Sergio Membrillas Launches Art Direction Section, Balances Illustration and Creative Direction

Sergio Membrillas, a Valencia-trained art director and commercial illustrator, has opened a new art direction section on his website to showcase projects that highlight his creative direction expertise. His illustration clients include The New York Times, Apple, and Pentagram. Membrillas admits he previously did not take his art direction seriously, but now draws inspiration from graphic design heroes Bob Noorda, Paula Scher, and Peter Saville. Recent projects include a visual identity for Spanish haircare brand Rulls, featuring illustrated characters, and an art-directed catalogue for kitchen cabinet company Poalgi that incorporated illustrations and a small comic. He notes that newspapers have cut illustration budgets, limiting editorial opportunities. Membrillas also teaches illustration at various European art institutions and is pursuing a PhD on contemporary tattooing. He believes teaching and art direction naturally feed into each other, and that his dual skill sets can coexist, allowing him to solve problems beautifully while maintaining artistic freedom.