Today we’d like to introduce you to Carles Marsal
Hi Carles, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m Carles Marsal, a Visual Artist, Art Director and Instructor living and working in Barcelona, Spain. I studied Audiovisual Arts and specialized in Graphic Design & Visual Communication. In 2004, right after graduating, I started working as a freelancer at the same time as teaching, specially in Concept Art and Matte Painting.
Currently I work for a wide variety of clients all over the world just like National Geographic, Netflix, Neom, The Dubai Expo 2020, Mercedes-Benz among others, doing all kind of creative projects, visual development and art direction. I also share my techniques in online courses, alongside some resources just like brushes, textures, and more to help people start in this amazing industry.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It wasn’t, there has been a lot of effort to get where I’m today. As an artist, you always evolve, there’s no way an artist stops learning, so combining my job at the studio with my personal projects and studies to get better meant a lot of time and dedication. In this industry, you won’t get far if you don’t keep on working and exploring how to get better.
As you improve, your portfolio gets more and more professional, it has a better storytelling, everything ins more coherent and it attracts better clients. Is just a question of time and being self-demanding. I know a lot of young artists find it difficult, even more with the AI conflict, but let me tell you that AI is not going to replace an experienced artist. The level of perfection and specificity a professional project needs can’t be solved by an AI that does not understand the image itself. Not to talk about style or postproduction needs. Keep on working, focus on getting better and having your own way of bringing ideas to life, work will come in time.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m specialized in Matte Painting and Concept Art, I also work as an Art Director. I also have different online courses, probably I’m known for having one of the best selling Photoshop online courses in spanish language, and my collabs with Adobe.
My career has evolved to creating immersive spaces for big museums and experiences just like the Dubai Expo, and other projects such as Sci-Fi documentals, films, games and other entertainment productions.
I think that being a Matte Painter and Concept Artist gives you a lot of tools to express what you really want as an Art Director. My style combines the most illustrative and simple way to show ideas with the most complex and detailed content, always with an artistic look to make it personal.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success depends on your needs and desires, having none of them is the best way to achieve it. For me, success is being able to do what you love, letting it grow with no pressure, day by day, expressing yourself focusing on the process and enjoying all the way to the next project. Doing it for the money or expectations in the future will block your creativity and make you a mediocre artist, the same happens if you keep comparing yourself. Don’t do it, and keep on working.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carlesmarsal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlesmarsal/
- Twitter: https://x.com/carlesmarsal
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarlesMarsal
- Other: https://cursos.carlesmarsal.com
