I'm David Saavedra Peña, Editorial Graphic Designer and Illustrator and Video Games Expert with a solid track record of over 25 years of experience in illustration and editorial design. I specialize in graphic products for books, manuals, covers, illustrations, logos and infographics, in both print and digital formats. I am known for my organizational capacity, adaptability and meticulous attention to detail, essential for success in publishing and the video game industry.…

David Saavedra Peña

I'm David Saavedra Peña, Editorial Graphic Designer and Illustrator and Video Games Expert with a solid track record of over 25 years of experience in illustration and editorial design. I specialize in graphic products for books, manuals, covers, illustrations, logos and infographics, in both print and digital formats. I am known for my organizational capacity, adaptability and meticulous attention to detail, essential for success in publishing and the video game industry.…

Available to hire

I’m David Saavedra Peña, Editorial Graphic Designer and Illustrator and Video Games Expert with a solid track record of over 25 years of experience in illustration and editorial design.

I specialize in graphic products for books, manuals, covers, illustrations, logos and infographics, in both print and digital formats. I am known for my organizational capacity, adaptability and meticulous attention to detail, essential for success in publishing and the video game industry.

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Language

Spanish; Castilian
Fluent
English
Advanced
Russian
Intermediate

Work Experience

Freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator at Freelance
November 1, 2016 - Present
Creation of illustrations, concept art, asset localization for video games, logo design, posters and covers. Design and final art for print media, layout of books, magazines, advertising material and catalogs. Collaborations with clients such as Dolmen Editorial, RedBook Ediciones, Dimensiones Ocultas, Black Sea Games, CG Interactive, Scholastic Corporation, Playgica, Raiser Games, Pentadimensional Games, Mafi Games, MundoBit and RetroWorld.
UX-UI Workshop Teacher and App Prototyping at Escuela SUR
November 1, 2016 - April 20, 2018
Delivery of a practical workshop on UX UI design and app prototype creation, focused on UX UI design principles, interface creation and functional prototypes.
Professor at U-TAD University Center for Technology and Digital Art
January 1, 2014 - February 28, 2019
Teaching subjects such as Color and digital painting, Character Design and Creation and Illustration in Visual Design, Animation and Engineering degrees.
Illustrator, Graphic Designer and Video Games Analyst at FX Interactive
September 1, 2006 - June 15, 2015
Design, creation and editing of materials for physical and digital media, including covers, manuals, maps, guides and advertising pieces. Design, conceptualization and illustration of attractive covers aligned with the product identity. Supervision of the creative process to ensure quality and visual coherence. Modification and localization of graphics and textures for video games. Evaluation of video games for inclusion in the company catalog.
Graphic Designer at PROGRESA
February 14, 2005 - August 25, 2006
Graphic design and layout for periodic publication magazines and yearbooks.
Editorial Technician at La Factoría de Ideas
April 22, 2003 - December 31, 2004
Editing and design of books and role-playing game materials. Illustration and Graphic Design.
Graphic Designer and Layout Artist at Academia C-10
July 1, 2001 - March 31, 2003
Delivery of practical and theoretical classes on illustration and graphic design.
Graphic Designer and Layout Artist at UAM Publications Service
November 15, 1999 - November 14, 2001
Graphic design and layout of books, brochures and institutional material.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry (Specialty in Biochemistry) at Autonomous University of Madrid
October 1, 1994 - September 30, 1999
Master’s Degree in Illustration and Airbrushing at Academia C-10
September 1, 1995 - June 30, 1997

