Artospective: 15 Beautiful Birds Illustrations by Daniel Merac.

Great Egret

An Interview with Daniel Merac.

Who and where are you from?

My name is Daniel Merac, I’m a visual artist and an industrial designer from Colombia, who loves traditional illustration, nature, indie rock music, comics, guitars, daydreaming and birding.

How you got into this?

Back in 2015 while I was about to graduate as an Industrial designer, I decided to take a drawing challenge called Inktober, which is now very popular among the traditional art community and consists on making an ink drawing for every day of October. Little did I know that entering this challenge was the first step that would take me on the journey of finding this wonderful passion of creating art. The experience with Inktober awakened my desire of creating hand-drawn visual pieces, which had been hibernating for long. I think it was put to sleep during university, right after my days of school when I couldn’t help but draw on my notebooks during the uninteresting classes, which were actually quite a bunch, so I had plenty of time to practice my doodles back then.

This feeling for creating and drawing grew on me exponentially during that drawing challenge, so that when it was over I felt that I needed more of that, and through practice, I slowly found the determination to follow that unexpected artistic path. It shocks me to think that if I hadn't tried Inktober that year, who knows how many time would've passed before I figured out about this passion. That’s why I always recommend this challenge to every artist or an aspiring one, whether they’re willing to get into art or they’re already experienced creators, it teaches consistency, resolution, and it lets you focus on your own voice as an artist.

What is your driving force?

Rock music and nature are the elements that make my nest, meaning my home or as a friend would say, my bonfire, that thing that lights up your being and keeps you warm while you’re in the middle of the dark. They give me calm, shelter, inspiration, and along with art, they allow me to express in a much more comfortable and fluent way. My recent connection with nature is slowly transforming my vision of life and also my plans and dreams. One of those dreams that motivates me to create more, is to be able to give back to nature and help to restore and protect the environment and its wonderful but endangered fauna.

What kind of work you do and why?

My work revolves around the creatures that inhabit nature, they are often the leading characters in my illustrations. I draw them because the process is greatly enjoyable and also I do it to put them in the spotlight so people can have the chance to know these species exist, and later on develop more empathy towards them, possibly taking action when it comes to protecting them and their environment.

I work in traditional and digital mediums, but for my illustrations, I really prefer to work with my hands. A pencil and a fine liner are just enough. On the other hand, for making animations of my drawings I do have to rely on my computer. I also enjoy drawing stories, places, and people, although since I got into birding around June of this year, I haven’t stopped drawing birds. These winged creatures really captivated me, and therefore my recent work is full of them. I just can’t help it. Also, I happen to live in Cali, the city with the highest amount of bird species in Colombia. 561 in total. So I guess that explains a bit my love for birds.

Tell us more about your thought process.

The symbolism and meanings of species of fauna and flora across the different cultures captivate me just as the forms, textures, colors, and sounds of each creature. When I’m planning a new illustration or a series I like to look into those elements and combine them in a piece that may resonate with someone. Through this, I just aim to help a little bit to strengthen the link that people have with nature.

When it comes to my visual style, I think indie rock and post-rock have had a huge influence on it. The loudness and sounds of this music are present in the textures of my illustrations, the messy lines, the noise of the pointillism, and the high contrast. Just as these genres do, my artwork is in constant change, I try to keep in mind that there’re always new things to explore, learn and improve. This constant variation of style and subjects is key to me because it helps me to keep the process interesting and exciting.

Please share with us the one modern artist whose work you find Interesting and why?

I love the art of illustrator and concept artist J.A.W. Cooper, I admire the bond she has with nature and the way she translates it into her artwork is truly amazing. I definitely recommend checking out her illustrations.