Interview with Barcelona-based artist Conrad Roset and his remarkable ink and watercolour illustrations. Conrad’s clients include brands such as Coca-Cola, Nike, Adidas, Zara, Oysho and Custo. Published in Neo2 Magazine. NYC, March 13th 2015
BRC: What could you tell us about your background and how it lead to the work you do today? CR: Drawing has always been my passion, since I was a child and I have always fought to get to live of art and illustration. I think that an artist is defined a lot by his referents, especially during his formation. Also I think that experience is very important and has a strong influence on what we do in the future and how we resolve the different projects.
BRC: How would you describe your work to someone who hasn’t seen it before CR: I think that concepts like sensuality, related to the female body define my work. And there is always a will to experiment with different mediums and bases, although it is true that I usually work with watercolours and Indian ink, because I like the irregularities of the line that provides the Indian ink and also the colour effects that watercolours causes are very beautiful.
BRC: What has been the biggest singular influence on your work? CR: I think that the works of Egon Schiele have been one of the biggest influences on my work, since I was young, I have always admired his work.
BRC: Which project have you enjoyed working on the most so far? CR: The personal projects are the ones that I enjoy the most, because I have absolute freedom to do what I want and to express what I feel.
BRC: Commercial vs Personal work? CR: Yes, I think that as an illustrator and artist, you can do both kinds of works. I love to do personal projects, but I enjoy a lot also doing commissioned projects as an illustrator, and that’s why I try to combine these two ways in my professional career.
BRC: What areas of your work or personal development are you hoping to explore further? CR: I think that is very important to be always exploring, experimenting and evolving, and putting yourself some challenges to achieve. Related with my work, I would like to explore the audio-visual area, for example video, animation or videogames.
BRC: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career? CR: A lot of things, because experience is what teaches you the most. But, for example, how to treat a client, how to organize timings, how to choose the projects that are really good for your career, etc.
BRC: What compels you to design and what other compulsions do you have? CR: Drawing has been always my hobby, for me drawing is my natural language, is my way of capturing the world and express myself. Obviously I have other interests, like music or cinema.
BRC: Do you draw often and do you think it’s important to be able to draw as a designer? CR: I think that is very important to be able to draw for a lot of different projects, clients and sectors. For me, versatility is a great quality for an illustrator.
BRC: Whats next? CR: A lot of work and new personal projects!
BRC: A little unknown secret you may want to share? CR: There are some that I can’t tell you now. 🙂
