Illustrator Saturday – Marta Dorado

Marta Dorado was born in Gijón (Asturias, Spain) in 1989 and raised in a nearby village. She later moved to Pamplona to attend University, where she still lives. After graduating in 2014 with an HND in Graphic Design, Marta started a career as a graphic designer in the advertising industry while developing her skills as an illustrator in her spare time. She also became a self-taught motion graphics animator, and in 2018, gets a job at a marketing agency in the role of illustrator and animator. In 2020, she decided to establish herself as a full-time freelance illustrator.

She spent her childhood living close to the sea and surrounded by nature, which strongly influences Marta’s work. She’s also inspired by music (classic and folk), beauty, and magic. Marta is an avid learner who is always delving into her varied interests (from learning to sew to financial education or the Stoics’ philosophy.

HERE IS MARTA DISCUSSING HER PROCESS USING PROCREATE IN THE VIDEO BELOW:

COVER

BELOW IS MARTA DOEADO’S INTERVIEW: 

When did you realize that you had a talent for art?

I remember always hearing adults say that I had a talent for drawing. Now, as I look at drawings from my childhood, I honestly can’t see what was so special about them. Perhaps it’s something that is said to all children, and I simply took it more seriously than others.

When I was a little older, around 9 or 10 years old, my grandmother entered me in a drawing contest at a local supermarket. I drew two children picking flowers and crafted their hair out of actual flower petals that I had picked from my backyard (yellow for the girl and orange for the boy). I won that contest, and my little artistic ego grew a little more.

What was the first thing you created that someone paid you for doing?

As far as I remember, it was a logo for a store my dad’s friend owned (mattresses, pillows and that kind of stuff). I was still in design school. I just hope I didn’t ruin the poor man’s business, because that logo was awful.

What made you choose move to go to school in Pamplona?

I initially studied law, because I didn’t believe you could make a living from art, and I wanted to be able to earn a living to be independent. In Pamplona there was an Anglo-American law program that I thought could open doors for me outside of Spain. I was at that point in my youth when you want to fly the farther the better.

Did you attend the University of Pamplona to study graphic design?

No, at that time there was no Graphic Design career at the University of Pamplona, so when I discovered that Law was not my thing, I looked for a Graphic Design school in the same city, basically because by then I was already dating my current partner and I was not so interested in flying the farther the better anymore… So I started studying at what was then the Navarra School of Design and is now called Creanavarra.

Did you think when you started taking classes there that you wanted to get into advertising?

Yes, the truth is that at that time I still didn’t believe that it was realistic to make a living from illustration, so I didn’t even think about it. The world of advertising seemed to me a good alternative, a good place to develop creativity.

Did you do any freelance art while attending school?

Yes, in addition to the logo for the mattress store I did some corporate identity work for other friends; business cards, flyers… Those things.

How did you get the job working for an advertising agency?

A friend sent me a job offer she had seen on Twitter. I’d had a couple of jobs before (my first job as a designer was for a smartphone brand), so I already had a small design portfolio. The funny thing is that by then I had already been bitten by the illustration bug, and I had added some illustrations I had done for myself that I thought were cool, some of them I had even animated, and it was precisely those pieces that caught the agency’s attention and why they decided to hire me.

When you graduated did you take any illustrating classes in your spare time?

Honestly, I did some online courses, but not much. Almost everything was self-taught. However, I do remember a course on composition from the School of Visual Storytelling that I really liked, I still go over it in my head when I work on the composition of an illustration. The name of the course was Creative Composition by Will Terry.

Did you teach yourself animation to get ahead at your advertising company?

I had already taken some online courses before I was hired because I was personally interested in animation, but when I joined the agency they encouraged me to learn more and provided me with more training, which I appreciated and enjoyed a lot.

Did you decide to stay in Pamplona because you thought you might want to run with the bulls someday?

Haha! I remember watching the running of the bulls on TV when I was little and thinking that it had to be the most fun and exciting thing in the world. I used to tell my mother that when I grew up I would run too, more to tease her than anything else, because she would get all nervous. She could have saved herself the worry, because the first time I saw it up close I thought: nope, no way!

