¡Hola! I’m José, a Spanish illustrator from Granada, currently living in Cambridge (UK), where I just finished my MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art (2023).
My belief is that illustration serves society as a form of pictorial expression with infinite possibilities.
I enjoy teamwork, with a focus on listening to input from others, and adapting myself to a project’s needs. I embrace fresh challenges, along with any opportunity to create personal projects.
My work is predominantly illustrated using watercolour, with further experimentation using mixed media. Introducing nature themes and a sense of place to my stories helps evoke a range of emotions in the reader, such as joy. I use illustrative devices such as body language and composition to create characters that are energetic and emotional.
I am primarily interested in working on fiction picturebook projects, with a focus on crossover picturebooks appealing to both children and adults. I am also keen to explore comics and chapter books through illustrating action adventures, and adapting my work to non-fiction too, such as books about music, history, nature or dinosaurs!
If you want, you can contact me by email: joseluis@tejerostudio.com or follow me on Instagram
–Clients: Tarma Estudio Gráfico, Editorial Avicam, Greyman Studios, Universidad de Granada, Ambitious Creative Co, Avant Editorial, Principia Magazine, Terceto Comunicación, Ayuntamiento de íllora, Junior.it
–Publishings: ‘El cómic como nueva estrategia de comunicación de la Arqueología’ XVIII CIAC Mérida. ‘Recuerdos de Alomartes’, Avicam. ‘La imaginación de Ana’, Avant. ‘Guías para la integración metropolitana sostenible de los sistemas de metro ligero’, UGR
–Exhibitions: ‘Wild and civilised’ CassArt, London. ‘Premios Alonso Cano a la Creación Artística’, UGR, Granada. ‘Commemoración aviación española’, Fundación Rodriguez Acosta, Granada. ‘Nápoles’, Ayuntamiento de Íllora.
-Awards: Highly commended ‘Premios Alonso Cano’ UGR Granada 2016. Highly commended ‘Creative Conscience Awards 2022’. The project ‘I don’t want to be a carpenter’ selected for the ‘DPICTUS Unpublished Picturebook Showcase 2023’, jury’s favourites, 9 publishers votes.
–Languages: Spanish, English, Italian
