We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Abós a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
It all started after an anxiety attack in 2018, as therapy and since I liked to draw and had worked in an architecture studio and then another design/animation studio that only composed the scenes, I enrolled in an art school and throughout over time and with patience, skills emerged that I did not know or that I did not yet have enough knowledge as I currently have.
The main thing is to learn perspective and anatomy. I already had enough knowledge of the first throughout my drafting studies at college. I studied Anatomy for 1 year, essential to know where the volumes go correctly, highlights, shadows. I first started with pencil only, then colored pencil and about 3 years ago I started with pastel painting.
Even today I continue to go to art school every Saturday for 6 years. You never stop learning
The main obstacles to learning more are time, it requires a lot of time and a lot of patience like any creative art or any craft.
David, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have been working since ’98 in an advertising agency that in turn produced 2D/3D animation ads. I joined as an apprentice and one of my first jobs was helping with the packaging of Star Wars PPE for a company, mainly cutting out photos, legal texts and composition, based everything on the style guide of the franchise. For years I also ended up being a video and film editor.
It is difficult to define what I do, that is why in the end I say that I am a visual artist since I have done many types of creative work over time, design, layout, 3D, video editing for film and TV, DVD, streaming .. And if I don’t know something, I search and learn about a specific program or a technique unknown to me.
In 2019, a company from L.A. contacted me to do the concept art for a pilot episode of a science fiction series and although they were happy and so was I because it was one of my dreams, the pandemic arrived and cut all plans short. I hope the project is resumed in the future.
I have been working for several film and TV production companies for years, also doing transcoding, subtitling of trailers, documentaries and also this year I have started to accept drawing/painting commissions, in graphite or chalk.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In 2018, due to personal and financial problems accumulated for a long time, I was on the verge of suicide after a very strong anxiety attack. Fortunately, in a moment of lucidity I asked my family and friends for help. I started therapy, and also drawing classes.
Change routines in my life that were destructive and never give up, although there are times of ups and downs, you have to rely on your family and friends.
Not everything is perfect and there are times when there are jobs that don’t come out or you are blocked. You have to take your time in this world where everything is from today to tomorrow, patience and believing in yourself. Never stop learning
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
It’s never too late to learn. I started studying anatomical drawing in 2018 when I was 44 years old and changed the direction of what I wanted to do. You have to be patient because you learn above all by practicing, practicing a lot.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidabos_art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.abos.7
- Linkedin: David Abós Mombiela
- Twitter: @davidabos_art
- Other: Cara: @davidabos