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Education, Professional Services, Retail
    uniE621 The World of Spectrum
    https://www.twine.net/signin https://www.twine.net/signin The book El Mundo del Spectrum (The World of Spectrum) reviews the life of this wonderful machine from its rise until its down. Inside his pages is narrated the life of Clive Sinclair, the arrival of the Spectrum in Spain, the main software companies both Spanish and foreign and are reviewed many of the most emblematic games that could be enjoyed during the long life of this 8-bit system. A separate chapter talks about its present and future, because although the commercial life of the machine was completed in the early 90's, many people have continued playing and programming with their Spectrums many years before. This book arises with the idea of ​​putting on paper all the knowledge that is gather on the web site «El Mundo del Spectrum» by his members Javier Ortiz, Alejandro Ibáñez, Jesús Martínez del Vas and Juan F. Torres. They gave me the great responsibility of designing the book and giving it shape, which was a great honor for me because I am great lover of the machine. designer booklayout retro graphicdesigner…
    uniE621 Playing with dragons
    https://www.twine.net/signin https://www.twine.net/signin https://www.twine.net/signin https://www.twine.net/signin Illustration created for the cover of "Jugando Con Dragones", by Víctor Deckard, a book for which I also handled the interior design and layout. This work offers an in-depth journey through the evolution of role-playing games, from their origins to their transformation at the turn of the millennium. It delves into the publishing history of RPGs, their relationship with political issues, and their impact on both global and Spanish culture, exploring their influence on literature, cinema, and other artistic media. This book was a deeply personal project for me. As a role-playing enthusiast since the late 1980s, these games have profoundly shaped my life. My journey began with the thrilling gamebooks of Dungeons & Dragons, where each choice determined the course of the adventure. I then moved on to character sheets with dice rolls and the rich stats of Fighting Fantasy books by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. These were my first steps into the vast world of role-playing games, later expanding with classic titles such as The Lord of the Rings RPG, Call of Cthulhu, Paranoia, Vampire: The Masquerade, Stormbringer, and Cyberpunk. And, of course, I can't leave out the fascination that Magic: The Gathering had on me. But my passion for role-playing has gone beyond books and tabletop games. I've always been an avid fan of computer RPGs, especially first-person titles. Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in virtual worlds full of mysteries and perils. Starting with Bloodwych, the Eye of the Beholder series, and Ultima Underworld, and continuing with Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and Thief, each of these games offered me the chance to explore intricate dungeons, face challenges, and live out epic adventures that remain vivid in my memory to this day. illustrator designer graphicdesigner…
    uniE621 Transformers
    https://www.twine.net/signin https://www.twine.net/signin https://www.twine.net/signin https://www.twine.net/signin Illustration created for the cover and back cover of the book Transformers: Más de lo que tus ojos han visto. Published by Dolmen editorial in August 2024. Its author, Peter García, examines the evolution and impact of the Transformers franchise across various media, from comics and toys to cinema. He conducts a detailed analysis covering the classic era to its contemporary revival, highlighting anecdotes and curiosities about the different generations of the eternal battle between Autobots and Decepticons. For this work, I handled both the interior design and layout, applying my expertise and dedication to a franchise that has been a personal passion since its inception. As a collector of the toys and a reader of the comics published by Forum in the 1980s, I have poured all my knowledge and appreciation for this iconic saga into this project. This book features a unique design with two distinct covers. On one side, the main cover showcases Optimus Prime and presents 128 pages dedicated to the classic era of Transformers, spanning from 1984 to 1995. By flipping the book 180 degrees, a second cover featuring Megatron is revealed, introducing another 128 pages focused on the modern era, from 1996 to the present. designer illustrator graphicdesigner…
    uniE621 This Is the Way
    Illustration created for the book This Is the Way: The Creation of The Mandalorian by Fco. Javier Martínez García and published in Spain by Dolmen Editorial. A work that delves into the creative process behind one of the most remarkable Star Wars projects in the saga's nearly 50-year history. The book takes the reader on a journey through the fascinating evolution of the series, from character design and the development of production technology to the technical aspects that made it possible. As a passionate Star Wars fan from its very beginnings, The Mandalorian revitalized the saga by combining thrilling adventures inspired by classic westerns with a narrative deeply faithful to the franchise's roots. The choice and portrayal of characters was a masterstroke, and the immersive sense of being in the Star Wars universe after the fall of the Empire was masterfully brought to the screen, faithfully expanding its lore. Din Djarin's character expertly embodies the unmistakable charisma of the solitary western heroes, figures who rise above desolation with an aura of mystery and determination. This essence is further enriched by the unparalleled aesthetic of the Mandalorian clan, whose armor and codes have captivated audiences since the enigmatic bounty hunter Boba Fett first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, leaving an indelible mark on the saga's mythology. This project allowed me to pay tribute to a universe and characters that have been an inexhaustible source of inspiration throughout my life. https://www.twine.net/signin illustrator coverbookillustration…
    uniE621 The Bad Game
    In June 2025, I got in touch with Dimensiones Ocultas Publishing, coincidentally at the very moment they were looking for someone passionate about horror and video games to illustrate the cover of the novel they were planning to release that October: The Bad Game (Juego perverso), a book by Adam Millard, author of October Boys (Un Halloween de muerte). The story revolves around a mysterious arcade machine that possesses those who dare to play it. Inspired by that premise, I wanted to capture in the illustration a supernatural, oppressive, and eerie atmosphere that placed the arcade machine at the center, evoking the kinds of cursed-object stories that Stephen King readers know so well—from Christine and From a Buick 8 to the short story The Mangler. At first glance, the arcade cabinet looks like a normal machine, yet subtle details hint at its age and unsettling nature. For the design, I took inspiration from the structure of the classic Missile Command, which lacks the usual joystick and instead features three fire buttons and a trackball. I heightened the sense of chaos by adding more buttons than usual. From the control panel oozes a black, viscous liquid dripping onto the floor—completely unnoticed by the player. This detail, together with the greenish mist in the background, suggests that escape is impossible once the machine has caught you in its grasp. The side vinyls display psychedelic, amorphous shapes—a visual manifestation of the player’s disturbed mental state while interacting with the machine. The young player’s serious, rigid expression was meant to convey the feeling of facing the unknown: trapped in a potentially deadly experience, poised at that fragile threshold between fascination and revulsion. The goal was to make the viewer suspect that, at any moment, something ancient and demonic might emerge from the machine’s core to drag the player toward an uncertain fate. For the player’s expression, I was inspired by a promotional image from Annabelle, recreating a possessed stare that turns directly toward the observer with just a tilt of the head. I also experimented with distorting the boy’s face using a “glitch” effect, but ultimately decided to apply it to the background instead, maintaining a subtler and more immersive sense of digital malfunction. https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/095/234/189/large/david-saavedra-do01-the-bx-game.jpg https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/095/234/243/large/david-saavedra-the-bx-game-cubierta-50.webp https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/095/234/266/large/david-saavedra-mockup-02.webp https://youtube.com/shorts/iwjTrebHGAY illustrator graphicdesigner logo…