@pablo_lozano_

Instagram: @pablo_lozano_ Website: www.plozano.com  

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

I’m an animator/designer from Madrid, Spain. I started my career working for several national tv channels, before realizing the cool stuff was done by studios, so I decided to up my game and moved to Sweden to study at Hyper Island. After that, I moved to London to work with the amazing people at Golden Wolf, where I ended up staying for 3 years before jumping into the freelance world in 2017. Recently I relocated to Toronto, and I’m happily exploring this new city and the animation/motion industry here.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

To be honest, I’m not sure I have a specific aesthetic… I want to believe I’m slowly finding my voice and introducing some recognizable elements in my work, but also believe that each project is different, and needs a different approach. That should be what drives the aesthetic and style of each one. Also, I normally get bored if I do the same thing over and over again, so I like learning and trying new styles and techniques.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

I feel most comfortable working in a mix of Photoshop, After Effects and Flash/TV Paint. I like the illustration possibilities that Photoshop offers, all the brushes, the textures…then Flash or TV Paint allows you to create anything that you can think of, as long as you can draw it. And finally, everything comes together in After Effects, where I love putting keyframes and play with rhythm and timing. But all that can change, be reversed, sometimes I start straight in AE, then move to Flash and finish texturing in Photoshop… I’m never locked in one medium or process.

4. What is your artistic process like?

I’m a structured person in most aspects of my life, so I like to have a clear idea of what I’m looking to accomplish, a goal. That’s why in general, once an idea is fleshed out, I need styleframes that show how the end picture will look like. Then I get really excited thinking about how it will move, transition, flow. A rough animatic always helps at that point for basic timing and rhythm. From there things tend to get messier, and can be a back and forth between software, trying things, running into dead ends, redoing stuff…and many many hours after, the project is done!

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

So many people and things. There is so much talent in this world, and nowadays with Instagram, Pinterest…its a constant stream of inspiration. If I had to name a person from the animation/motion industry, it would be Joshua Harvey (@joshuajamesharvey). No matter what style or medium, his work and direction is always spotless. Just blows my mind each time and is crazy inspiring.

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

Art is been always present in my life in one form or another. From when I was a kid, drawing Dragon Ball characters over and over again, to growing up surrounded with comics, anime, cinema, music videos, album covers, to architecture, museums and art galleries… art (and design, but that’s a whole other conversation about the line between the two if there is any) is ever present, shapes the world we live in. It inspires me and makes me want to do great work, but can be overwhelming at times the amount of incredible work and talent out there.

7. Where did you study?

So I studied a Visual Communication degree (really focused on Cinema and TV) at Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, then did an exchange program “Creating Communication Campaigns" at Hanzehogeschool Groningen in the Netherlands, and finally I went to Hyper Island in Stockholm, Sweden, where I studied motion graphics.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully, I’ve found more of my voice by then, and I’m creating great, killer work, both personal and commercial, surrounded by really talented people. Develop, grow, learn… anything but standing still.

9. What about in ten?

That's too far ahead! Last four years have been incredible, so much has been packed in them and I’ve grown and changed at a pace that I thought impossible, so who knows what can happen in the next five, ten years.

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

I do this because I enjoy it, there is not really a higher purpose to it. I like to improve, top myself and feel proud of my work. That said, once bills are covered, I would like to do more projects for good causes, tell meaningful stories and bring hard topics or realities to the forefront. Hopefully, I can do more of that in the future.

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

PIZZA. PIZZA and wait… pizza.

12. Favourite book?

That’s a difficult one. Can’t choose one, same as I can’t choose a favorite film or song. Each book is tied to a part of my life, lessons I learned at that point and memories of when and where I read it.

13. Favourite genre of music?

Hard Rock and Metal, but I have to be honest that as I get older, I can’t stand it for long periods of time! I find myself listening more to folk, jazz or blues these days, but a good guitar riff always pushes you through those night grinding work hours ;)

14. What are your hobbies?

I love reading (books, comics, magazines…anything) and playing video games, and in a more healthy note, I really enjoy swimming. I can also walk for hours and hours around a city, exploring its streets, shops, cafes, neighborhoods...

15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

I always wanted to be a veterinary, but I’m sure I could not stand the blood haha. So nature photographer, or just work on a ranch somewhere quiet, that’d be great.