Take a gander at one of our favorite Spaniard’s stunning visual work. Nuria Tamarit’s stylish art transports viewers to a personal and fantastical place. You will also wish you were half as organized as @ntamarit is.
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Nuria Tamarit: I grew up in a small city on the east of Spain which means lots of sun and beach. That did not influence me at all, as I rather stay at home drawing. I don't actually know why I started doing that, although I have some clues: I was a shy kiddo, I didn't like running, I felt like god when drawing, and my sister used to tell me I was doing “awesome.” So I just kept drawing! My education was not the best ever, however I somehow understood reading, and persistence was crucial. To sum up, I had a wonderful childhood, full of pencil colors, sheets of paper and an encouraging sister always stimulating me.
MM: Where do you get your inspiration? How do you maintain a steady work flow?
NT: I get my inspiration from three sources: Books (and comics), films and artists on tumblr (or other sites). On the one hand it's simple, when I read or watch a film I always try to write something about it. Most of the times it's just a sentence about what the book or film made me think about, other times it's a weird idea that came to me while reading. Those short notes are absolutely useful when it's about creating and idea for a drawing or a script for a short comic. On the other hand I have a list of artist I love, admire and follow so before I start drawing something I usually check that list (that is always increasing) just to know what kind of drawings (compositions, colors, shapes) are done.
I try to maintain a steady work flow daily just because I have lots of work, otherwise I'd die gathering everything in a week and trying to work it out then. So I organize myself using a monthly calendar.
MM: What was your first freelance experience like? Is there anything you wish you knew before working as an illustrator?
NT: I've been doing commissions, collaborating in zines, and illustration exhibitions for three years but I consider my first freelance experience a commission for a comic book from last year. The book is literature combined with comic pages and its about a teen detective that is trying to discover the reason of her parents' death. I drew this comic jointly with another comic artist and the scriptwriter and will be published next month.
MM: What do you want people to know about you; as an artist and as a person?
NT: As an artist I'd like them to know there's nothing I've achieved due to any of these reasons: I'm special. It is actually so, so easy to get where I am. I was blessed with a gift when I was child (I've been told this quite a lot).
As a person there are only a few things I'd like to say: I work as much as I can, not even for money, just because I love drawing, and I'm making an effort to become it in my profession. I read as much as I can in order to have a well-built, open-minded, and critical mind. When I get stuck, I read about astrophysics or watch a film. It's absolutely essential to get stuck!
MM: Is there anything we haven't asked you that you would like to add?
