{"id":10223,"date":"2019-03-12T12:19:24","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T11:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uchceu.es\/diseno\/?p=10223"},"modified":"2021-04-29T08:53:27","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T06:53:27","slug":"cridecoses-the-illustrator-that-can-do-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uchceu.es\/diseno\/en\/cridecoses-the-illustrator-that-can-do-everything\/","title":{"rendered":"Cridecoses: The illustrator that can do everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

The illustrator that can do everything. She has worked for the great, but she also likes the small. She was headhunted by big names like Anaya. Edelvives or Susaeta have front covers and inside pages illustrated by her; but the more select publishing houses such as Nocturna or Amargord also use her signed drawings to accompany their texts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From her initial studies of Fine Art and Set Design at the Institut del Teatre<\/em>, her journey towards professional illustration which, was full of impossible twists and turns, has led her to CEU Valencia. We were looking for a student for the Design and Graphic Communication Masters<\/strong><\/a>, but what we actually found was an artist.<\/p>\n

Her name is Cristina de Cos-Estrada. With a C for creativity<\/strong> and a C for creator<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Cristina
Cristina de Cos-Estrada, a graphic designer made in CEU Valencia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How does Cristina de Cos define the style<\/em> of Cristina de Cos?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I really like a phrase from one of Silvio Rodr\u00edguez songs it translates to: \u201cI am so many things; people can only attempt to classify me<\/em>\u201d. That\u2019s not a way of getting around the question, but a way of saying that I consider myself to be versatile.<\/p>\n

I like trying new techniques and although not all of them turn out to be amazing, I certainly learn something in the process that I can reuse at another time on another project. I know that I will not be good at everything but at least I can try. Experimenting is a way of seeing what you\u2019re capable of, to be constantly moving, observing, retaining, transforming\u2026 these are all fundamental elements of growing and evolving. Over time, you will accept that you have natural inclination and learn how to get the most out of it. I for example am very comfortable with the use of the metaphor<\/strong>, surrealism<\/strong> and symbolism<\/strong>\u2026 Avoid obviousness, send out less clear or obvious messages that everyone can interpret differently depending on their life experience and history.<\/p>\n

“Ana Juan is a heavyweight in the world of illustration. She is also a woman, Valencian and international at that. I don\u2019t know what more you can ask for.”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What is my style? You could say Figurativism, but that holds very little meaning. Everything is \u201crelative\u201d, what could seem horrifying to one person, another could interpret as beauty. It all depends on the meaning that everyone wants to portray.<\/p>\n

Thinking about technique, colour and composition: what are the areas in which you feel most comfortable working in?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I feel very comfortable when working with watercolour; I have used them for a long time, they are my comfort zone. I also find the abstract world very attractive. And, of course, I am a complete fanatic when it comes to composition. \u201cArt and Visual Perception\u201d by Rudolph Arnheim<\/strong><\/a> is a book that I have read so many times and I always try to have it near me.<\/p>\n

With watercolour, I have to say that I have a before and after Photoshop picture. All these digital tools have allowed me to work at a much faster pace, they have also allowed me to experiment more with technique, mostly with trial and error and the essential cmd+Z. I usually use Photoshop to make things more vivid<\/strong> and there are people who have noted the difference between painted and digital work.<\/p>\n

In any case, the technique also varies depending on the job: I could be doing a pencil drawing and then colour it in using Photoshop, something with only watercolours, something that is digital\u2026 Everything depends on the piece and what I want to express as well as who is supervising me.<\/p>\n

\"An
An illustration signed by our alumni Cristina de Cos-Estrada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do you have an idol in the world of illustration? Who and why?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I love and am inspired by Ana Juan<\/strong>, a Valencian illustrator. What drives me crazy is her sensitivity, she tells a brutal story in a very beautiful and tender way. Her drawings are pure beauty despite the fact that many tell stories or revenge, death, hatred, unrequited love\u2026 Her universe is violent yet delicate at the same time. She uses pencil a lot, she plays with Tenebrism, achieves what she wants to with shading, with the character, in the scene and pulling it all together to get the result. I would recommend her version of Snow White.<\/p>\n

Without a doubt, Ana Juan is my idol and a heavyweight in the world of illustration. She is also a woman, Valencian and international at that. I don\u2019t know what more you can ask for.<\/p>\n

Has illustration always been your thing, or do you have another creative impulse?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I like all the visual arts. When I studied Fine Art, illustration wasn\u2019t as fashionable as it is now, there wasn\u2019t a Masters or specific materials for it. Illustration has therefore been a product of my evolution and my circumstances; before coming here, I studied sculpting, drawing, painting, set design\u2026including painting walls and ceilings with a broad brush, which I love!<\/p>\n

I have also exhibited my work in galleries; I am part of a group called Art3 along with two colleagues; Lucrecia Moreno<\/strong>, who is also a professor at CEU Valencia, and Pilar d\u2019Oc\u00f3n<\/strong>. The three of us come together in Art3<\/strong><\/a> and organise one off expositions, which are always dedicated to a cause or an NGO.<\/p>\n

However, there was a time when I could not fill the space or the expense that painting required and because of that, I left the large-scale jobs and started to focus on the small. That is why I started to illustrate.<\/p>\n

Illustration will be where I can express myself and create. My latest creative impulse has been to study the Master of Design and Graphic Communication at CEU UCH, where I have been able to broaden my horizons in the world of design.<\/p>\n

About your creative processes, how do you tackle a blank piece of paper? Where do you turn to for inspiration?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If I told you that, I do not look on Google or Pinterest I would be lying. New technology has created a new space, but there are still resources from all aspects of life: focus on the tiny details; scenes of films; phrases of books\u2026 or sometimes when someone tells you something, one word stands out and, that is all you need!<\/p>\n

Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time, clearly, it is important to have an open and alert mind-set; visit exhibitions; read; travel\u2026 Nourishment is essential: you have to feed your imagination so that it does not dry up.<\/p>\n

Tell us about your portfolio: Is there an illustration or work that you are particularly satisfied with or that has a special place in your heart?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I think one in particular called El H\u00e1lito<\/em>, which is about personal growth. It\u2019s about a part of my life when, for personal reasons, I was looking after an elderly woman for a period of time and it reflects on what both she and I learned.<\/p>\n

I have worked in a multitude of environments and different places: in caf\u00e9s, hotels looking after old people\u2026 and I now realise that all of this nurtures you. Getting to know people in different environments makes you a lot more conscious of how lucky you are and how lucky others are, it also helps you to empathise with different types of people.<\/p>\n

With my art, I want to express what all these experiences have brought me, what I have learned about myself: about my likes, my reactions, my sorrows, my frustrations, my values\u2026<\/p>\n\r\n