“Dibujante Nocturno: the art of Fran Garcés” is currently available at MU Ellis Library, NC287.G37 A4 2020
“Dibujante Nocturno: the art of Fran Garcés” is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen. It introduced me to an author I was unaware of, and not only his art, but also his journey.
The book itself is beautiful – large with a beautifully illustrated cover and thick, glossy pages. There is an introduction, and then right into the first section of his book, where he discusses his influences, creative style, what happens when you start to doubt yourself, and how social media can help. He shares his hopes and dreams for the future and what he wants to do with his work. He is still relatively unknown, with his publisher, 3dtotal Publishing running a kickstarter for the project, which was funded above and beyond the expected goal for the publishing company (and the library can be even more thrilled about owning the book, as the publisher donates 50% of profits to charity and plants a tree for every book sold!).
And then comes the really fun part: the art. Garcés loves to take the mythological and make it even more fantastical. On a drawing of a forest mermaid, he writes, “I really enjoy imagining mermaids living out of water and in a forest in springtime.” He shows his original line art, and his shading, and finally the completed project. These aren’t your everyday mermaids either – they are vicious and dark and forbidding, but absolutely beautiful. He draws ferocious dragons that are often pictured with another humanlike being: “When we draw dragons we naturally tend to imagine them with a warrior, a being with whom they have a bond.” Garcés often draws dragons, writing, “I’ll never get stuck when faces with an empty piece of paper, because I can always draw a dragon!” and believes he will never tire of drawing them.
But out of this chapter on imposing dragons, there is a sweet moment, where he shares a story about himself and his niece, showing his drawing as well as featuring her drawings and stories about the creatures he makes, and even giving him some tips on how to improve his drawings!
After focusing on mythological creatures, Garcés takes us into the darker part of his mind, filled with drawings of skulls and monsters, which may seem like a strange subject for someone who admits they cannot watch a horror movie, but he is fascinated with those things that live in the dark, whether in “nature itself and its wildest side or the darkest side of the human mind.” This isn’t terribly surprising as Dibujante Nocturno roughly translates to “Night Sketcher.” His monster art is nightmare-inducing, and I don’t say that lightly. Full of teeth and screams, made of natural weapons such as claws and horns, you have a visceral reaction to the drawings, which creates an interesting dichotomy when you turn the page and see a picture of Garcés with his little parrot, Caqui.
He is then kind enough to share the materials he uses to create his work, both physical and digital, as well as drawing with a simple ballpoint pen and a notebook. He devotes an entire section to his methods and instruction on how to choose color palettes and thumbnails to help other artists and allow his viewers to understand his process.
Garcés does not come across as a brooding artist who revels in the dark side of life, but as a man who is doing what he loves, content in his studio, his work, and Caqui, always looking to improve and share his art.
Fran Garcés’s instagram: @dibujantenocturno
Additional book about unusual mermaids:
- Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, available here: https://encore.searchmobius.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb32604341
- The Deep by Rivers Solomon, available here: https://encore.searchmobius.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb34815139
Additional books about unusual dragons:
- The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne, available here: https://encore.searchmobius.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb37555982
- His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik, available here: https://encore.searchmobius.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb20696604