We recently came across some extra ordinary work by a caricature and comic artist Steve Rampton. Impressed by his working skills we decided to have a conversation with him about his work. Basically he draws caricatures of celebrities but he also draws for private persons as well (If you are interested, his contacts are under the interview).
Pro Media Mag : Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Steve Rampton : My name is Steve Rampton, and I’m an illustrator and graphic designer currently living in Los Angeles.
(You and your readers may have seen my work under the moniker BinaryGod.)
Pro Media Mag : Who or what inspired you to get into this art of creating caricatures and comics?
Steve Rampton : I’ve always loved cartoons and comics, ever since I was a little boy, and I’ve been drawing for about thirty-three years.
There are so many talented artists working today, so it’s a little tough to make a living, and everyone has to find a niche.
I started the caricature business in 2013 by drawing cartoon versions of my friend’s dogs. (You can see some examples at www.doodlemydog.com)
This quickly escalated into drawing other pets, and eventually humans.
Pro Media Mag : You have planned to release one celebrity caricature per day in 2017 ?
Steve Rampton : Yeah, so far so good! But it’s still early. It’s pretty time consuming, so I’m hoping I can keep it up.
In order to keep it up for the whole year, I’ll need to turn down a few of my paid jobs.
Pro Media Mag : So you would definitely need funds for this project. How are you planning to get those ?
Steve Rampton : Yes, I needed to figure out a way to replace the funds I’ll be missing if the daily caricature project continues as planned.
I found a crowdfunding site called Patreon that looks promising.
Pro Media Mag : So how does Patreon work?
Steve Rampton : Patreon is a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, but instead of funding a specific project for a limited time, you’re funding an artist for as long as you want.
There are different levels of support, and the more you pledge, the more goodies you unlock. For example, for only $1 a month, you get color versions and sketches of all my caricatures for this project.
For $5 a month, you get bonus full color caricatures on Sundays, process videos, PSD files, and a link of your choice on my blog thanking you for your support.
Patreon allows the creator to use the power of crowdfunding to offer some pretty incredible deals for art lovers.
Pro Media Mag : Do you create caricatures of private persons as well?
Steve Rampton : Absolutely. In fact, until my Patreon campaign starts picking up some steam, I’m using the funds earned over the holidays to support me. Christmas is always the busiest time of year for me,
and I drew quite a few personal caricatures as gifts for my clients all over the world, including the USA, the UK, Israel, and Norway.
Pro Media Mag : Anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Steve Rampton : For any aspiring artists, it’s a very tough gig, but it’s very rewarding. Use the internet to your advantage, and try to find your voice and your own niche as soon as possible.
The days of the starving artist are over, if you can get creative in your fundraising.
Pro Media Mag : Have you set some goals to achieve?
Steve Rampton : I’ve written a children’s book about wild pigs that I still need to illustrate, but I need to find time to do it. I’m hoping that the funds raised on my Patreon account will help with this goal, too.
Pro Media Mag : How can someone contact you to avail your services?
Steve Rampton : The best way to contact me is through my website, www.binarygod.com. There’s a contact form you can fill out to make a suggestion or request a quote for a job.
I’m also on Facebook, if you’d rather contact me that way. I’m at www.facebook.com/binarygod
If you’d simply like to become a supporter of the caricature project, the details are at http://www.patreon.com/binarygod.
