Artist Case Study

Gabriel Moreno

Illustrator, engraver and painter based in Madrid, graduated of Fine Arts in the University of Sevilla in 98. Since then he worked in different design studios and ad agencies in Andalusia. In 2004 he moves to Madrid. In June 2007 he begins to show his portfolio and after being selected amongst the 20 new talents of illustration, by the London based magazine Computer Arts, he begins his successful career as an illustrator.

At present he has worked with virtually every major national agency, and is starting with his first commissions and international expansion. He has worked with numerous national and international publications, last August by the cover of the North American publishing Los Angeles Times Magazine.

I am going to evaluate this image above in order to show how I look at his work:

This illustration is a great demonstration of every aspect I mentioned about his work in the previous paragraph. The drawing itself is so precise and realistic whereas the content is a lot more complex. The composition once again incorporates more than one image. They are also brought together to form one stunning drawing by the elaborate flows of hair like substance. In this context, this structure goes from representing feathers up to flesh as it moves up the page. The way it links all of the subjects is so effective and the detail of the “hair” itself is so intricate.

This drawing, like most of Gabriel’s, has an intriguing composition that makes every inch as interesting as the next. This particular piece has had no commercial concentration and is simply an illustration from a 2009 exhibition in which he wanted to display his work in order to go further than just commercial drawings. This means I can look at it as a drawing rather than a message or attempt to persuade me or appeal to my better nature. Being an avid sketcher myself, I can empathise with the effort and skill that has gone into producing such an interesting illustration. The high levels of contrast give it such an impact and the sharpness of each edge, shade and detail makes it so easy to look at. This is one of my favourite pieces of his work due to its monumental depth of tone.  

 

 

Gabriel Moreno is a proven success in the illustration industry as you can see from his illustrious selection of clients and by the sheer quality of his work. The fact his illustrations are used by so many commercial enterprises is what makes him so relevant to this task. However, the reason I chose him in particular is because he combines fantasy and surrealism with a high level of realism. His illustrations are beautifully drawn and have a photographic quality to them. He still maintains a sense of magic and mystery with the way he designs them. He manages to create a montage effect as he has more than one view and image in each of his drawings. His compositions have to be one of his best assets, as every illustration becomes one powerful piece of art.