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In Expo Comic en Madrid
we had the pleasure to be in the presence of Luis Royo
one of the most important figures
in the gamut of the comic and illustrations at an international level
today Luis Royo is a massive worldwide figure
His illustration books are some of the most sold
and we can find his work in publications across the whole planet
His latest works, such as Dead Moon,
are increasing further his success
At present he is working with his regular collaborator, Romulo Royo
and the new importance figure of fantasy literature, Jesus Vilches
in his latest project, Malefic Time
Art Password has had the privilege
to put several questions to this grand maestro
of drawing and illustration
How do you remain creative? Where do you get your inspiration?
How do you come-up with the magic?
It's a complicated subject matter, but here goes
its best if I tell you my gut feeling
I would say to you that sometimes, this may sound corny
but it is a need
it is not an approach
it is not something that you come up with intellectually
nor rationally, it is a need
If I am not in front of a blank piece of paper
to think, to imagine of a world for whatever, I would die
right away, I would die
I'd feel dead
I cannot describe this more graphically to you than these words
What happens in the mind of Luis Royo when he draws or paints?
Does you enter into another state of awareness?
Do you use perhaps a hemisphere of the brain more than the other?
Such as the right-side for example?
The truth is that I have not studied all of the workings of the brain
what happens, or at least what happens with me
and what I am doing now is what happens
is that you enter into another world
and, well, it is a world that can be in two dimentions
it can be an imaginary world, it could be thousands of things
but if you live it, it is equally important as the real world
which when later you take the bus, or when you take a holiday
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it is a world which you chose
and this errr, it is grandiose
it is a world where you choose for part of the day
and part of the following day
and if the project is long, years, no?
you base your choice on the world where you want to be over years, no?
it is so beautiful and so simple, like everything I do
it is no use living in a world that I do not want to be in
Can you visualise an image precisely before starting a drawing?
Or does the image come to you while you are working on it?
This for example is more rational
I plan my work
right now the work is shared, we plan it together
we study it meticulously to avoid any errors
it is all agreed, all thought through
we return to it a thousand times
in this I am not so intuitive
what is certain is that after this
when the time comes to capture it
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when the moment comes to start on the blank page, or the blank canvas
or including painting with RĂ³mulo half and half
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the same painting or the same canvas
you have to be clear what you want to reflect
but you do not know what is going to emerge
you do not know, what I would I say to you,
you know it is going to be a girl
but you do not know if she is going to be Chinese, oriental, black
you only know the general inclination
and from then on, the same painting requires that you
and it asks you to make it darker, make it lighter
to focus on it another way
to repeat it, if it is necessary
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there is an intuitive dialogue
and everything that was planned earlier is rational
We all know that Luis Royo is a great illustrator
But do you draw easily, or do you have to make a major effort?
I suffer, I suffer with this
equally it is necessary as I am getting older
I have graphic resources that enable me to draw easily
in some ways I enjoy this
but I would die if little by little I loose interest
each work is a new journey, it is like starting at zero
at times when we are working, we do not know
because we do not know another way
or because do not know if we are right
without this I think if is from outside it appears
I am convinced it looses its soul
and clearly when you play in each work in a certain way
or resources that you know ???????????????????
for example I used to use the computer a lot years ago
and now I use it as it is a good tool
but other occasions no
or I look for the way forward
and for this, I suffer
when you do not have the security
or the work isn't completely everything, I suffer
but at the same time it is good
if I did not suffer, I would miss out on a lot
I would loose a lot of adventure in the work
What ideals do you need when you start to learn to draw?
Do you think it is essential to draw the human body from memory
with all of the bones and muscles to be a good graphic artist?
It it necessary to have a profound knowledge of anatomy?
it is very difficult to advise people who are starting out
for me I dread it
this has arisen once, and it gave me a lot of trepidation
because I am convinced people have energy
but are not going to be good artists of anatomy
but they have an expressive force
that they can convey much better than others
err, and there are others who...
let's say, for example, it is not necessary to know anatomy, I say
I think it is good to have additional knowledge, all that you can
err..of technique, of materials, of anatomy
of all of these approaches
to see other art, go to galleries, to museums, the cinema, literature,
all that you take in, you can later launch your ideas
but if you convert this into something you do not know
you will not be as creative
because I know creative people
including those in the world of art, and there are many
where they return to the concept of art
without being good artists
so what is being put out is a different story
if I have knowledge, then the more knowledge I impart
then I can relay this more easily to the rest
but it is better I can relay it
or another person knows how to relay it
then to deny him or to condition him
then knowledge is essential
at best he knows how to relay it without this
I have seen the training of people in some way
that gives an expressive force
and other times these are not very academic
or properly drawn
it is no good drawing something properly if it does not convey well
I want to say there is a lot of panic to be able to convey
and all of the resources are good for this
to be able to convey
but I do not want to say that the resources are they key
to convey well
How does Luis Royo draw women so exuberant?
So sensual, so beautiful?
Do you have real models in your studio?
Or do they come straight from your imagination?
There are always so many in the studio
as I said earlier, if I live in these worlds
at times ?????????????????????????????