Fandom Spotlight: Ratscape

Meet Arne Ratermanis! Also known as ‘Ratscape’; a graphic designer and illustrator from the USA. He spoke to us about his love of vector art and what inspires him to create fanart.

Describe yourself in three words.

Seriously, not serious.

How long have you been creating art? What is your favorite medium?

I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember. I’ve had lots of encouragement from an early age. When I was five I was chosen to represent my kindergarten class in a school assembly where a student from each grade painted or drew something live in front of the audience. I’m pretty sure I only passed some grades through school because I helped my teachers decorate their bulletin boards with whatever artwork they needed…

Digital vector art (Adobe Illustrator) is my thing. I love the graphic looks that can be created with vectors and how easy it is to adjust and readjust the lines, colors, and layout.

Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman by Ratscape

What fandoms have you been in and made art for?

I’ve made fanart for a number of TV shows and movies – Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Agent Carter, Agents of SHIELD, Game of Thrones, and Marvel/DC movies – but never really got involved with their respective fandoms. The first fandom I truly got into was Farscape when it originally aired 20 years ago. After four seasons, the show was canceled and the fans came together to save it. It really motivated me to create art that could be used to help with the fan campaign. That’s really what started my love for creating fanart.

Currently though, I’m all about Wynonna Earp! Earpers remind me a lot of Scapers (Farscape fans) – a very fun, quirky, creative group that, if needed, will come together to help each other and their show.

Bulletproof Haught Sauce by Ratscape

Tell us about your process. How much planning is involved with each piece, and how long does it usually take you to do a typical drawing?

I’ve been a graphic designer/art director for over 30 years so I use that experience when making fanart. My work is concept driven. In the case of fanart it’s usually taking something silly – a play on words, a quote, something that only another fan would understand – and create an image that reflects that idea. For example, Kat Barrell’s character on Wynonna Earp is Officer Nicole Haught. In an early episode she survived being shot because she wore a bulletproof vest. That inspired me to create a bottle label for “Bulletproof Haught Sauce.” And that idea expanded into making a new label for each of the show’s seasons.

Drawing time varies on how complex the concept is and what style I use. A posterized style portrait can take about 3-4 hours while a more photo-realistic style can be up to 16-20 hours.

What do you find the most challenging to draw?

I rely heavily on reference photos when I’m creating my art. So when I have a specific concept in mind and can’t find a reference photo that matches my idea I get pretty frustrated. And backgrounds… I don’t care for drawing overly complex backgrounds.

Are there any artists that inspire you?

Alex Ross, Drew Struzan, Shepard Fairey, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Shag – and so many creative types from the Earper fandom – some of my favorites being ScaryKrystal, Nuutmeg, and rosemakesart.

Doc Holliday’s Revenant Taming Wax by Ratscape

Who is your favourite character to draw and why?

My favorites are Doc Holliday because of the mustache and cowboy hat (for me, props make the drawing process more fun and the end results more interesting)…and Wynonna Earp/Melanie Scrofano because – those dimples!

What do you love about Wynonna Earp, and what inspired you to start drawing fanart for it?

I got into the show watching the first season. Here was this weird, goofy, supernatural western with these perfectly flawed characters put in the most outlandish predicaments. Too much fun not to get hooked! Then, I attended a meet & greet with some of the cast held at IDW Publishing during the San Diego Comic-Con. That’s when I was compelled to draw. The cast truly seems to enjoy interacting with the fans. I saw it at the meet & greet and afterward online on Twitter. It really makes watching the show that much more enjoyable. In a silly way, it feels like the high school drama class puts on a play for the art class. And, in return, the art class is inspired to draw, paint, and write about the experience. There’s a cool back and forth vibe between the cast/crew and Earpers that stimulates creativity.

“Red Carpet Melanie” Melanie Scrofano by Ratscape

What has been your favorite work of fanart you have created? What do you love about it?

I honestly don’t have a favorite! The art I’m most happy with are the ones where I saw an improvement in my technique or found a faster or better way to accomplish what I was striving for. It’s things no one else probably even notices. I felt that way with the Melanie Scrofano portrait “Red Carpet Melanie.”

What has been the best part of your fandom experience so far?

I’m amazed at how supportive Earpers can be. My personal example: My son’s high school had a contest for their winter banquet. The student with the most online votes for best “banquet proposal” got free tickets to the event. I reached out to Earpers for votes. Such a trivial little thing, but they came out in full force. My son’s vote count obliterated his competition [laughs]!

As far as a fanart highlight, I was honored to represent Earpers when SYFY tapped me to design the trolley car and shuttle bus wraps with Wynonna Earp art for San Diego Comic-con 2018. That was surreal to walk around Downtown San Diego and see those go by!