Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Toledo.
Hi Carlos , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It all started by going back to the drawings I used to make as a student. Instagram had just appeared, and instead of posting photos of my personal life, like most people did, I thought it would be a good idea to post one illustration a day. That’s how the habit was born, back in 2014, with no professional intention behind it, just the routine of drawing and sharing it.
The moment I felt it stopped being a simple habit and became something professional was when my Instagram account started growing considerably. From there, I discovered that a lot of people were getting my drawings tattooed, and I started receiving commissions, both from companies and individuals interested in my work. I’ve kept drawing every single day since then, and that habit has led me to collaborate with brands like The North Face EMEA, OD Hotels, Lunwerg, Miquel Rius and Yamashita, as well as painting murals, all while never giving up the daily illustration that started it all.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a freelancer, keeping a steady monthly income is genuinely difficult. There are obviously slower months, but it only takes one good month to make up for the rest. What really helped me stabilize things was constantly searching for new clients, and especially reaching back out to people I had already worked with, offering them new proposals.
Today it’s still an ongoing challenge, I can’t say it’s fully solved. If I’m honest, what would help me the most right now would be finding representation: someone in the United States, someone in Europe, and someone in Asia, to take that weight off my shoulders. That way I could focus purely on what I actually love, creating and drawing, instead of constantly chasing new work. So, if any illustrator or creative representative reads this and is interested in my work, I’d be more than happy to get in touch.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve been doing daily illustration since 2014, with a minimalist style and a lot of irony, focused on everyday life scenes and without faces. From there, that habit has expanded into murals and packaging illustration for brands like The North Face EMEA, OD Hotels, Lunwerg, Miquel Rius and Yamashita, as well as collaborations such as illustrating the clothing boxes for a store on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona.
What I’m most proud of in my work is, above all, the satisfaction of knowing I’m an endless source of ideas, and especially that I manage to make people happy: a smile, brightening their day, my illustrations connecting with their everyday lives. People’s reactions are priceless, and reading the private messages many followers send me, thanking me for what I draw, is deeply satisfying. On a professional level, I’m proud that major brands have trusted my work and keep doing so, and that I’ve reached levels I never thought possible back in 2014.
I think what sets me apart from other illustrators is simplicity, irony and spontaneity. My work is about illustrating ideas and concepts using as few lines as possible, and maybe what I’m proudest of is that, despite using so few lines, I believe my work is very recognizable.
How do you think about happiness?
What truly makes me happy is being able to express myself through illustration and reach so many different people. That almost anyone can understand or connect with it, from small children to older people, working with an everyday irony mixed with humor that’s universal, it doesn’t matter if the viewer is from Asia, America or Europe, that humor lands the same way.
And then there’s being the absolute owner of my own time. For me, wealth isn’t material, it’s measured in how much time I can invest in being happy and in having free time to do whatever I want. Happiness, for me, is exactly that: being the owner of your own time.
Pricing:
- Editorial commissions: $400–$1,200 for a spot illustration, $800–$2,500 for a full-page or cover piece
- Brand licensing: $2,000–$15,000+ depending on usage rights, audience reach, and how long the license runs
- Social media illustration for brands: $150–$800 per piece depending on scope and turnaround
- Book illustration: $200–$800 per spread, or $3,000–$15,000 for a full book as an advance-plus-royalty deal
- Art prints: $50–$150 depending on size and whether it’s an open or limited edition
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tdiary.es
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t_diary/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-toledo-738213109/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tdiary8237
