Meet María Luque | Illustrator and writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with María Luque and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi María, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Sometimes when I start a drawing or an illustration I can tell very quickly if it’s going to work. When it’s too difficult to move forward or I start to feel uncomfortable when drawing, I realize that something isn’t working and I prefer to discard it and start over. It usually happens to me at the beginning, fortunately. I think it’s mostly related to that discomfort, when I feel like I’m not enjoying it at all, it’s because there’s something that’s not working.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been drawing since I was a little girl. I loved drawing with my friends and cousins. For a while I stopped, I worked on other things and when I wanted to get back to it I discovered that this could become my job. Besides drawing, I started to get into fanzines and comics. For some years now I have been working as an editorial illustrator, mainly doing book covers and illustrations for magazines. I love this job, I can do it from home or from a cafe, or while traveling. I also love it because it leaves me free time for my own projects, which is what I enjoy doing most: my books and my paintings.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are going to visit two cities, Rosario, my hometown, and Buenos Aires, where I currently live. There are only 300 km between them, so it is a short trip. In Rosario we would go to eat fish by the Parana River. There are many fishing clubs that have tables where you can sit down to eat, drink beer and watch the boats go by. Afterwards we would go for an ice cream while we walk around the center looking at the domes of the buildings. We could visit Nimia, a store owned by some friends that has books, fanzines and beautiful things. A quick coffee at Vintu bar to have energy for the trip. In Buenos Aires we could eat a sandwich at Varela Varelita, my favorite place in the whole city. And then go listen to some tangos at El Boliche de Roberto, where different people sing every night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friends and colleagues, I learned a lot from them, and I continue to learn to this day.

Website: https://cargocollective.com/marialuque

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maria.j.luque/

Twitter: @maria_j_luque