 When did you decide you wanted to illustrate books?

Towards the end of my studies it was already in my head, but more as an unattainable dream than as a real possibility. I started to see it as something feasible a few years later, when I met people in Pamplona who worked as professional illustrators and I saw that they were real people and not some kind of angelic or mythological beings.

Are there other illustrators or like-minded people you can meet with to work on books?

Not right now because I moved less than a year ago and I have not yet “found” the artistic community where I currently live (I haven’t had time to look it up either, honestly), but in Pamplona we did sometimes meet up to draw, go to art events, or even create collaborative exhibitions. I made some very good friends at those meetings.

I noticed that you are represented by the Astound Agency. How did you connect with them and how long have you been with them?

In December 2020 I left the advertising agency where I was working to pursue my dream of creating a career as an illustrator. My main problem was that I didn’t know how I was going to get clients, so I thought I’d try my luck sending my portfolio to different agencies. Astound was one of my favorite options and luckily one of the first to respond to my email! And they were interested! So in February 2021 I was already signing with them. It was great! Sometimes I still can’t believe my luck.

Was The History of the Titanic by Kelly Milner Halls published in Paperback on July 27 2021 your first illustrated book?

Correct!

Amazon says it was published by Callisto, but your website says it was published by Rockridge Press. Do you know why there are two different publishers? Did it get sold?

I don’t think so. I listed Rockridge Press because that’s the name on the printed book, but I’ve always been commissioned by Callisto, both for that book and the next three I did with them. Now I’m wondering if maybe I should have put Callisto on my website? Oopsie.

Three months later in October Titanic came out in Hardcover. Was this due to needing more time to publish a hardcover?

If I’m being completely honest, this is the first I’ve heard of that book being published in hardcover! I want it! I only have softcover copies.

You have a book up on your website titled La Pandilla de La Mancha la. I love the illustrations, but I couldn’t find the book on Amazon. What language is the text?

It’s available on Amazon, but perhaps it’s only available for order within Spain? I think the UK too. You can find the link here.

La Pandilla de Larancha-la (Larancha-la’s Gang) was published in Spanish and Basque. Larancha-la is one of the giants of the Comparsa de Gigantes y Cabezudos (Troupe of Giants and Bigheads) that parade in the San Fermines and other festivities in Pamplona. Kids adore them, there is an absolute fever for the giants among the children of Pamplona. This book belongs to a collection with the theme of inclusion in the San Fermines written and illustrated by writers and illustrators from Pamplona (or pamplonicas by adoption, as was my case!).

Who was the publisher and what was the pub date? Is there any talk about publishing it for the English-speaking market?

The publisher was Erein, and the publication date was November 24, 2021. I don’t think there are any plans to sell the collection in the English-speaking market since the subject matter is too niche. Some of the stories would need a lot of additional context outside Navarra, I think.

SCRUFF SPEAKS by Elizabeth Dale was published by Maverick Publishing on 11/28/2021. How many illustrations did you do for this chapter book? 

Twelve plus the cover, I believe.

In February 2022 The Story of Lin-Manuel Miranda by Frank Berrios was published by Callisto Kids. Did you sign a two-book deal with Callisto Kids when you signed a contract to illustrate The History of the Titanic?

Not really, they were commissioned independently, the Titanic one in March and the Lin Manuel one in August of 2021. I was very happy that they wanted to work with me again. I also love to work with the art director of these books, Angela Navarra.

On September 1 2022 you illustrated another book for Laurie B. Friedman titled Night School (The Sunshine Picture Books). This book was published by Crabtree Sunshine. Do you think that Laurie asked the publisher to hire you? 

I have no idea, I don’t know if it was Laurie’s doing or Rhea Magaro’s, who is the editor I usually work with at Crabtree. In any case I imagine Laurie was fine with it.

Was Mischief on the Moors: A Bloomsbury Reader by Stephen Davies on Jan 5, 2023 your first book published by a major US publisher? 

