1.Tell us a bit about yourself…

I graduated with a BA of Fine Arts in 1999. Since there, I have been working as freelance illustrator in Music, Publishing and Film industries as well as making some graphic design.

I live in Andorra, a small country in the Pyrenees, between Spain and France. Enjoying the mountains and nature and working in my studio at home.

2.Did you study art or are you self taught?

I went to Fine Arts University in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

3.What is the appeal of art?

For me is a passion, is a force that makes me show what I have inside, my speech and it is a way of living that I would not change for anything else.

4.You use both traditional and digital methods to produce art but which one do you prefer?

I don’t have a real preference since digital is more versatile and quick but also like the feeling of having a real pencil in my hands. I think I can get the best of both worlds when necessary. And now, when I have an idea in mind for an image, I know what technique will match best for what I like to get, so it is perfect that way.

5.What is the best and worst thing about being an artist?

The best is when you create something that you like and the feeling when you empty your mind in the creative process. The worst is that sometimes it can be a solitary career, we are lots of time at home creating and sometimes more social life is needed.

6.What are your thoughts on the current art scene?

It can be a really closed circle, difficult to get in. The market is full of competition but there are places to exhibit everywhere and Internet is a perfect place to spread the word about your art. I think is a matter of finding your place in the market and your niche of clients.

7.What music do you like and does it influence your art?

I like lots of different music from classical to metal, but I use to listen metal when I work. And metal definitely influenced my style together with horror in all kinds of forms like cinema, literature, comics, etc.

8.How do you come up with image concepts?

That really depends. Sometimes is a word, a phrase or an image that come to my mind and it is related to the theme I am developing since I like to work in series of work. So I first decide what I like to talk about and then start reading, making research, so the images and ideas arrive in different ways.

9.What messages, if any, do you try and portray through your art?

I like to talk about ourselves as humans, the environment where are living in, our fears, feelings, anxieties, and how we transformed the society in where we grow.

10.I find that the theme of dehumanization seems to run through your work.

Do you agree with this? If so, is this deliberate?
Yes, but not always. I think that can be a part of the whole picture as humans as we talked before.

11.Do you work from your own photographs, from stock images or from your imagination?

I use my own photographs, but sometimes I get some stock images but in something like 20% of all the images I use. If I can make a photo by myself, I prefer it.

12.On average, how long does it take to complete a digital piece of art and a traditional piece of art?

Hmmm, digital can be done in a week and traditional in a month, more or less.

13.What is your favorite image you have created and why?

One of my favorite images is “Modern scent of life”. I like the atmosphere of that image and how I get it with less things. I think what I like most about that work is that I got what I was looking for with a simple image.

http://www.martblanco.com/art/1.html

14.How do you market yourself and your art?

I try to have as much presence in social media as I can, with blog, website, Facebook, twitter, etc.

15.What percent of time do you spend creating images and what percent of time do you spend marketing your art?

When I am not working on commissions, 75% creating and 25% marketing. But that changes because I use to take time to create and when I have a number of work that I like, I start marketing harder.

16.Do you know any artists that you would recommend to be featured on this
blog?

http://nekro.es

17.How do you come up with titles for your work and do you think that effect the way the work is viewed?

I use titles as a very important part of the work itself. Because with a title, you can give the image a different concept, or at least, use it as a guide to people to realize what you are trying to say.
I don’t really know how they come up really. I think that is part of the inspiration process besides the image.

18.Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

Just be yourself. Don’t try to follow what is fashion in a time or try to make art like any artist. Of course, you can have your influences like everybody, but try to be natural when you make art and just create what you feel and think.

If you are good, things will come sooner or later. Sometimes is just to find the correct place in the market for your art instead of just try to make the art that sells.

And study A LOT. Don’t stop practicing, experimenting, trying different ways to do the things even when you have found your style.