andreu zaragoza

Volume 1 Issue 2

www.issuu.com/oil./2

CreatorShonda White is an Aboriginal art-ist, musician, and aspiring animator from Stephenville, Newfoundland. Oil Magazine was brought to life by her desire to connect to the interna-tional art scene in a new way and share it with others. She now lives in Guelph, Ontario.

EditorJoanna Gutowska is a Canadian student and graphic designer cur-rently living in Mississauga, On-tario. Influenced by print media and her Slavic heritage, she wants to make art a commonplace under-standing. Oil Magazine is her op-portunity to do so.

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Oil Magazine is a magazine dedicated to artists from all across the world. Each month, Oil highlights the background, work, achievements, inspirations and intricacies of one artist.

CONTACT: oilmagazine@outlook.com

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COVER by Andreu Zaragoza

All designs and illustrations by Andreu Zaragoza unless stated other-wise. All photographs taken by their respective artist.

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“For me, being creative means to think and find solutions in a different way from what’s established.”

ANDREUZARAGOZA

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Graphic designer and illustrator Andreu Zaragoza was born and raised in Granollers, Spain, a small town near Barcelona. He grew up knowing that he would always do something involved with drawing and creating. At the time he wanted to draw comics, but after studying graphic design and completing postgraduate studies in illustration, the young artist has emerged as a profes-sional designer and illustrator.

Zaragoza works as a graphic and packaging designer in a printing company, blending his personal art with commissioned work. “When you’re not working for someone else you can just do what you want, complete freedom,” Zaragoza explains. “On the other hand, com-missioned work can take you away from the comfort zone and push your limits. This is good for creativity.”

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Dominique Strauss-KhahnIllustration for the monthly opinion article by Jordi Goula in Theknos Magazine

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“You only need a pencil to represent what you see or what’s inside your head.”

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Herokid™ Magic BoxPackage designed for the urban clothing brand Herokid™ (www.herokid.es)

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Lothar ShapiroCD Packaging for the album Neuro Whip

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Coma WineLabel design for the 2009 and 2011 harvest of Coma wine, produced in Capçanes (Tarragona)Packaging design made with black and white cardboard without printing

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“What ten words would you use to describe yourself?”

curiouspersistent

simpleimpatient

shyindependent

travelerobservantpositive

self-exigent

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The simplicity of drawing and illustration has drawn Zaragoza to stick with it over other mediums. However, as a packaging designer, Zaragoza has recently built a relationship with cardboard as a design material. One of his latest projects required him to design and build a UFO from cardboard for a science fiction cinema ex-hibition.

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Although successful, being an artist doesn’t come with-out its hardships. Some days come with a complete block of creativity, and sometimes the complete oppo-site is overwhelming when Zaragoza can’t deal with all the ideas that flood his mind. Even more so, it’s typical to experience self-doubt when things get a little rough. Zaragoza reflects on these moments and explains, “Many times I thought this is not what I should be do-ing, that I’m not good enough or that another life would be much easier, but when I’m some days without doing anything I feel the need of creating so I guess that this need is what keeps me going.”

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In the last few years, Zaragoza feels that his progres-sion as an artist has led him to simplify his style and begin playing with the use of colours to create brighter works of art. While still using the same mediums to cre-ate, Zaragoza focused on ways to better combine dig-ital and traditions techniques. He describes himself as having “a more pragmatic and less idealized view of art and design” because of this. In years to come, Zaragoza only hopes to keep creating and growing as an artist and professional, but also potentially establishing himself a full-time freelance designer and illustrator.

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Zaragoza’s personal work draws a lot of similarities and differences when compared to his commissioned works. Both would require a lot of research, often to represent his subject matter in a realistic way. Zarago-za does this by referencing from photos he’s taken or drawing from the live reference, but he also referenc-es from the internet or magazines when there is a time constraint.

Even when really passionate about a current project, Zaragoza will forget it upon completion. “I turn the page and start with the next thing,” he says. The par-allels between personal art and commissioned art are evident, but they differ in a big way for Zaragoza: the message. For personal work, he does not give any par-ticular messages to his creations. Projects for clients are the complete opposite as they wish to communicate concrete ideas and messages.

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“I like people to have different impressions of

what I do.”

“Which artists do you look up to and are inspired by?””

Aubrey Beardsley, Isolde

Moebius, From Arzach

James Jean, Wave

“Which artists do you look up to and are inspired by?””

Dave McKean, The Sound of Surprise by Bill Bruford’s Earthworks (back of album)

James Jean, Wave

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El Tornado is one of Zaragoza’s most personal works and possibly his favourite. The work started as an ex-ercise to create a short story, but ended as something much more personal.

El Tornado full story: A tornado sees a green field and wants to take a walk through but he destroys everything on his way and this saddens him

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Andreu Zaragoza’s ability to combine traditional styles with a digital age helps to define his work as one of the most excellent within the realm of graphic design and illustration. What makes Zaragoza so inspiring is how he is also able to satisfy his creative needs through both personal and pro-

fessional work.

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“I imagine that the most important thing is to believe in yourself

and never stop working hard, always trying to

surpass oneself.”