Born in Barcelona, but currently living in Madrid, Oscar Gimenez is an extremely talented illustrator who has worked for a broad range of clients including Adobe, Audi, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Schweppes, TGV France and Zara. Gimenez's works have been exhibited internationally and featured in several publications, such as Big Book of Fashion Illustration: A Sourcebook of Contemporary Illustration, Essential Fashion Illustration: Color and Medium, and What is Illustration?

With that said, it brings us immense pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with Oscar and provide a glimpse into his background, his inspirations, and just what makes him tick.

www.oscargimenez.com

Your father and uncle were both artists, but for years, you refused to follow in their footsteps and went on to study languages. At what point did you start to become interested in pursuing illustration for a living?

When I realized the job I was doing made me completely miserable. By then, and that'll be about 8 years ago, I was working as a language teacher, a job I thought would bring me stability and comfort. I was wrong. The work we do takes so much time and energy off of our lives that it's worth at least trying to do what makes us happy. So I decided to risk it and give it a go. It was hard at the beginning (and it still is sometimes) but I still believe it was worth it.

Did growing up in a creative family influence your art in any way?

It definitely has. In a way, and although being very young when I was exposed to that atmosphere, it taught me some valuable do's and don'ts. Be as professional as possible, even when you are starting. Avoid working nights whenever possible. Learn to say no. Save up (still pending). Be bold. Work to live.

Let's briefly talk about inspiration.

Inspiration comes with work. At least in my case. I love working on commission. I know others don't, but I like facing new challenges all the time, being put to the test. I find it very stimulating.

What music are you listening to these days?

Music is essential when I'm working. Lately I've been mostly listening to The Phenomenal Handclap band, The XX, Bill Withers, Crystal Castles, Koop, The Horrrors, M83, Team9 and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Your work spans so many industries, from music to fashion to film to corporate. Are there particular industries you like illustrating for most?

Right now I really like doing music illustration and want to do more. It's just so creative. Recently the Canadian band, Creature, asked me to do some t-shirt designs for them, and I'm loving it. Doing some more film stuff would be great as well. I used to be quite keen on fashion work but I got bored with it at the end.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

I don't... shame on me. Truth is I don't like drawing in my spare time. My regular work takes already enough of my time.

Do you feel the projects that give you the most creative freedom wind up being the most successful, or do you like having some guidelines in place?

As I mentioned before, I don't mind being directed at all. If a client gives you both guidelines and creative freedom, that can add up to resulting in a very successful project. They give you the exposure and you can show your best.

You were commissioned to illustrate scenes for an online animation about the Audi Q5. What was that like, creating all of these illustrated elements and then having them all come to life? Tell us about that process.

It was the first time my work was to be animated and I was thrilled. I worked closely with an animation studio. They would give me a detailed storyboard of all the scenarios, elements and moves and I would draw all of them separately. I had to be very careful with keeping everything coherent though. We would do one scene at a time and then move on to the next one. It was a tough, very intense process.

In your artistic career to date, what would you say has been the most challenging experience for you? And which has been the most rewarding?

Probably the animation job I just told you about. I ended up doing three different animations in three different styles all located in different cities of the world. It required a lot of documentation and a whole lot of dedication.
The most rewarding, I hope, will be one I'm doing now. I'm working on a series of music illustrations based on concerts I'm attending together with a journalist from a Spanish TV channel. He writes the reviews and I illustrate them. Thanks to them, I got a commission for Rolling Stone magazine and the Canadian band I told you about. 
I hope it will all bring a lot more of this type of work.

What's in store for you in 2010? Exciting projects? Travels? Anything?

Hopefully more and well-paid challenges! I recently moved from Barcelona to Madrid and that was enough excitement for a while. I do expect to travel to Argentina and NY within this year.

Illustration is a highly competitive industry. What words of advice would you give to anyone thinking about illustrating for a living?

To me, it's a combination of dedication and talent. If you're talented and are willing to work hard for it, you're half way there. Be persistent but also realistic. And don't be envious, it might just be you are not trying hard enough.

One final question... from The Proust Questionnaire: What is your favorite motto?

"When you think it's bad, it's probably already been worse."