Gilbert "For Real" Martinez

Born and raised in San Antonio, Gilbert Martinez, aka For Real, is a printmaker, illustrator, and graphic designer. His artist moniker “FOR REAL” is an artistic alter ego that explores duality through a fragmented style of digital and handmade techniques. Illustration and printmaking have been an obsession of the artist since 2005, when he first studied offset printmaking and graphic design in high school. While attending college, his focus artistically became screen printing and illustration. Gilbert attended The Art Institute of San Antonio, where he received his BFA in graphic design. Today his work as a graphic designer has been used for professional national skateboard brands, promotional and branding, and various Texas businesses. His poster designs have even been featured in @forbes magazine 2021. As a fine artist, his work has been displayed in galleries such as Presa House Gallery, Mexic-Arte Museum, @blkwhtgry.co, and Territory Gallery. If you've come across his work, chances are you'd recognize it by his illustrative style, bold use of color, and his love for his Hispanic heritage.

Can you introduce yourself?

I'm Gilbert Martinez I also go by for real art I'm a graphic designer illustrator screen printer and uh just art maker.

How long have you been creating art for?

I've been pursuing art since high school when I graduated in like 2007 went to art school for a couple years and just been you know trying to leave my mark on the art world since I grew up skateboarding and I was always fascinated by skateboard graphics and I learned that the people who designed skateboard graphics were graphic designers and illustrators so I found a class in high school that was a graphic design class and took that and that's where I learned you know the basic intro to photoshop illustrator and print making and that really started me off in my direction into becoming a graphic designer.

What artist inspire you?

Artist, people like Dave Kinsey, and Shepard Ferry you know those early 2000s Street artists a lot of them were graphic designers and artists and I was always drawn to that I always liked how they kind of balanced both a graphic design career and a fight on career that really influenced me into you know steering my my career as an artist in that direction and you know now as a 35 year old I'm a full-time graphic designer and I make art

How has your artistic style evolved over the past few years?

When I was younger I was a little bit more looser and there was less thought behind my artwork it was more about just making cool images and as I've gotten older and I've learned different art processes I've been able to combine both of those things and been able to evolve my work from just being kind of just wild style art to now where it's more thought and planned out. I come up with all my color palettes beforehand so I think I I have I think about what I do a lot more before I do it with my work I like to create environments in my pieces so I like it when you know a viewer is looking at my piece and like can relate to it and put themselves in that position.

Is it difficult to balance your personal life and artistic life?

Balancing your personal life and artistic life can get hard, especially when you have a family. My artistic side of my life is also split into graphic design, which is my day job, and fine art, which is my side hustle, nighttime job, I guess. But you have time to find time for your family. If you have time to kick it with your family, that's important.

Can you share a bit about the Homies exhibition?

For this show for some reason in my head all the pieces were kind of made to reflect everyday life and I kind of wanted it to be like an episode of Seinfeld where it's a show about nothing but everything at the same time like I wanted my piece to reflect that this is just an everyday thing but there's something special about it it's not the everyday thing when you're looking at the art version of it and I also wanted people to take away I guess the process of my work and really try and you know look at my pieces and try and figure out how I did certain things even though my process is kind of straightforward to the everyday person who doesn't make art I want them to think about that a little bit more

What has been one of your favorite projects to date?

The first illustrations I was able to do for a professional skateboard company, Enjoi Skateboards, back in 2018, was one of my favorite moments. It was very much a childhood dream come true. Through the power of Instagram, Louie Barletta reached out to me because of an illustration he saw and asked me if I wanted to create a set of board graphics in my style.

This is rad because, as a graphic designer, you typically only design based on other people's needs or design ideas. Working for Enjoi opened a few doors to work with other skateboard brands, and over the years, I have been able to design multiple skateboard graphics and wheels.

Can you describe your artistic style?

My artistic style is loose but contained simultaneously—very illustrative, bold colors, with the use of collage occasionally. My work reflects my surroundings and life, so often, you will see the same people or characters throughout my pieces and a heavily Hispanic cultural influence.

Where does the name For Real come from?

It comes from wanting to be a graffiti artist, but I never really became a graffiti artist. I just ended up working from inside with a nice AC, you know. But the name chose me. I got it tattooed on me one night, and then I just ran with it.