Marina Camprubí, illustrator and LABASAD student, makes her debut in El País
Her recent collaboration with El País marks a turning point in a career that combines passion, perseverance, and a deep respect for the creative process.
There are paths that are built from intuition, from that inner voice that pushes you to keep creating even when the way forward doesn’t seem clear. Marina Camprubí’s, illustrator and student of LABASAD’s Online Master’s in Editorial and Advertising Illustration, is one of them.
Marina is one of those people who has never stopped drawing. “I remember that, while I was studying the art baccalaureate, a classmate told me she wanted to be an illustrator. I didn’t know exactly what that was, but it caught my attention enormously.”
Her time on a graphic design degree ended up being the perfect excuse to keep illustrating in every possible exercise. There, a lecturer who was also an illustrator gave her the final push to study illustration at l’Escola Massana.
But it was later, with LABASAD, that she felt a new world opening up:
“I was frustrated on a university degree that wasn’t for me and, as if by magic, an advert for the LABASAD Master’s appeared. I saw the modules, the teaching staff, and I knew that was the place.”
Unlike what many illustrators feel at the beginning, Marina has learnt not to obsess over having a fixed style. As she explains: “I think my style is still in the process of maturing. The common thread right now is more conceptual than technical.”
Her methodology has also changed: “Before, I drew without intention; now I devote 70% of the time to thinking and only 30% to illustrating. Of that 30%, a good percentage is pure intuition.”
That balance between reflection and instinct allows her to adapt her work to each project, without rigidity.
“I’ve learnt to leave behind the fear of letting go. Now I let each commission dictate the shapes, the lines, or the colour.”
Illustrating for El País was one of Marina’s big goals. And she achieved it by following a piece of advice from the Master’s: during the Self-Promotion module, the lecturer Anna Miracle recommended creating an Excel sheet with potential clients. The first name she wrote down was the newspaper’s art director, who had given a masterclass during the course. When it finished, she sent him her portfolio, and the opportunity arrived.
The assignment was to accompany a text by Sabina Urraca titled “Hueso roto: cuando se nos olvidó convalecer”, a reflection on the need for rest in a society dominated by productivity.
Marina’s first sketches were more metaphorical—“I thought of a girl resting inside a broth, as if she were in a soup”—but with the help of her LABASAD tutor, Diego, she found the final approach: an ill person in bed, surrounded by accumulated tissues that symbolised the passage of time.
“Professionally it was a dream come true: I’m over the moon and very grateful. Personally, it was very intense. I put so much pressure on myself that I got frustrated at times, but it was an enormous learning experience.”
If there’s one thing Marina highlights from her time at LABASAD, it’s the confidence she gained: “The Master’s gave me hugely valuable tools that will serve me all my life and, above all, the boost to believe that I could make a professional career in illustration.”
The Self-Promotion and Portfolio module was key. “It helped me understand how the illustration world works and how to go out into it without dying in the attempt.”
The online format was another major advantage: it allowed her to combine the Master’s with her job and, at the same time, gave her a community of classmates who continue to be an important pillar today.
“I’m still in touch with my LABASAD classmates; we support each other with the projects we have on the go, and it moves me to think about how much they still have to grow.”
After her collaboration with El País, Marina continues to build her path with new projects: the cover of the book El plaer de la lluita by Anabel Tena, collaborations with The Barcelonian, and her participation in self-publishing fairs such as El Patac de Lleida.
Her medium-term dream is clear: to be able to make a living from illustration, but away from the big city. “Illustration in Catalonia is very centralised in Barcelona, and it seems that if you don’t live there you can’t devote yourself to it. I want to break away from that a bit.”
As for more concrete goals, she dreams of illustrating covers for publishers such as Tigre de Paper or Penguin Random House, collaborating with print magazines, and reaching international outlets such as The New Yorker or The New York Times.
Marina Camprubí’s path reminds us that illustrating is not only drawing, but also thinking, feeling, and translating ideas into images. A journey of self-discovery in which LABASAD has been a boost, a compass, and a community.
“Before I drew without intention; now I think before I draw a line. And even though my style is still evolving, I know I want to devote myself to illustration from an honest and free place.”
With talent and perseverance, Marina continues to show that dreams are achieved when they are transformed into action.
Do you want to be the next person to take that leap? Discover our Online Master’s in Editorial and Advertising Illustration and start building the future you imagine. Write to us at [email protected].