“I’ve Always Had the Avocation to Watch Nature”
An Interview with Roger Hoyos
Roger Hoyos is a young Peruvian graphic designer and illustrator who likes experimenting and believes in lifelong learning. Roger has talked about the conditions of graphic design and illustration in Peru as well as about his work, dreams and fondness for nature.
How did you get into illustration / animation?
I’ve been drawing since I could learn to use a pencil, and my father, who is an artist (a sculptor), has also influenced me to become an artist as well. After finishing high school I studied graphic design, and because of that I had the opportunity to learn to use some design programmes. But, honestly, I could never stop drawing, I was doing it all the time. Graphic design “tried” to put me apart from illustration, it was close to make me stop drawing but I didn’t want it because I love to draw. To express myself through my drawings is my greatest passion. Illustration (as a profession) is something I just discovered when I was close to graduation. Here, in Peru, there are some short classes to learn digital art but they don’t have either the style or the kind of instruction I wanted to learn. Therefore, I applied to some programmes in France and the USA, but for economic reasons I wasn’t able to attend any. So, with much, but much resignation (uff…) and work, I practiced by myself and investigated on the Internet. I looked into some tutorials, but what I mainly did was to explore techniques — that’s why you can see different styles in my portfolio. Each illustration was a real challenge for me.
I’d been always interested in animation so I decided to learn illustration first. Later I started to use it for animations, too. In my case, this is just the beginning: I have some projects in mind regarding animation, but beyond that, during the past years I’ve worked as concept artist for a local film studio making animations for commercials and training videos for enterprises.
Could you talk a bit about Peruvian illustration / animation and your relation to them?
Times are changing, and illustration is being more and more popular with regard to digital formats as we know, and animations for apps and videogames, too. Hence, the interest in graphic designers and artists in Peru who are specialized in illustration and animation is steeply increasing. Illustration for editorials and comics are something we learn by ourselves, there is no official training; the editorial business is in fact very small scale. In the case of animation there are some schools of traditional animation but the main market in Peru is not much interested in it. However, I must mention that Peru is the first South American country that has created a 3D-animated film. This is great, but here the production of this kind of films is very slow. There were some films that were delayed a lot for financial reasons. I don’t want to be negative about my country but I do think what Peru needs is proper motivation.
What do you prefer more: black-and-white or colours?
It depends on the feeling I want to show in my work but if I have to choose one, I’d say colours. That doesn’t mean I prefer to necessarily paint something colourful, I just always want to choose the right colour palettes to make the message / feeling that I want to show be more approachable, even if I need to use only two colours. Apart from my series of white animals, I’ve just begun to explore b&w; I’m really satisfied, for instance, with my latest illustration of Carlos Gardel, who is a Tango singer & compositor from Argentina.
What is your design process like?
I don’t follow any exact process. I did some illustrations for which there was no need to make any sketches; I painted them directly meanwhile I gave the form to them. Still, most of the times I do sketch in my blank notebook, which I carry everywhere in my bag, and later I scan the sketches into the computer in order to paint them. I think that’s better because I feel the lines of the pencil directly. Sketching on the computer often frustrates me when I don’t get the lines I want, but in some occasions I can do it.
It really depends on the techniques I decide to use. I draw the outlines over the sketch, fixing the lines if I have to or make the borders with the same colour I’ve chosen. I do my illustrations in Photoshop, which has the option to regulate the intensity of any colour or to change it if that’s the case. It’s really useful because it takes me a lot of time to choose the palette of colours. I’m still training on it.
I assume your imagination is limitless. You’ve created several figures, mainly animals, and it seems nature has a huge impact on you. Is this a correct observation? Why do you like drawing animals so much?
Yes, that is right. I’ve always had the avocation to watch nature and been interested in learning about animals since I was a kid. I spent hours reading those books on animals that my parents bought me and I watched a lot of documentaries on them on TV as well. Once I even thought to be a biologist. Actually, I can say that nature is limitless and I will never stop learning about it. So, coming from this background, I think it is a more private way to express myself. It’s nice to discover the feelings of animals that we usually ignore, for example, to see a cat and an owl playing around. We need our spirits to appreciate the pureness of nature. For this reason, my aim is to give the same kind of appreciation to my works, namely the way in which I interpret animals and nature. So I’m able to make people believe that my animal characters do really exist.
Your Retro Portraits are really impressive. Based on what you have chosen the subjects?
Thanks! As I’ve mentioned before, I like exploring styles and techniques. I love retro cartoons, I don’t know how to explain it actually: It gives me a warm feeling and its concept is amazing. The funny part of drawing mid-century retro cartoons is to make a synthesis of forms. For me, it’s a great challenge to capture the essence of any form (the face or the shape of a body) and resume all in one line. What inspired me to do this project was an animation by UPA studio (“The Invisible Moustache”). There is a part when it shows a crowd designed with black and white lines only. I loved it, and it was funny for me to define for what details I have to use black or white lines in the portrait. To create the frames and its trimmings was crazy too; it’s a good excuse to practice the synthesis of objects. What I’m doing is creating serials of known people such as writers, musicians, etc.
The music covers are also astonishing; they are funny and joyful. Some of them are black-and-white and some of them are colourful. Why?
