AboutMaría RailenzMadrid, ES — Est. 2018

An illustrator who designs, and a designer who draws.

María Railenz — illustrated self-portrait
María RailenzSelf-portrait

I’m a Madrid-based illustrator and graphic designer working at the seam where pictures meet systems.

For nearly a decade I’ve moved between two crafts that most people keep apart: the warm, hand-drawn world of illustration and the structured, grid-driven world of graphic design. I don’t think they’re opposites — a good identity needs a soul, and a good drawing needs a frame.

I work with publishers, studios, festivals and brands who want work that feels made by a person. Everything you see here is a placeholder, ready to be replaced with the real archive.

How I work

Three habits behind every project, drawn or designed.

01

Listen, then sketch

Every project starts on paper. I chase the idea by hand before a single pixel is placed, so the concept leads and the craft follows.

02

Build a system

Whether it’s a character or a brand, I look for the underlying rules — a grid, a palette, a logic — so the work can grow without falling apart.

03

Keep the hand

I protect the small imperfections that make work feel human. Texture, weight and rhythm survive all the way to the final file.

Discipline 01

Illustration

  • A. Editorial & cover illustration
  • B. Character design
  • C. Lettering & type illustration
  • D. Posters & prints
Discipline 02

Graphic Design

  • A. Brand & visual identity
  • B. Art direction
  • C. Event & festival design
  • D. Editorial & print

Selected clients

A few good people
Atlas Press
Norte Studio
Echo Festival
Carta & Co.
Wildflower
Tempo Dance
2025Editorial Illustration — ShortlistType & Image Awards
2024Identity of the Year — FinalistBrand New
2023Poster Series — SelectedPoster Biennale
2022New Talent — FeatureIt’s Nice That