My name is Raul Garcia Vega and I am an illustrator from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Since I was a child, I have been passionate about drawing, so when I had to choose my path, I decided to study Illustration at the Escuela Superior de Arte y Diseño, which is Gran Canaria’s Graduate School for Arts and Designing.
This was my first professional contact with drawing, and I enjoyed it. Once I had finished my initial studies, I felt the need to carry on learning, so I moved to Barcelona in order to continue my training at Escola Joso, where I studied the Art Grafic program (a degree in Graphic Arts). During my time there, I took my first steps as a professional, as I collaborated in the Guiness World Record for the longest comic strip in the world. I also participated in the animated feature “Memorias de un hombre en pijama” (“Memories of a man in pajamas”) by creating some of the movie’s backgrounds. This period of my life allowed me to grow and gave me a better understanding of my artistic skills, pursuing my own personal style.
At the same time, I have attended a specialized course on graphic narrative conducted by the Nacho Arranz Academy, where I improved my drawing techniques, which gave me the opportunity to participate in the graphic novel “El amanecer de las sombras” (“The shadows’ dawn”) as well as to design the covers for several novels, such as “Victorianos” (“Victorians”), “Enma y la isla de Nabu” (“Enma and Nabu’s island”) or “La chispa en el tintero” (“The inkwell’s spark”).
Currently, I am working as a freelance illustrator, performing projects for several companies and organizations, such as LPA Cultura, a public body under the authority of the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de G.C. (Las Palmas de GC City Hall), Destino Cafe, Nacho Arranz or Cafe Regina.
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to enjoy different aspects of illustration as I have upgraded my abilities. Recently, I have even had the chance to attend interviews with international publishing houses, such as IDW Publishing, Marvel or Top Cow, some of which I hope to join in the future so that I have the honor to continue drawing comic pages.
Professional illustration is not a speed contest: it’s rather a long-distance race, where preparation and training never stop. That’s why I’m still gaining knowledge, so that I can keep on making a living off my dream: drawing.