In this case, I’ve only used the same colours of the original photo, videoclip or the album covers. For example, the Led Zeppelin photo is originally in black and white so I’ve respected it. Something I do when I paint music covers is to catch the main colour of the original photo and make a palette with it. For example, for the illustration on Simon & Garfunkel I’ve used colours based on green, and for the one on Talk Talk I’ve used red. But, in general, I just use the same array of colours of the original photos.
Have you ever sent them to or received feedbacks from the bands / musicians?
Ha-ha. Once I’ve tried to show my Red Hot Chili Peppers cover to Chad Smith, the band’s drummer. I’ve noticed that he is using his Facebook fanpage very much; he publishes his photos of his concerts and activities. But I don’t think he has ever read my message with my drawing attached… He probably has thousands of messages waiting for to be read (if he gets in the mood to do it, of course). Anyway, I hope someday some artists see my works.
Could you talk about the story behind the Photo Cartoon Project in Argentina? How did the public react when they saw the drawings in the street?
It was something very very nice! I don’t have much knowledge of photography (yet) but I’ve tried to do it. Travelling to other “worlds” is really inspiring to me. The concept of the project is to search for any landscape that could give me any idea to create a character and make the character part of it. Once I got an idea, I drew the character in that same moment and placed it in the landscape. Part of its grace was to keep the drawing in the sketchbook to show the circumstantial inspiration. The only problem was that even though my camera is professional, it’s not a digital one. I had some chance to get wrong, but I counted on having some luck.
About people’s reaction in Argentina: it was really surprising for me because they respected my space to make the photos without complaints. They were just walking around me, looking what I was doing and giving a smile a few times. That was amazing, I loved that. Once a woman came to me to offer her help to hold the sketchbook while I was taking the photo. After telling her that the idea was to leave it alone, she gave me a better idea to keep it stood up. And guess what! It was a very good idea.
Also, I had to lie down on the ground to take a photo, and later I realized a TV camera was watching me acting “ridiculous”. In some moments the black dollar exchangers (illegal exchangers) were little afraid of me because I was carrying a camera — it’s illegal to exchange black dollars, of course. Furthermore, some people were shy and not willing to appear on my photos, which was a little frustrating but well… at least they were not impolite.
Do you work specifically for clients or you make a living by doing your own projects only?
Actually both. I began making the drawings for myself, making experiments of techniques and styles. After getting an improved portfolio clients appeared to ask me for my drawings. I’d rather do projects for myself but, happily, most of the clients I’ve worked for let me propose graphic solutions. I understand there will be corrections to do but I dislike when the corrections come from a poor vision so little by little the drawing gets totally changed and results in something horrible. This mostly happen with regard to graphic design… Anyway, business is business, and I have to do it.
Do you have exhibitions too?
I hadn’t had many exhibitions in previous times. Quite some time ago I exhibited in an exposition of comics; my level was not the best that time so my works were placed in a cooooooorner… In 2011 I exhibited in a fine art gallery.
This year has been absolutely great so far. I’m being invited to some expositions, I’ve sent works for an illustration event in Buenos Aires, and very soon I’ll participate again (with my latest black-and-white works in 30’s retro style) in another exposition with the same curator. And what is more, I’ve been just invited to participate in the Young Illustrators Award 2014 in Berlin. Next I’m going to participate in an event called “Il posto delle favole” in Italy.
Your “dream is to go to North Hemisphere (Europe, North America) to learn animation, and carry your art and guitar to work there and make animated films and BD’s.” Are you close to make this dream happen?
This is only an expression; it means that I dream about sharing my works with people all over the world. I’ve written “North Hemisphere” because art is much more concentrated in North America and Europe. I don’t want to ignore the importance of South America but as many artists we look for better opportunities. I’ve mentioned my guitar because I like playing music very much. I also have projects in mind to do with my drawings and my songs. I can’t tell if I’m close or not, though. I only know that people from many countries are looking at my drawings, so my art is travelling for me. In this way, I hope to get any good opportunity.
Are there really no opportunities in Peru or in South America that you should move to another place to pursue your dreams?
Maybe this is a little difficult to answer and explain. I think one factor is that here (talking about Peru) much motivation exists to do art projects and innovate (like animation, for example) but there are not enough sponsors. There are a lot of art projects getting delayed its process for economic problems or, I have to say, there are not much people interested in investing in arts. Art is not well valuated; most people would rather pay less than to get a good product. Of course, not everybody does that, but, sadly, the majority does. Nonetheless, I have to admit that the situation is getting better, slowly though, but it’s getting better. The situation in other South American countries is similar I guess, however, as far as I know, it is better in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. That’s why I’m planning to go back to Argentina for some time to improve my skills and to get, little by little, opportunities in other countries. At least that is what I hope for.
You’ve also mentioned that you’ve just started writing and illustrating books, but you’d like to work on films as well. Which one gives you more challenge and more space to experiment?
Honestly, I’m very interested in all graphic applications: I love films, videogames and illustrated books, etc. Each one gives me inspiration to do something with my drawings. So I’ve begun to write books as part of the process. I like it so much. It’s also a good way to show my drawings and my creativity of making stories as well as to open doors little by little. The same applies to making films. So, I can’t answer you exactly because I’m just exploring animation.
What are you working on right now?
Besides working on my own projects, I’m working on a particular editorial that creates various kinds of merchandising with Christian messages. My work is to illustrate books, tales and comics. Right now I’m drawing comic strips. My boss writes the stories and I make the art.
Originally published at //hypeandhyper.com/en/mindig-is-szenvedellyel-szemleltem-a-termeszetet/.
