In the world of creative careers, it's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of high-profile clients and impressive projects. But for Argentinian illustrator Marcos Montiel, the true highlight of his career is a jigsaw puzzle. This simple response reveals a lot about Montiel's approach to his work, which is less about racking up an impressive client list and more about guarding his own creative habits. This perspective is worth considering for anyone building a creative career.
Montiel's style is instantly recognizable, with retro, warm, and dense pictures that feature small human gestures, making a scene feel lived-in. While his editorial illustrations may get the most attention, he's equally passionate about packaging and product work. Montiel is fascinated by the idea that a painting or drawing can live alongside an object and communicate something more than just a pretty picture. He believes that when someone can hold a piece of work, turn it over, and bring it into their daily life, it becomes something else entirely, not just an image but a relationship.
Montiel's career has been built across two very different creative economies: Buenos Aires, where he's based, and London, where he's worked as a freelancer and is represented by Synergy. He treats the contrast as useful friction, allowing him to fuse everyday observation with something more abstract. This working model is useful for anyone who splits their time between a home market and global clients, and it's a reminder that those two audiences don't have to compete for a fixed idea of 'your style'; they can sharpen each other instead.
For years, Montiel worked almost entirely on a digital tablet, but the rise of AI-generated imagery has led him back towards analogue. He now starts his workflow with pencil on paper, moves to line correction and color on an iPad, and only reaches Illustrator and Photoshop for formatting and final files. This small but significant shift brings the bit that a machine can't fake to the front of the queue, which is worth considering for illustrators wondering how to hold on to a distinct voice in the AI era.
Montiel is also doubling down on personal work, such as his popular stickers. Their success stems in part from the way he treats unpaid personal work, applying the same seriousness and dedication to both commercial and personal projects. He believes that there's nothing more solid and lasting than a genuine, authentic expression of your own, and working hard is the key to finding and developing it.
As Montiel puts it, 'When the mundane spirit speaks, detail is a universal language.' This is a mission statement for a career built on noticing the small stuff, whether it ends up on a bottle label, a broadsheet front page, or 100 jigsaw pieces on a child's bedroom floor.