Yes, I loved illustrating this book. There are books that you struggle with and books that are like a slide and it seems like you just have to sit back and enjoy the ride. This was one of the latter.

On Feb 21, 2023 I Am Not Afraid: Psalm 23 for Bedtime by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso was published by Beaming Books. Was this your first religious book? 

Yes, I enjoyed that book as well. Beaming Books is great to work with because they usually give longer deadlines, allowing me to put more into the illustrations. I dedicated it to my parents, who both teach in our local church. Although they are Catholic and Sandy is a Jewish rabbi, Psalm 23 is something they both have in common, and I find it wonderful.

You kicked off 2024 illustrating three illustrated books for Picture Book Windows new Reeya Rai: Adventurous series written by Anita Nahta Amin, titled Reeya Rai and the Secret Workshop, Reeya Rai and the Lost Library, and Reeya Rai and the King’s Treasure. How long did it take to illustrate the three books?

It wasn’t long, about three months from start to finish. There weren’t many drawings, about 9 half-page drawings and 10 spots per book, and they were in black and white, which always simplifies things a lot.

On June 9th, I just featured The Story of Audrey Hepburn: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers written by Natasha Wing. Did you learn anything new about the iconic Audrey Hepburn while doing your research?

Oh yes, a lot! I watched every documentary I could find about her life, and many of her films as well. One thing I didn’t know was that Audrey felt a deep connection with Anne Frank due to their similar experiences during World War II in the Netherlands. Both lived under Nazi occupation; Audrey survived by moving to Velp and joining the Dutch resistance, while Anne tragically died in the Holocaust. This shared history made it too painful for Audrey to portray Anne in a film when she had the chance to. I loved Audrey before, but the more I learned about her the more I admired her. She was an amazing human being and I was truly honored to get to illustrate her biography. This was another one of those slide-like books.

It looks like you have been and are very busy this year. In August you have another four books coming out with the Green Gang Series by Laurie Friedman published by Crabtree Leaves. The Green Gang Cleans Up – Green Gang learns to lead – Green Gang Plants Trees – Green Gang Inspires Others. Is this publisher part of Crabtree Sunshine Publishing?

I believe Sunshine is a collection within Crabtree focused on picture books, and the Leaves series is aimed at an older audience that already reads chapter books. They are like different imprints within Crabtree.

I love the cover of La Musica Durmiente. The only thing I could find on the Internet was a YouTube video that was not in English, but I think this book is about famous female composers. Does it have a music CD that comes with it? Can you tell us a little more about this gorgeous book?

Kind of! The book included a QR link to a curated playlist intended to be listened to while reading.
“La Música Durmiente” (The Sleeping Music) was a self-publishing project by Patricia García Sánchez, a writer of children’s and young adult literature, musicologist, teacher, and storyteller. She contacted me to illustrate the cover, but I ended up designing the entire book, including the text layout. I also created a small portrait for each of the fifteen female composers featured in the book, which opened each chapter. The book was financed through a successful crowdfunding campaign and remains one of my favorite and most proud achievements to this day.

The Story of Taylor Swift: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers by Rachelle Burk, coming out from Callisto Kids on Sep 3, 2024, was it fun to illustrate?

Yes, it was cool. Although I wasn’t a big fan of Taylor (I’m more into rock music), I ended up feeling like we became very good friends (one-sided, of course, as she doesn’t know I exist).

Do you have any desire to write and illustrate your own book?

Oh yes, I do! It’s one of my greatest aspirations. I have already started submitting manuscripts, although I haven’t had success so far. I think the fact that English is not my first language makes the English-speaking market a bit challenging for me. After editing “La Música Durmiente,” I considered self-publishing a short story I wrote in Spanish, but client work hasn’t left me much time to focus on that project. I’ll keep trying, though, because it’s something I really want to do.

Do you do any research before starting a new project? 

I do a lot of research, as much as deadlines allow. I am quite meticulous, and it’s one of the things I enjoy most about this job—the vast amount you learn about diverse topics. You become an encyclopedia of random facts on random subjects.

 

What is your favorite tool or medium to use when creating your illustrations? 

