“Interviaw - Juan Carlos Ruíz” by the Art Warriors
! Juan Carlos Ruiz Burgos is a 29 y.o. illustrator and graphic designer from Granada (Spain). He is in love with cinema, comics and music that makes most of his work digitally (Photoshop), although what he loves the most is sketching with pencils. ! During the last 6 years heʼs being speciallicing in digital illustration, at the same time heʼs being working as illustrator, graphic designer and typesetter. ! Now he tries to live the day during what he likes most, dividing his time beetween his education and his design study; Comando Zeta.
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“Interviaw - ” by the Art Warriors
Wich part do you like the most about your work? ! When I gete the idea for an illustration, I imagine it to the detail in my head. Then I compile lots of images, sounds and references that can be usefull as inspiration and until I have the composition in my mind that I want on paper I do not start drawing. I guess that0s the precise moment, with all the strings attached and being prepared to develop the work, when I enjoy most the creative process. ! When you start an idea like a goal to beat. Once you have started the initial process, I specially like spending time with the little details (eyebrows, moles, freckles, wrinkles, etc).
If you could make a film, what esthetic would it reflect? ! It would hace a classic esthetic, from the ʻ50s and cine noir. With low saturation, cold colors, strong light contrasts and a specific fotography.
Who would you dedicate an illustration if it has to be the last. ! To you, the reader that has interested in my stuff. To all the people that have supported me and supports me, to those who make it worth finishing an illustration just for the look in their eyes when they see it and for the ones who find inspiration in in my drawings, if the exist.
With wich music do you work better? ! It depends on the work Iʼm doing. Sometimes I draw a fantart based on a movie and I listen to the soundtrack while Iʼm on it, others I just listen what Iʼm in the mood for. Most of the times I look for something pretty ambiental that makes easier to be inspired by the emotion I want to share. 4
“Interviaw - ” by the Art Warriors
Wich are your favorite plastic artists? ! Miguel Ángel, Rembrandt, Vélazquez, Da Vinci. I like the great renaissance and baroque masters mostly. Talking about contemporary illustrators I really consume all kind of material from many different artists. Alan Lee, Alex Ross, Dave Mckean, James Jean, Adam Hughes or Luis Royo for example, inspire me most of the time.
Is there any book or film that influenced your work? ! Lots of them. Graphic novels mostly. I love Alan Moore and his way of imaging credible posibilitiesMuchos. Novelas gráficas mayormente. Me encanta Alan Moore, y su manera de imaginar of alternative universes to mix up a thousand references of pop culture, politics, history, comics universe, etc and still create a unique and stunning story. I also enjoy Frank Millerʼs exceses or Grant Morrisonʼs psuchologic background, or the italian Gipi. And wich movie? A hundred films. Iʼm a cinema enthusiast and for me is impossible to choose only one, but I was born in the ʻ80s and grew up with Lucas and Spielbergʼs movies, so I have a special affect for Indiana Jones and Star Wars trilogys. I also love gangster or mobster films (The Godfather, The Goodfellas, Carlitoʼs Way, The Untouchables, Road to perdition...)
Wich artist would you like to work for? First thing first, any client that pays you is a good one, but I have to choose, I would love to make a cinema poster for a movie, something like Tarantino or Guillermo del Toro would be awsome. 5
“Interviaw - ” by the Art Warriors
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“Interviaw - ” by the Art Warriors
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“Interviaw - ” by the Art Warriors
What do you think about the current movie panorama? What movies are you enjoying most? Well, sincerely quite bad. The film is at its worst since long time ago. Finding an original screenplay is more difficult to get a permanent contract in Spain, and copies of copies of remakes are piling up in theaters with the sequels of sequelsʼ sequels whose first billionaireʼs film was already bad. It seems people look for making easy money in a market completely burned out and it doesnʼt invest in innovation but just enough to fulfill the expertʼs opinión, who are in a minority. The producers mentality must urgently change and we, as viewers, should become much more critical with the product we are consuming, which is becoming more and more expensive but with lower quality. People as Christopher Nolan, Peter Weir, Michael Mann, Guillermo del Toro and Martin Scorsese are like lifesavers to hold on every now and then, but unfortunately today is much easier to enjoy TV shows than a movie in theaters.
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“Interviaw - ” by the Art Warriors
Where do you see yourself in ten years? In Granada, I hope. I have the fortune to live in the city I love (with all its cons) and my intention is to create here my workspace, Albert with clients from everywhere. Nowadays, Iʼm learning with great hope in this young Enterprise called Comando Zeta of which Iʼm the co-founder (with my partner Chá Lucena). It a Graphic design Studio specializing in illustration, of what I am very proud of, currently in a process of international proyection. We are very excited with our first jobs for foreign clients. Ten years from now I would love this proyect to have the significance we want it to have and also to live comfortably doing, the best way we know, the things we love to do. What advice would you give to the people who are starting in the World of illustration? Draw. Do not ever stop drawing. They have to experience, investigate. Educate yourself and then evolve, grow slowly but steadily. Never lose sight you are doing something you love. Do not miss the enthusiasm for a hobby that can become a profession and remain always motivated. It takes too much effort to earn a living doing this, but it's totally worthy. Thanks again and best regards!
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