esmeralda ruiz
photographer, designer, and illustrator
Esmeralda Ruiz a professional and accomplished artist, was born in Los Angeles, California, to a family deeply rooted in the world of art. With both parents being artists themselves, creativity and artistic expression became an integral part of her upbringing. Instead of traditional children's books, she found herself immersed in art books, constantly surrounded by painters, photographers, designers, and sculptors whom she would encounter at various art festivals nationwide.
Creative journey
From a young age, she was actively involved in her family business, taking on the role of the company's product photographer. Additionally, she took charge of designing printed promotional materials, which eventually expanded to encompass establishing a strong online presence.
Driven by her passion for artistic development, she pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Fine Art Photography from the esteemed Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Showing a relentless dedication to her craft, she also pursued an MFA in Graphic Design, further refining her skills and expertise in this field. During her academic journey, she not only excelled as a student but also served as a teacher and tutor, imparting knowledge and mentoring students in the fields of photography, graphic design, and art, igniting their passion and nurturing their artistic aspirations.
While she was completing her MFA in photography and embarking on her MFA in graphic design, her photographic work garnered recognition, being exhibited in prestigious venues across the country and featured in both national and international publications. The combination of her artistic vision and technical prowess culminated in a remarkable portfolio.
Following graduation, she gained invaluable experience working within the industry, contributing her skills as a food photographer's assistant, graphic designer, and product photographer for several esteemed companies in San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was during this period that she came to a profound realization—she yearned to channel her wealth of knowledge and experience back into her family's business.
madonna concept
Growing up, Esmeralda Ruiz spent countless hours visiting art museums and flipping through books filled with paintings, illustrations, and photographs depicting women in various roles—symbols of femininity, empowerment, sexuality, and fertility. These representations often reflected societal expectations, portraying women as caregivers, house maidens, or deity figures.
She finds it fascinating to observe how women's roles have evolved over time. In the early 1900s, empowerment was no longer solely tied to a woman’s ability to bear children but also to her participation in the workforce. Women were no longer just symbols of sexuality, purity, and love—they became active contributors to society.
This era deeply influences Ruiz’s work, shaping her focus on urban growth and city life. In her paintings, women stand larger than their surroundings, symbolizing individuality and autonomy. While the city sets the stage, it does not define them. Her art challenges societal expectations, celebrating women's freedom to shape their own identities.
illustrations
These compositions are illustrated with pencil, pen, and marker. When I find those unique women, I illustrate them several times in different poses and urban spaces until the composition feels right. At times, I will work on my designs using Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.
After many sketches and hours of going through my creative process, I finally chose the best option to draw on a canvas with acrylic pens. After the illustration dries on the canvas, I spray a sealer to ensure the sketch won't be disrupted when I apply acrylic paint.
color palette
Each color palette is chosen very carefully to represent the feeling of the city that I'm illustrating, and it also needs to go with the mood of the main character. Finding that balance is very hard. Choosing the wrong color can ruin an excellent illustration. After several colored illustrations, I decide on one final colored sketch to use as a reference for the final painting.
Acrylic paint is applied with various brushes and palette knives, covering part of the illustration. The amount of acrylic used for each piece varies depending on the painting style. If I want the painting to feel more like a watercolor, I dilute the acrylic to give it that watercolor feel.