Conrad Roset: The Muses

Conrad Roset, native to Terrassa, Barcelona, spent much of his life exploring the different mediums art has to offer. His early years of creativity were divided among acrylic paints, occasional sketches in moleskin notebooks, and vivid depictions of his surroundings through colored pencils. Now 29 he has devoted a majority of his time to a more personal collection, The Muses. Said collection depicts the different forms of the human body through a vast color pallet, smooth blending of shades, and subtle dimension. 

As a result of Roset's profound passion for drawing, he has gained the opportunity to share his work through many companies, such as Zara (his first client), Coca Cola, Adidas, and Nike. In fact, Roset attributes his unique talent for illustration to Zara, where he learnt about his trade and how to study the styles of other illustrators. A year later Roset launched himself as a freelance artist and has acquired more prestigious agencies and brands. At the same time, due to his expressive paintings, he has achieved recognition by exhibiting his work in galleries and museums: MOMA, Tipos Inframes (Madrid), and Spoke Art (San Francisco). If one were to search up Roset's work on the Internet, detailed and beautifully designed watercolor paintings would most likely appear. Along with freelance illustration, Roset is also a professor of illustration at the School of Design BAU.

Regarding Roset's more esteemed project The Muses, the artist explains "I search the beauty the body exudes, I like drawing the female figure." Said project is a four year culmination of work and relies on very little detail of the whole form. Instead it consists of thin, general contours and embedded vibrant hues. One might say that by varying the color scheme, pose, and overall composition of each piece Roset is stressing the unique shape everyone upholds. Essentially no two shapes (or "Muse") is exactly alike. Each piece possesses a different quality that another lacks. For example, in some paintings each brush stroke is placed at random, all to further emphasize the pops of color and accommodate the endless paths of melting lines. On the other hand, other strokes are more detailed and specifically painted to define shadows, highlights, and fine strands of hair. 

Furthermore, dull, muted colors are virtually nonexistent in Roset's illustrations. To include such a scheme would not only distract from the drawing itself, but hinder the expressive use of watercolor. In other words, watercolor includes saturated colors derived from the CMYK palette to allow better mixture and is tantamount to a visually appealing piece of work. Overall, Roset's style is more pedantic in terms of color use and the smooth transitions of one shade to another. In doing so, he is capable of achieving a more washed out and softer appearance versus the thick, harsh lines of acrylic or oil.

For any young artists seeking inspiration on the use of of color and subjects, Roset is by far one of the best contemporary examples. Not only does his work incorporate beautifully chosen pigments, but each shade is effortlessly blended. Additionally, because watercolor allows an artist to achieve a melted, dripping effect, some may find this aesthetically appealing, myself included. Although I have very limited experience with watercolor, I have been fortunate enough to accomplish such an advanced technique. Watercolor is more or less based upon trial and error and if one comes across a "mistake," covering it up is not as easy as acrylic. With watercolor, the paint flows at its own pace and has more independence.

 Regarding Roset, much of his work depicts this with washes drifting through the overall composition almost haphazardly. Furthermore, because his illustrations are reliant upon saturated pigments, black paint is used generously. Moreover, Roset's artistry reflects my specific style not only exclusive to watercolor but other mediums as well. A majority of my projects, whether it be personal or for a class, always include a grayscale color pallet with the occasional pops of color. I enjoy using black ink for general outlines then add however much color is needed to fully complete the piece. Likewise, just as Roset paints with a melted style, most of my paintings are watered down and have the dripping or splatter affect. Although some might believe otherwise, each illustration depicts the effort and time Roset invests. One might say color is just placed in a specific position because "it looks good." However, with his work, Roset colors an area to further dramaticize and highlight it. In comparison to a white background and black outline, the audience will more than likely notice that area first before appreciating the work as a whole. Additionally, Roset's paintings are not to be taken lightly. Each color is cleverly chosen and produces beautiful, mesmerizing works of art.