A Dose of Colour with David De Las Heras
30 March 2023
Take a break from the digital age with David De Las Heras and see the world through the eyes of his canvas! After specialising in painting at the University of the Basque Country in Spain, he swiftly sought illustration to communicate. Unlike other illustrators, David has remained noble to his artistic origin as a master of paint, inaugurating each artwork with the tip of a brush. Illuminate your minds with his exquisite painterly creations most recently seen on the cover of Silhouette Magazine or Andy Davidson’s book ‘La Fille du Batelier’.
Your cover art for the Spring issue of Silhouette Magazine is truly beautiful! A hand-painted masterpiece - please can you tell us about your creative inspiration for this piece?
Thank you for your kind words! I enjoyed doing it, I love fashion so much and working with a magazine like Silhouette is an honour. They asked me to create a cover with three elements; the Armani suit worn by the model Nya; flowers and horses.
Creatively, I imagined a powerful Nya, surrounded by flowers and framed by a black horse. The colours I used were those that contrasted with each other to give each element prominence of its own. I painted the cover on a large canvas, which made me incredibly happy since I don't usually have time to approach work in this way.
You designed the cover art for La Fille Du Batelier. We are in love with the colour palette of sultry blues and blurred horizons. Tell us about this piece of art and what it means.
I love working for Gallmeister Publishing and especially with their designer Aurelie! They always have confidence in my work and allow me freedom in how I approach the covers. In this case, the story referred me to a moment of the day before dawn when everything is blurry but there is some light. When I remember moments lived in that time, I always remember them cold, so I used that chromatic range. I used the colour red in the boat because it contrasted with the rest of the blues and makes the eye focus on the woman.
In a world that is digital, you stick to your roots as a painter. Do you ever feel tempted to make the transition to digital?
Yes, it may seem strange to continue working in such a traditional way in an increasingly digital world. Especially now that AI is booming. But that's why I want to keep working the way I do. We are losing the magic that I think is most important in artistic creation: the process. During this process, you discover, fail and learn. You don't take risks when you know that the Ctrl-Z exists!
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