Pilar Torcal
Independent designer / Illustrator
Bacelona, Spain
pilartorcal.co
instagram @pilartorcal
Pinterest
Savee It
Twitter
Q What do you do?
“I’m an independent multidisciplinary designer and 2d illustrator working for clients around the globe. ”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I started working solo four years ago after working in NYC for almost seven years. I’ve had the chance to work in small studios where I was able to wear lots of hats and in a big digital design agency called Huge. I’m specialized in illustration and branding design mostly but I’ve had the opportunity to design books, magazines, infographics, exhibition graphics, iconography… all the way to websites and apps. Illustration wise, I’ve done editorial, ad campaigns and murals for the most part.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Illustration wise—My illustrations are bold and really colorful. And, design wise—I love minimal design more than anything but I like to be open to the clients needs and vision.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I just got started with a new identity design project for a client in DC that I’m very excited about and also working on an iconography set for an app.
Q What’s your style?
I think my Savee page or my Pinterest page can give you a good idea of what turns me on.
My two favorite projects at the moment are this one for illustration pilartorcal.co/project/sometimes-i-think and this one for design pilartorcal.co/project/aminaaltai
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Honestly, I’m currently completely hooked on pilates! It has been the best medicine for these stressful times we live in and it has returned me to my childhood days where I did gymnastics for eight years, until I turned 14 and got ashamed I looked too much like a boy. I’m seriously considering getting the teacher certification, as a matter of fact!
I’ve always been very curious about fashion as well.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
My biggest pain points as a freelancer are:
- A good PM that manages timeline / negotiation with clients for me
- Frankly, the ups and downs in the workflow. Going from having very little going on to a lot out of the blue. Other than that, I’m super disciplined and I’ve gotten better at riding these waves through the years.
- I’m currently living in my hometown but my interest is getting clients outside of here. I don’t feel a sense of belonging, kinda the opposite sometimes… and I think that has affected my reach and impact.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Cold calling clients to introduce my services.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Literally every day:
Stop caring about what everyone else thinks.
Let yourself be loved for what loves you / don’t go looking for love in all the wrong places.
Be your best friend. Listen to your intuition.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” — Maya Angelou
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
An international financial advisor. Someone that knows more examples like mine that work for clients all around and what kind of options do people take to make the most out of the situation.
Or, someone that works with CEOs and transfers the knowledge on how they operate, decide, and go about their daily life, routines, beliefs, journeys... I want to know everything!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Looking mostly for illustration and branding / visual identity projects. I’d love to do more murals as well.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Everyone who talks with me for more than five minutes knows that I love Beyoncé big time and that my dream client is Adidas. Other than that — I love working with nice people, that pay well and are respectful with both my vision and time. Clients that want to do cool and innovative stuff.
Q What is your rate?
I prefer to work with a project fee whenever possible. That said, these are some of my rates to give you an idea:
Design projects:
Visual identity design projects range from $3,500 to $10,000 depending on the size of the company and the different applications needed.
Site reskin: Around $3k–$6k
Illustration projects can vary depending on the client needs, size and type of license.
For murals:
My minimum fee is at $3k for creation and installation + however long the license is for. This wouldn’t include any travel or additional fees.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email to atelier@pilartorcal.co is preferred. A short and sweet email including the project details, deadline dates, and desired budget is perfect. After that, I like to do a quick intro call whenever time allows to get to know more details about the project.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Photographers:
lena-mad.com for fashion photography
@carlosvillarejo
marziagamba.com for still life photography
CG Artists:
Haruko Hayakawa
Developers:
Kevin Cabano
Luis Henrique Bizarro
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Music. Dancing. Traveling. My friends. Drawing. Journaling!
This member profile was originally published in July 2023