Sara Maese, a talented young illustrator from southern Spain, is captivating audiences worldwide with her distinctive artistic approach that transforms simple shapes and warm pastel colors into an entire imaginative universe. Her light-hearted illustrations transport viewers to a simpler, more whimsical world where basic forms come alive through her masterful use of color and animation skills.
"I have a good eye for color and usually go with my gut," Maese explains about her creative process. Her artistic journey began with a focus on self-expression through small characters rather than the simplified style she's known for today. "At first, my work wasn't focused on simplicity or color, it was about expressing myself through small characters," she says. "I've always been drawn to illustrations full of details and figures, which inspired me to start building my own internal universe."
Maese's unique artistic style has found success across diverse industries, with clients spanning fashion and beauty, food and drink, lifestyle, homeware, events, and editorial sectors. Her work includes everything from packaging and cards created for Paperboy London to cover art for The Malagueñer. In her illustrations, seemingly naive blobs of color suddenly transform into recognizable people, while one or two bold lines expertly define light and shadow, bringing whimsical scenes to life through her animation expertise.
One of her most celebrated recent projects was "Coneheads" for Glug, the wine magazine. The main artwork features dozens of characters playfully cavorting among enormous wine glasses, surrounded by giant portions of food. The project also included four spot illustrations that zoom in on massive desserts accompanied by additional wine options. "It was a lot of fun, and I loved the color palette. Sometimes, when the colors work well, the whole piece just comes together," Maese reflects. "The project itself wasn't too difficult, and working with the art director, Ashley Johnson, was really easy. The only challenge was the tight schedule, but I'm used to working around that."
The gentle, warm color palettes that characterize Maese's work are what truly set her illustrations apart from others in the field. These comforting hues bring just the right amount of energy to each piece, creating a consistent visual language across her entire portfolio. With each new project, Maese continues to follow her instincts when it comes to color selection, a approach that consistently delivers successful results. This consistency gives the impression of an artist who is completely comfortable with her established style, which in turn instills confidence in her clients.
Among Maese's most interesting and humorous artworks is a personal piece called "De Tuin Der Lusten," inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's masterpiece "The Garden of Earthly Delights." This work perfectly demonstrates her love for creating complex scenes filled with activity while using only the most basic forms and line work. When juxtaposed with Bosch's intricate Gothic painting style, the results are both fascinating and clearly faithful to the original, albeit with an amusing modern twist.
"I'm very drawn to works full of characters and objects, which is why The Garden of Earthly Delights is one of my favorite pieces of art," Maese explains. "Since I started illustrating, I've wanted to recreate it in my own style – I just needed the time and courage to go for it," she laughs. The piece showcases her ability to distill complex classical artwork into her signature simplified aesthetic while maintaining the essence and energy of the original composition.
Currently, Maese works primarily in Adobe Illustrator for her main illustrations and uses Procreate to generate animated GIFs. Her ideal next project would involve makeup packaging design, though she expresses enthusiasm for any form of packaging work. Beyond illustration, she also works as a surface pattern designer and holds qualifications in Fine Art as well as graphic and web design, demonstrating the breadth of her creative expertise and technical skills.
Maese's portfolio also includes work for the High Five ski festival merchandise and various other commercial projects that showcase her versatility as an artist. Her ability to maintain her distinctive visual voice while adapting to different client needs and industry requirements has established her as a sought-after creative professional in the illustration world.
