Ama Romp
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I am an illustrator + a set designer, wandering back and forth between the physical and 2d imaginary world.”
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I devoted a lot of my free time to illustrating. I drew every day for at least an hour, some days many hours for many many years until my style became fully developed. I tried lots of different techniques: one line drawings, eyes closed drawings, pen to paper and draw what comes to mind, dreamt up concepts carefully drawn with pencil first, places I visited, etc. Once I started posting on Instagram, which was greatly encouraged by friends, I found myself getting a lot of commissioned work. Since then I’ve worked with brands creating logos, flash illustrations for web, marketing materials, posters, as well as stationary, commissioned tattoos, product labels… etc. And I la-la-love it!
How do you stand out in your field?
I have a unique obscure yet whimsical style that I believe helps me stand out. The colors I use are meant to look a bit antiquated, but also pop in interesting ways. Art that brings curiosity and encourages you out of your bubble wandering into an outlandish periodically different time that you just cant place. Strange encourages a 2nd or 3rd glance over and thats what I always hope to accomplish with my work to stand out. I also listen to the client. Nothing is left unheard and unattended to. I am attentive and compassionate and I put all my love into each detail.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
A series I am calling Elizabethan Garden that will transition into a physical theatrical set. Its elegant, creepily obscure, and quite bizarrely but yet elegantly lovely. I just finished the first of 5 illustrations and am excited to complete the series.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My style is slightly eccentric, with a feminine twist. My taste is for the unusual and the spectaculars. My perspective is anything fantastical and dream worthy. I try to sprinkle this into each illustration I release.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
Installation art. I’m a set designer, and I love building sets but I always wanted to put forth a lot of energy into installation pieces that more people can enjoy rather than the talent and production team. I have two in depth experiential installations on the back burner that I hope to raise money to do one day soon!
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
The only thing that keeps me from moving forward is financing the projects I’d like to run forward with. Being a freelancer is rough, especially during Covid times. The task that keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the to do list is the business I’m trying to start. With the pandemic, it is nearly impossible to save any bit of money and get things moving along, no matter if you are the most productive art babe there is. (me, wink)
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Right now I would say, helping me taking small steps forward with starting the business (prep work, filing forms, starting accounts, help with website, outreach, marketing, licenses). If I could afford someone to help me with that, I’d have em’ start last year!
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
To not worry so much about what others think. I was so shy to even let people know I drew or was an artist in general. I hid it and was embarrassed by my work. Once I let that go and started sharing my creativity with others, I truly started to follow my imagination. Everything changed for me since. Being shy about your work will only keep you from future work and exposure!!! I want to shake my younger self silly of these nonsensical hyper awareness of what others may or may not think.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
Steps on how to expose my work so the correct audience can find me and which illustration agencies would show keen interest to my style. I’m having trouble with how to market myself and a little direction on where to showcase my bits and services would help me out in the grandest of ways!
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Product label design, Textile design, Wallpaper design, Book Illustrations, Event + Advertising Posters, Marketing Materials, Stationary, Album covers, Book Covers. All things creative that allows me to think outside the box and get to illustrating is key!
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
An ideal client is one that who has contacted me because they love my style and it connected them to what they would like for their brand/product/custom piece. One that is detail oriented and knows what they want but also invites my creative impulses to come out and play. Someone who wants to build a relationship + have me create materials for them throughout the year.
An ideal job is textile + wallpaper design. That is one of my biggest bucket list items on my to do list for illustrations. Along with Book Illustrations. I would love to create fantastical textiles, wallpapers and book Illustrations.
Ideal collaboration would be to give a company an eccentric rebrand that reads my style to a tee. Someone who allow me to mix my illustration art with set design for their content is an ultimate goal and would be an extraordinary collaboration.
Who is a creative that has helped you elevate your work?
I’m terribly introverted when it comes to working/sharing on my art mid process. I haven’t had quite a lot of creative help to elevate my work from a physical person. I’m inspired by the circus, vaudeville, side shows, carnivals, abandoned places, the desert, obscurity shops, Tom Waits, Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball, Tim Walker, Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, nature, foliage, etc. If I’m stuck, I usually stay true to my roots and weed through my inspirations to make any add ons or sculpt something a bit more. I like to send my work to my phone to see it through another perspective which helps me find mistakes that I can correct.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email is always best. I like to get as much information about the project up front. Nothing can be worst then a very long thread of emails you cant find your details deep in a project. Any info on terms of scope of work, short bio of the brand/product/person the illustration is for, any inspiration images or illustrations pulled from my archive that drove them to me with what they like. Information pertaining to concept, sizing, budget and any other details necessary to brief the project being presented to me to fully identify their vision.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
I’m a Pisces. Daydream! Visit Interesting places. Work on multiple creative projects of different mediums.
This member profile was originally published in November 2020.