Martin David — iconists
Martin is a German product & icon designer and partner at iconists, an icon design studio specialising in creating …
I’ve been drawing since I was little, ever since I can remember. I think I really never stopped doing it. Furthermore, I think there is a connection between how I used to draw when I was little and the way I do now, at least in the attitude.
I used to love drawing with my friends, and it’s something I still do nowadays. I like returning to the attitude of drawing without expecting anything, drawing whatever you come up with in that moment.
I don't have a studio. During the morning I stay home, but then I love going to coffee shops, I have my favourite in every city. I like listening to other people’s conversations, and watching people on the street through the window. I also love public library reading rooms, they are usually empty and quiet places with fantastic tables. Sometimes I go to museums to make little sketches. So every day I work on a different place, most of the time by my own, but sometimes with friends. I drink tons of coffee and I eat a lot of medialunas.
The things that inspire me the most are the ones that happened to me on a daily basis. I’m also on the lookout for whatever happens to my friends or situations I spot on the street. When I feel like I don't have any ideas, I go for a long walk. Walking always helps me a lot.
I recently saw a risograph book by Adriana Lozano, and I was fascinated. I love her drawings.
I really like the way my last book, "Noticias de pintores", turned out. I've been always curious about the private lives of artists, and it was some kind of dream to spend two years researching and drawing about that.
Also, I'm used to working using several colours, and it was such a challenge to draw an entire book with just red and blue.
As soon as I start, I know whether the drawing will work out. I usually draw pretty quickly, I never prepare sketches, I go straight to the paper. I like it to be intuitive, to feel that the hand is almost possessed and drawing by itself, not letting the head think about every movement. So when I'm working on a commission and the client ask me for sketches, it's difficult for me. Nowadays, I'm used to it, but when I started working as an illustrator it was hard. I remember suffering while doing sketches. I'm glad it's not like that any more!
Probably the best tip is to keep working, and not expect everything to be perfect. We are talking about drawings; nobody is going to die if the face you're drawing is horrible or out of proportion. I'm so glad I'm not a doctor or an architect: I love making mistakes, I think they are the best way to find new things.
You can have a look at Galería Mar dulce and Feria Nimia profiles, there you can find a lot of amazing argentinian artists.