Marc Maramba doesn’t slay dragons; he draws them

Tatyana Salem, Co-Editor-in-Chief

(Republished from November 2019)

Artistry and creativity are open to interpretation for every individual, and to Marc Maramba, art is all about learning from his mistakes and bringing his own original visions to life. Maramba, a self-taught sketch artist, got his start right here in Arroyo Grande. Nearly ten years ago, Maramba walked into the Arroyo Grande Library and caught a glimpse of “Ralph Masiello’s Dragon Drawing Book”, a book on how to draw dragons. This book would be Maramba’s first inspiration for his intricate and mythical drawings. 

“I borrowed [the book] many times over,” Maramba said. 

And in those numerous days and months that Maramba had this awe-inspiring book in his possession, he worked hard on improving his drawing technique, replicating the amazing pictures in the book, and eventually developing his own creative drawing style.

In order to challenge himself, Maramba chose to replicate challenging and intricate art pieces. 

“I didn’t want to start off easy, I just wanted to get into the thick of [it],” said Maramba 

Yet, Maramba doesn’t necessarily appreciate the burden of challenges in his everyday life.

“I would honestly say I only [like a challenge] in art. I tried [getting] into music, and I had to start off really slow, but it’s only in art where I push myself to be better,” Maramba said.

Maramba’s determination is not to be credited to a teacher or superior in his life. This talented young man is self-taught and draws his inspiration from fellow artists online. If anything, Maramba feels as though a classroom setting hinders his creative abilities.

“To be honest, I find [drawing class] difficult because I don’t like being told what to draw. I mostly draw from inspiration,” Maramba said. 

Maramba’s source of artistic inspiration and motivation is anything but typical.

“When I get to compare myself to other artists and see how good they are, that drives me to be on their level. I see many artists, and they do an amazing job. It compels me to be as good as them,” Maramba said.

This is not to say that Maramba hasn’t already reached the level of his idols. Maramba’s determination to better his drawing skills has allowed him

to say that his greatest accomplishment in regards to his art is “how far I’ve come.”

To keep himself motivated, Maramba has a nifty trick that forces him to acknowledge his artistic abilities that have developed over the years.

 “Every single day I feel like I’m not improving at all and I don’t think I’m doing better, but then I look back at my past drawings. I definitely [see] the improvement,” Maramba said.

As an experienced artist, Maramba has come across many diverse interpretations and executions of drawing and because of this Maramba has been able to decide what he, as an artist, wants his art pieces to portray.

“I want my artwork to look good in front of people. I don’t want it to be something that they’ve seen a million times. I want other people to think, ‘Wow, that’s something different I haven’t seen [before],” Maramba said.

Maramba’s drive for originality pushes him to challenge himself to create detailed pieces of art that can only be found in fantasy.

“Originality in art is difficult, especially because there are millions of artists and lots of famous artworks out there. That’s what really drives me to do fantasy,” Maramba said.

Although Maramba has a passion for art, he does not want to pursue it as a career in his life, but rather take a route that will benefit others. Maramba is not only a talented artist but also an aspiring abnormal psychologist. This may be a challenge though, as Maramba depicts just how much art consumes his life.

“I get inspired to draw and drop whatever I’m doingstudying, homework. Then I just draw,” Maramba said. 

Maramba disclosed that this does not stop merely after a couple of minutes, but can last up to hours or, “whenever I fall asleep.”

 

Living the life of an artist has brought Maramba some peace of mindan outlet to turn to whenever he feels a rush of creativity flowing through his veins. Hours of dedication and work have molded Maramba into the artist he is today, and frankly, who he is as a person today.

To keep up with Marc’s art, follow him on Instagram. @marc.d.art