Steph Ramplin
Published 11th August 2021
INTRODUCTION
Steph is a 3D illustrator and animator from Bristol, now living and working in London. She's been drawing and creating since she was little, but started her career in arts marketing, working at venues such as Southbank Centre and the National Theatre.
Since making the switch over to design and illustration, Steph worked as an in-house designer at a corporate animation studio, before starting out as a freelance 3D artist in 2020. She loves to celebrate the splendour of people in everyday situations in her work - combining cute characters, kitschy outfits and a sarcastic sense of humour. Clients include Spotify, Apple, Hornet, Universal Music and Hen's Teeth.
What is it about the kids show Pingu that you love so much?
I love a lot of stop-motion clay animation and I just enjoy how silly Pingu is. I also really like that the characters aren't just confined to realistic animal forms - sometimes they squish into balls, sometimes they melt into the floor and sometimes they turn into doughnuts and roll around. I also think the sound design is great.
© Steph Ramplin
You’ve had a pretty squiggly career from studying music to working in marketing and now 3D illustration...What are some of the biggest lessons you have learnt about your own character along the way?
Yes - I never would have imagined that I'd be doing what I'm doing now but I'm very happy to be! I guess one thing I've learnt is that I'm quite an independent worker. I used to think I was not very creative, because I've never been very good at coming up with ideas on the spot, like in meetings or during group brainstorms. I think I'm a bit of an introvert at heart so I'm much happier figuring out problems and coming up with solutions when I'm alone.
When I was first making the switch from working in marketing to design I wasn't very confident and probably undersold myself / didn't go for opportunities because I had no experience and didn't go to art college. I've learnt now that stuff doesn't really matter so much. Just be confident in your thing and make work you like - that will probably resonate more with other people too.
“Just be confident in your thing and make work you like”
What would you tell your 18 year-old self deciding what career path to pursue?
I'd definitely tell myself to not rush into going to uni. I wish I'd just got a job and spent time developing my art, which is what I've ended up doing but in my late 20s. There are so many resources online now that it's possible to teach yourself stuff that just would not have been accessible 10 years ago. Social media platforms, although they can be a hell-hole, have also opened things up a lot and allow people to connect with other artists and get their work seen, which I think is a great thing.
For anyone new to 3D, how would you describe your process from your initial concepts to final kick ass illustrations?
I generally start with a sketch although if I'm just making stuff for fun, sometimes I'll just jump straight into 3D. The next stage for me is modelling - sculpting the objects and characters in 3D space. For characters, once you are happy with your model, you have to build a rig inside of it, which looks a lot like a skeleton. After rigging comes animation - sometimes I'll do frame animation and other times I'll try and find some motion-capture (especially if time is tight). The final stage is generally colouring everything, textures and adding lights to the scene. And the final final stage is rendering, which often is the bit I find most stressful, because it can take a long time.
© Steph Ramplin
What stories and messages do you hope to evoke in your work?
I think mostly I just like making silly animations of people in everyday situations - things I've experienced, people I've seen. I enjoy making people laugh. I also love to celebrate different types of bodies in my work - I'm someone who has really struggled with body image and being comfortable with my size so I find it really liberating to create characters whose bodies look more like mine - with tummy rolls, boobs, thicker thighs and arms. My no. 1 goal for the end of the year is to learn how to animate boobs and tummy fat properly - it's quite hard!
“I’m someone who has really struggled with body image and being comfortable with my size so I find it really liberating to create characters whose bodies look more like mine”
How much value have self-initiated projects brought to your practice?
Self-initiated projects are my favourite - it’s where I have the most fun. Self-initiated projects also have a big influence on the kind of client work that I get - clients often reference my self-initiated work in their briefs.
“Even if it’s something small, I definitely think it’s worth giving yourself the time to create something just for you.”
It can be hard to find the time to do your own projects, especially if you're working full-time on other stuff. Even if it's something small, I definitely think it's worth giving yourself the time to create something just for you.
© Steph Ramplin
What are some of the best resources you’ve discovered for learning animation and 3D design?
There are loads of tutorials on YouTube - sometimes you have to do a bit of sifting but I find them really useful. I use Cinema 4D, so E. J. Hassenfratz has loads of great tutorials you can follow along with (and good for all ability levels). School of Motion also have some good free resources that you can use.
If you've made a 3D character but you're scared of rigging/animating, have a look at Mixamo (which comes with Adobe). It's a MoCap library but it can also auto-rig your character for you, which is really handy.
I'm moving away from using MoCap as much now and doing more frame animation. I'm still looking for a good resource for that!
Also, don't be afraid to get in touch with your favourite artists on socials and or even put out questions to your friends/followers - the 3D/animation online community is great!
Who would you love to collaborate with by the end of 2021 and why?
Hmmmmm I'm not sure I could name one person I'd like to collaborate with - there are so many - but I'd love to work on another music video for someone.
Follow Steph
If you’d like to reach out to Steph, drop her an email on: stephramplin@gmail.com
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