Finding a flow in colour
- Jesús is a digital illustrator who began his career as a graphic designer
- Drawing and painting are a lifelong passion which he developed as a hobby first
- He has representation in the United States, where most of his work is released
Jesús Sotés is self-taught in his craft as an illustrator. “If I could go back, I would swap that for an academic education, but there is no point in dwelling on the past,” he says. From a very young age, Jesús dreamed of dedicating himself to painting and drawing. For him, it was a vocational choice, driven by an instinctive impulse rather than a specific reason. For many years, he worked as a graphic designer, and in his spare time he drew artwork to compile a portfolio he could share with agencies. “The response was quick and positive, and within a few weeks, I had a contract and firm commissions on the table,” Jesús recalls. In 2014, he started working for an illustration agency in the United States.
Interview
- What kind of artists interest and influence you?
- Any maker who develops a unique and highly personal visual language interests me. From the darkest and most ambiguous artists to the most innocent, covering all sorts of movements, trends, styles, and disciplines. In many of them, I find a kind of magic that fills me with deep emotion and admiration.
- What goes through your mind when you draw?
- When I draw freely, I feel complete and connected to the best version of myself. I enter a place where time seems to disappear. I enjoy it. I love the creative process itself.
- Do you feel the same when working on a commission?
- Obviously, when drawing on commission, I do not find my flow in the same way. In those cases, my satisfaction comes more from a job well done: meeting expectations, both mine and the client’s.
- Do you believe more in inspiration or perspiration?
- Illustration is a much more down-to-earth activity than most people think. For much of the process, I imagine myself as a miner, chipping away at the rock until I finally uncover a precious stone.
Jesús Sotés is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2014
Where
Jesús Sotés
