Fashion Illustrator Arthuro Elena about imagination and creativity
Talk a little bit about yourself?
I’m one of those lucky persons that have the immense chance of working on his passion. During my childhood I developed my drawing skills and as a teenager I started being interested in fashion. I always dreamt to study design, but instead of that I had the chance to work for some fashion brands, a job that permitted me to show my work in a Barcelona’s fashion magazine.
During five years, I worked as a designer assistant in cities like Barcelona and Seville, and after that I realized that I prefer to illustrate fashion creations than to design them.
Since then, never got Illustration at an academic education. I’m self-taught.
What/ Who inspires your work?
More than inspiration I believe in effort.
The process starts when a client share me his brief. He expose me an image to have an idea about what he want, and we discuss about his intentions, target, atmosphere, what he want to communicate, details, etc.
After that I start creating the image in my mind. In the same time sketch some drawings that help me create the final artwork.
My main source of inspiration is fashion photography. I use it to obtain realistic effects, light, darkness, textures, figure’s movements, perspectives, get the appearance and the harmony that I need in each image, but, in general, I use any kind of photographs, not only fashion pictures.
For example, I use to get photographs from fashion magazines like British Vogue, Vogue Italy, Vogue Paris and Vogue Spain.
In the same time, I have always admired classic painters like Velázquez, Mengs, Dalí or Sert and illustrators like René Gruau, Stefano Canulli or Antonio López.
I can say that for me, inspiration goes parallel with work.
What kind of art supplies do you use? Do you use any software? For what kind of purposes?
I draw my illustrations with “Copic” markers on “Canson Mi-Teintes” cardboard; With these materials, I obtain the realistic effects that I want, by using a very personal method and experiments. I also use Photoshop to create, exclusively, flat background or gradient effects to some illustrations.
The main advantage of using digital drawing is the possibility of rectifying mistakes, which I can’t do it by hand drawing.
Apart from the markers that I’ve mentioned, I combine them with other markers created for office work, but as I’ve said, I love to use a mix of markers to add a personal touch for the artwork. As an example, a correction fluid apart from touching up sketches is used for getting different effects like Paillette’s fabrics.
What websites do you use to promote your artwork and why?
I promote my work on my official website.
I think it’s essential for anyone who wants to gain a position in any professional area.
Can you recommend three books that inspired you and helped t develop your artwork?
There are too many:
Famous photography books like Avedon, Helmuth Newton or Steven Meisel
Fashion illustration books about Rene Gruau or Stefano Canulli, which are indispensable for me;
Some of the books that inspire me are : “Vogue Book of Fashion Photography” by Polly Devlin, “Lisa Fonssagrives: Three decades of fashion photography” by David Seidner and Martin Harrison and “Helmut Newton Work” by Taschen.
In which online fashion communities are you involved? How this benefits you?
I’m not involved in any online fashion communities because I don’t have time, but I would like to have it.
As I’ve said in question number 4, for the time being, I just support me with my official website to make my work known. Occasionally, bloggers or fans, with their own fashion or illustration websites, even though art websites in general, have asked me for interviews or articles/posts about my artwork, which benefits me, spreading it at a global level. I don’t have to move my residence, but I get assignments, work proposals, interview questionnaires, anonymous e-mails who love my artwork, or who need more details about my technique, etc.
On the other hand, there are four pages in Facebook with my name but any of them are official pages. Some of them are legal and fans groups, so it benefits me and I’m grateful to them. However, there are pages that appear like official and they are not. I don’t like this, firstly, because it’s an identity misappropriation (which is legally punishable) and, most of all, because there are many people that writes on it and very prestigious brands that don’t get my reply. Until Facebook have a verification profile system like other social media, I prefer not communicate by means of it and I answer personally all of the e-mails that I receive through my website.
I think that the internet means not only a commercial platform, but also a way to stay connected with anyone, anywhere.
What would be some tools that you would love to use but you’re not using yet?
Given the technique that I use, which I have described before, I usually buy different kinds of markers sold in stationeries to test them; if I detect any possible application, I put it into practice.
In general, there are any other tools that I would love to use in my work, but I’m not able to do that now because of the time, which sometimes is too short when a client fixes me a certain due date. If I had much time, maybe, I would experiemnt more, but even in these cases I try to give 100% time in my work.
Is there anything else that you use to get your artwork done?
Music is essential for me. In fact, the first thing that I do when I get into the studio is switching off the lights and putting some music. I usually listen to a national radio station, dedicated to house, techno and disco music, with mono graphic programs carried out for acclaimed DJ’s or artists like David Guetta or Lady Gaga and others. One of my favorite musical bands, since their beginning in the eighties is Pet Shop Boys.
Depending on my state of mind, I prefer classical music that relaxes me much more.
In your opinion, there is a tool that anyone should use it?
I consider imagination and creativity as tools that everyone have in common in this field.
I think that there isn’t a specific tool that anyone should use, but there shouldn’t exist limitations in technique or other kind of aspects when you are going to develop a work project.
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