass public know what illustration is, the reach and different kinds of it, or what fields it is applied to. They see it as a mixture of "artsy stuff" and "knowing how to draw". I don't know if it will continue to grow, but it will stay for sure.
And last, but not least: any advice for aspiring illustrators just starting up their careers?
I had to learn a lot of things lately, and one of them is learning not to compare yourself with the rest of the world. We see facebook, twitter and other social networks and people are making wonderful things. Everyone seems happy, and there is a lot of "awesomeness" around us that does not really reflect reality. Working on an artistic field (be it acting, music, illustration or any other kind of creativity) is not easy at all, and you need to have that in mind.
Every person willing to be an illustrator has her own style, language and path, and my advise would be to follow it. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, keep walking forward and ask for constructive critiques. And above all, be at peace with your work, as I see it as part of ourselves.
Thanks a lot, Pablo!
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