BEN McDERMOTT

Cartooning, Printmaking, Painting

Artist Statement

My art is inspired by cartoons, anime, and video games. I hope it reminds you of watching Saturday morning cartoons from my childhood in the 90s and 2000s. I usually make my art with pencil and markers or colored pencils. I have really enjoyed making screen print designs and I like to put my original characters with a twist into my work. I hope you feel entertained and amused when you look at my art. Making art makes me feel inspired and hopeful for my future. I think that everyone is capable of making their own original characters and drawing them up from their imagination. I like to draw famous cartoon characters, cartoon animals, superheroes, mythical creatures, puppets, monsters, robots, and much more! I have many influences, and most come from cartoons and famous cartoonists both old and new. They include: Anime, videogames, Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons, Jay Ward, Jim Henson, Sid and Marty Krofft, Pixar, Dreamworks, Dr. Seuss, Richard Scarry, Dav Pickey, Charles Schultz, Bill Watterson, Jim Davis, Ub Iwerks, Max Fleischer, Alfred Harvey, George Herriman, Hayao Miyazaki, Craig McCracken, Total Television Productions, UPA cartoons, Don Martin, and Osamu Tezuka. My goals are to create more advanced drawings, create a character sheet, and learn to make three-dimensional characters. My ultimate dream is to make cartoon shorts or comic books of my characters.