Almost everything I do professionally is digital, and my favorite tools are my iPad and Apple Pencil. When I paint just for fun, I sometimes dabble in traditional media (even though it’s not my strong suit) and I think my favorite technique is gouache.
31. What do you think helped develop your style? I think I was greatly influenced by the books I loved as a kid (Beatrix Potter, Arnold Lobel, Rien Poortvliev, etc). Classical art has also played a big role. Growing up in a Catholic environment, I recently realized that classic depictions of the Virgin and saints (like Raphael’s famous portraits of the Virgin Mary) influenced me more than I thought, especially in my works aimed at adults or young adults. I think there’s a bit of that influence on the cover of “Sleeping Music.” I’m also inspired by my little obsessions over the years, the latest being Japanese Ukiyo-e. And of course, the art of my favorite illustrators—though I always try not to copy anyone, but rather take elements from here and there and make them my own.

Do you feel your style has changed since starting your career? 

Yes, I believe I’ve technically improved a lot, and I feel like I’m a more flexible illustrator now. But when it comes to style, I’m not sure it’s all good news, to be honest. With tight deadlines, it’s easy to just go along with what the market wants and not really focus on finding and developing my own voice, because that takes a lot of time. I try to work on that with personal projects, but I don’t have much time for them either. Hopefully, as my career goes on, I’ll figure out a better balance.

Do you use Photoshop or Procreate with any of your work? 

Procreate, I love being able to take my iPad anywhere. I confess that sometimes I even draw from my bed (but only occasionally; contrary to what it may seem, it is quite uncomfortable).

What do you think has been your biggest success, so far?  

Without a doubt, being able to make a living from illustration is a dream come true. When I left my last job, I didn’t have much external support; most people thought I was crazy. But I had a vision, and with my hard work and a good dose of luck, I made it come true! I love the freedom it gives me—I can work wherever and whenever I want. Every day, I learn and improve a little bit more at something I love. And the best part? I don’t think there’s a limit to how much I can learn. I believe I can keep growing for the rest of my life, and that’s something I’m really excited about. Of course, there are bad days, but then I remember the struggles of my previous life as an employee, and I can’t help but smile again, haha!

Any exciting projects on the horizon? 

I really like books as physical objects and I’m really into the idea of creating and printing another book with my illustrations. I haven’t figured out yet if I’ll write it solo or team up with someone, but I’m definitely keen on self-publishing.

What are you working on now? 

Right now I’m currently working on a new album for Beaming Books titled ‘If God Were A Great Big Bear’ that I’m absolutely in love with. The text by Paul Harbdridge is absolutely beautiful, but we’ll have to wait until spring 2025 to see it published! Additionally, I’m working on the second season of the Reeya Rai book series and another picture book for Crabtree Sunshine. I’m never bored!

Are there any painting tips (materials, paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

A handy trick that I use often, and many people may already know about, is that when I finish an illustration, I convert it to black and white to ensure the contrasts are correct. Very often, I notice mistakes or areas for improvement in black and white that I didn’t see in color.

Also, when I want to practice drawing the human figure and don’t have any humans around to pose for me, line-of-action.com is a fantastic alternative! Sometimes, the first thing I do in my work routine is to spend 10 minutes drawing quick poses, and I find that it greatly improves my agility with the pencil for the rest of the day.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Although it may seem obvious, I would suggest that if you don’t have a portfolio yet, set yourself a reasonable deadline to finish it (it could be three months, a year… Whatever works for you) and work on it a little every day, even if it’s only 20 minutes in the morning before getting ready for work (that’s what I used to do). Try to work on projects (two or three illustrations for each subject) and don’t get too caught up in making everything perfect from the start; you’ll improve with practice. And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!

Marta, thank you for taking the time to answer the interview questions and sharing your process with us. It was a wonderful way for everyone to get to know you. I’m sure your illustrations will make everyone smile. Please let me know when your next book comes out and I will share it with everyone. You can find more of Marta’s work at:

WEBSITE: https://www.martadorado.art/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/martadorado/
AGENCY: https://astound.us/marta-dorado

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy