Visual Artist Nathan Lorenzana

I remember seeing Nathans pen art online years ago and being blown away. How you could do so much detail work with just pen? So when he agreed to do artwork for various Drunk pedestrians projects I was thrilled. I had been curious about his creative process and his approach to art for a while, so without further ado here is my interview with Nathan Lorenzana.

What is your first time visual art struck you? Do you have an initial memory?
The first time visual art struck me, would be comics from newspapers when I was 18 months old or so. I loved looking at the drawings, so much that I used to stare at them and I even remember drooling over them... literally drool, because I was a toddler teething, haha. That's as far as my memory goes. 

How did you learn you wanted to create visual art?
When I was able to grab a pencil or pen, I noticed since I was 5 years old about light and shadow. I distinctly remember how kids my age drew and painted things flat, but I noticed that's not how things in real life look like. So, I always made an effort to shade things, even cartoon drawings, since I was very young.

Did you consciously decide to do it for a living or did making stuff happen first?
When I was a kid I thought I was going to become an inventor, but that's because I always liked coming up with new ideas. For instance, how to make house appliances more efficient and enjoyable. But then I noticed I sucked at math, so I was left with creativity and art. Since then, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to creating visual and musical pieces. That's what I have been doing since then, looking for a way to make those ideas come to life, especially with visual arts today.

Tell me more about you wanting to be an inventor.
It interested me since I was about 6 or 7. I just figured there were things that could be more efficient if they could be changed. I had all these ideas for things that came to be eventually, like remote controls for sound equipments, the concept of what now is BlueTooth, medical equipment to prevent pneumonia, etc. Or would like to understand how things worked, and tried replicating certain things, for instance how a vinyl record player worked. I tried making one using a needle and a cornucopia shape for the amplifier. Or when I saw the original line up of animatronics for what used to be Showbiz Pizza (then Chuck E. Cheese's), I tried to replicate all of them with paper, all with moving parts. I never got into engineering and was quite bad at math, but I always had a drive for innovation and think of a different way to do things. So graphic design, art, and entrepreneurship was a logical choice for me in the end.

How did you get your start?
Making portraits for my family, their friends and acquaintances, after having a good grasp of painting with pastels and oils when I was 15. I achieved a level that I was happy with, and my parents talked to their friends and bosses about my skill with drawing and painting. Then came my first commissions for portraits and paintings. 

How does your creative routine look? How do you keep momentum going?
I don't have a routine really. But I work with deadlines. Since art is not my only field of work, I accommodate my other projects so all can flow together nicely. For instance, I may have a design project, teaching art, and creating an artwork at the same time. I rotate them constantly so I don't feel burned out and always approaching everything with fresh eyes and mind. Sometimes I work since early in the morning till 7 pm, or other times I may play basketball or jog in the morning, to clear my mind, and then jump into my projects.

Do you find that physical activity can jumpstart your creative process? Absolutely, all the time! Nothing like going out jogging, working out, or playing some kind of sport to get you out of a creative block. It moves the energies around your system and seems to unclog the mind.

What was your first visual medium?
I believe it was pencil and colored pencils around 8 years old.

How has that processed evolved?
My medium of choice presently has evolved into using something that presents a challenge, which is ballpoint pens. I like the idea of using whatever you have at hand to create something beautiful and impactful, and ballpoint pens is awesome because it creates amazing results. But what excites me more about it is the challenge of becoming very brave to draw with something you can't erase if you screw up. Plus, it's flattering that many aspiring artists have become inspired to use ballpoint pens to draw after finding my work, mostly because how cheap the materials are if they live in countries with a challenging economy, for instance Nigeria. That is something very awesome, and makes me happy to know my medium has inspired them to try it and use it for their own work.

The ballpoint pen stuff was the first thing I saw of yours and it blew my mind, how long does it take you to create a ballpoint pen work of average size? How did you discover it in the first place?
Thank you! It usually takes me around 40 hours to make a photorealistic human figure of a size of 8 x 10 inches. It takes a long time because you can't rush it, you need to be very very sure about each stroke because you can't Ctrl+Z it, or erase. I discovered it since forever ago, like when you're a kid and have a pen and just doodle for fun. But it was not until after my divorce where I thought about using it in a more academic way, not just for sketches. At that point in my life I wanted to reinvent myself, and do it with something simple. I needed a challenge to keep me excited and motivated to keep going, so the common ballpoint pen kind of spoke to me, and I listened.

How does life influence your work?
I believe we make and consume art in a way that compensates what we lack. It seems to me that it is more about desires, so my art tends to be very relaxed and playful. That's mostly because I can't remember when was the last time I took vacations, haha. I think I'm very intense with my work and ideas, in finding ways to materialize them. So my art involves mostly very attractive ladies in relaxed settings, where they are enjoying themselves. The curved figures and relaxed nature of my pieces is something that soothes me, and happily is something my collectors enjoy too. 

Tell me about your studio layout, also what computer software do you use? Do you use a computer at all in your art?
My studio consists of 3 drawing tables. They are small, medium and large tables, spread around my home. I work in different spaces to always keep things fresh and stimulating. I mostly rely on Photoshop to edit my final references before drawing. But I also use many different apps in my phone if I want to try out ideas on the go. For example, photo editing apps like Picsart, or apps that use A.I. to enhance pictures like Remini.

What visual artists are you watching right now? Who is interesting to you?Hmm, too many, is hard to say because they change almost every day with current artists. But I always come back to Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rodin, Bernini, Michelangelo, Bouguereau, Lautrec, Degas, Steve Hanks, and a local late national artist, Efrain Recinos.

What advice do you have for new artists?
Understand why you are making art, and who will want what you make. Art is no different than other products, because they must fill a need in people. If an artist believes making art is just about making it for the sake of making it, I believe it's very masturbatory. And kind of selfish. There's nothing wrong with making art for yourself, but if you want to make a living out of it, an artist must accept the fact that it is an industry and must be managed the same way you manage a business. Or, if you're lucky, you'll find an agent that will market it for you... though that's almost as likely as winning the lottery. My best advice is to learn at least the basics of marketing and investing, because is not just about the skill. A system must be in place if an artist wants to succeed.

How do you find clients?
Mostly online, through social media. Then there are others that discover me in Google, or in articles written about my work. 

Whats your morning routine?
It changes constantly, sometimes I wake up and take a shower, then breakfast while researching a topic online about a current project or challenge. Other days I have no shower nor breakfast, I just get up and continue working on a project. It has to do more about what seems more productive in the morning. If I have a momentum going from the day before I go with it without interruptions as much as possible.

Do you find the lack of routine helpful to keep your mind fresh?
That's a hard question to answer. There are times where I find a routine can be detrimental, because in the sameness of everyday you don't find new ideas that can come from your surroundings. But, a routine is also helpful because creativity is like a muscle you build. So, I discovered that a routine is helpful to keep yourself disciplined once you have an idea you're working on. But, going out, doing something different that is stimulating and meeting new people opens up your perspective of what seems to be missing in the world. Then once the idea comes, a routine helps to make it happen.

Do you have a favorite piece of art?
This seems to be an impossible question to answer, it will change depending on my mood or interest during the day. 

What is you favorite record of all time?
Another near impossible question to answer! Haha. But I have some favorites, like Boheme by Deep Forest, Vespertine by Björk, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff, Shepherd Moons by Enya, Down to the Moon by Andreas Vollenweider, OK Computer by Radiohead, and I'll Try Living Like This by Death's Dynamic Shroud. 

Both Vespertine and Ok Computer are some of my favorite albums of all time, what do you find so interesting about those works?
That's so awesome! I find they are very honest and very risky works of art. I remember the first time I heard "Paranoid Android" from Ok Computer. It sounded so different from all the usual mainstream music, yet, it kept a mainstream element to it. It was a captivating piece of music that felt like a roller coaster. It was elegant and raw at the same time, and still to this day I don't find that much music that sounds that way. It led me to buy Ok Computer, and when I finished listening to it, I knew it would be an album that would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. After many years, many people started to consider it that way. I could talk all day about Ok Computer! Same thing with Vespertine, because it brought to mainstream listeners music that had its roots with pop music, but found a way to make classical arrangements accessible and intimate, without being pretentious. Plus I had a super crush on Björk, so I believe that influenced me in having it as a favorite, haha. But, things I find in both algums are a background in formal musical training, pursuit of excellence, courage to be oneself, honesty and vulnerability.

What do you listen to while you are working?
Classical, pop, electronic, indie, jazz, alternative rock, and obscure genres like vaporwave.

Tell me more about Vaporwave, are you ever going to do any animation? Vaporwave is a genre that is very fascinating to me, because it's quite genius in how simple it is and the feelings it evokes. Reminds me very much of found art and pop art, but with a deeper emotional effect. You can listen to some retro music and enjoy it, but when listened through the ears of Vaporwave, it evokes a totally different feeling that is more than nostalgia. It feels to me like a way to keep holding on to something that you don't know if it was imagined, if it was a memory, or a yearning for an utopic future. It's like all of that combined, which resonates with me because I cherish very much my escapes through pop culture, video games and junk food when I was a child. My childhood was very rough, and there was a lot of comfort in the products of pop culture, it influenced even my own identity and ideals to some extent. I don't plan on ever creating any animations, but I am working in a new series at this time which involves pin up girls and retro technology, mostly video games.

What is your favorite novel?
I don't read novels, except when I was in school. I prefer films to enjoy a story. Being that the case, there are a few films with a novel as source material I love, like Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, and Adaptation.

Where do you look for inspiration?
From popular culture (music, films, social media, video games, advertising) and experiences with any kind of intimate relationships. 

Do you have an idea of the complete work when you start drawing or does it evolve as you go?
I make sure there is a clear idea of what I want, a clear direction or path to take to achieve it. But I'm also flexible to change it if it can be improved or if I ask for critique from people I trust who will tell me if a particular piece or concept is not that exceptional in some way, or if the concept doesn't seem to be clearly communicated. Listening to what other people's impressions are is one of the most powerful skills you can develop.

Whats your favorite hot sauce?
Picamas, if you haven't ever visited Guatemala, you wouldn't know, haha.

I appreciate this interview, there were many questions I have never been asked and hadn't thought about much either. So I appreciate it, I have enjoyed our collaborations, Chris, and also admire your creativity and talent with music. And if anyone needs to sort out ideas, or just a fellow artist that wants to say hi, just hit me up, I'll happily reply back. Peace, and stay rad.

Get in touch with Nathan at Instagram his website or email him at info@nathanlorenzana.com