It's safe to say Marga Castaño is a bit of a workaholic. When the illustrator and designer is not working on a commission, or collaborating, she's working out personal projects or sitting on judging panels. And how does this translate into the kit that she relies on for her creativity? If it's not broke, don't fix it – or more to the point, if it works, don't upgrade for the sake of it.
Two of her favourite bits of kit would have sat comfortably in our guides to the best laptops for graphic design and best drawing tablets – five years ago! Marga's kit essentials include, "my five year-old MacBook Pro, my seven-year old Wacom tablet, and Adobe Illustrator." Then there's her sketchbook of choice: "I always have my Moleskine to sketch out initial ideas or concepts when starting a project," she says. "Using one is a way to loosen up my hand, and it’s less intimidating than a large format."
Marga Castaño, represented by Art Lab Agency, is creative director of studio Apéritif. She is a former executive creative director at Publicis Groupe, who pivoted her career to found Apéritif in 2014.
At the same time Marga began her career as an illustrator, collaborating with clients such as Madrid Town Hall, Planeta PH, El País and The Wall Street Journal.
Her personal projects include Hardcore Maternity, a comic book that takes on motherhood with humour and a touch of sarcasm.
Marga's favourite kit
Marga's Apple laptop may be five years old, but with its 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 6-core processor, it's no slouch. Released in 2019, it retailed at $2,200, and today's equivalent would be the MacBook Pro, 16-inch, with M3 Pro chip at $2,500.
"I like it," says Marga, "because despite being a laptop, it has a large screen and allows me to work from anywhere."
As an illustrator and designer, Marga has long utilised the expertly made Wacom drawing tablets. "I have an Intuos Pro Medium," she says, "and I think it’s my second Wacom in about seven years old."
And this is a model that Wacom has largely left untouched since it first got released over a decade ago. It's actually the 2017 model that Marga has that made the most meaningful changes to the tablet, offering USB-C and Bluetooth. It's a worthy inclusion in our list of the best drawing tablets on sale today.
It's not hard to share Marga's love for this specific type of notebook. "I love Moleskine for several reasons," she tells us. "I'm also a designer, and it's an object that I like – I keep them and enjoy revisiting them."
And Moleskine offer loads of different types of paper, "which allows me to try different things – like drawing with ink, even if it’s in a more freeform, artistic way, without any commercial purpose... just to relax."
So how does Marga incorporate these nifty bits of kit into her daily routine? We spoke to the Spanish creative about her work routine, her bored dog and her love of Madrid.
Is there such a thing as a typical day of work for you?
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I usually start with some exercise (running or yoga) and a good breakfast, which I really enjoy. I need a coffee and some calm space to wake up and think about the day ahead.
Afterward, I review the work I have pending. If I’m starting a new illustration, I always go through a research phase first. I look for and jot down everything that comes to mind related to the theme I need to work on to create a mood board with all sorts of elements – thoughts, visual references, maybe some lyrics from a song that comes to mind, a passage from a book… I then refine and discard things until I get a clearer focus, which gradually takes shape and becomes a sketch, sometimes in my notebook, other times directly with the Wacom.
If the initial concept is already defined, the work becomes more mechanical; it’s about refining the shapes, composition, testing different colour palettes, and finding harmony and quality in the finish. If I get stuck, the best thing for me is to go for a walk; there’s something about walking that helps me connect the dots and clear my mind.
Usually, all of this is interspersed with various calls from collaborators, playing with my dog when he’s too bored, or chatting with my son when he comes home from school…
Are you a creature of habit, or improvisation?
I love improvising, but I do need a certain routine to stay focused. Whether I have work or not, I tend to get up early and start doing things. If it’s not for a commission, it’s for proactive work. I think it’s important to keep your hands and mind active because it’s a way of not losing the habit. Although it may not seem like it, creativity is also something that can be trained, and some of those proactive moments can lead to learning and interesting projects.
Do you draw anything from the city of Madrid for creativity?
Yes, a few years ago, I started making posters related to the city. I have yet to continue with this project, but I took a lot of photos of very "Madrileño" places and moments that deserve to be illustrated. It’s a very lively city, in every sense.
