Continually frustrated, and quite frankly bored with the plethora of ‘Top 60 Footers’, ‘How to get more followers on Twitter’ posts, endless digs at IE6, and just general bad web design out there at the minute, it’s so refreshing to see a really simple, short, nicely illustrated and funny project!
Behind the Websites is a daily take on the well known websites out there. Illustrator Ricardo Gimenes creates a funny illustration based on the characters/story behind a chosen site. I got to chat with Ricardo about the project.
Could you explain a bit about yourself, your background and ‘Behind the Websites’?
I’ve been studying since I was thirteen. I later graduated in Art and Communication from the Panamericana School of Art and Design in São Paulo. More recently I have taken courses in Digital Cinema and Art Direction. Besides that, I have learnt quite a lot of computer skills myself, like Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, etc.
For a long time I was thinking about making a blog with illustrations, like a personal project and finally I came up with behind the websites.
It is a brilliant project. I love it! Where did the inspiration come from?
I was working on a very boring project (the project was cool but the client was terrible). After 5000 changes requested from “the art director client” I sent the final design. After I sent it I was imagining the client looking at his computer and saying: It’s beautiful, perfect! but I want to change the color, and the font size a little, and swap the photo, etc… This was when I had an idea to illustrate the client behind the website and only complain…I didn’t illustrate the client but was the beginning of behind the websites.
Do you plan to have a new illustration up every day?
Yes, and I have plan to launch a new one behind the websites, a portuguese version, called “Behind the websites Brasil” it will mean, two illustrations everyday!
How do you choose your ‘victims’?
There’s no a specific way, basically I’m trying to associate an old cartoon with something new (as you can see I love Hanna-Barbera characters). Yes Im more than 30 years old.
I am incredibly bored with the Internet at the minute. Wading through the constant ‘Top 10 Lists’, ‘how to get more followers on twitter’ posts and IE6 bashing sites is getting really tiresome. It’s great to see something different like your blog. Did it take much work to put together?
Thanks! To be honest I wasn’t thinking about creating something different or new, “behind the websites” is a time when I sit back and relax, a pleasure time for me, thats why it doesn’t take much work. The problem is when I finish the illustration and have come back to “real world”.
What other illustrators/designers inspire you?
At the moment my inspiration is Arthur the Pins, he’s a master of shading, as you can see I’m far away from him but definitely, I want to be like him when I grow up.
Have you used social media much to promote your blog? What other methods have you used?
I need someone to help me to promote my blog. I only joined Twitter a month ago and currently there’s no other ways I promote my blog, only twitter and sending the links to friends and a few design sites.
You offer to show people what’s behind their website for very cheap. How cheap? :)
Super cheap, only $7500 dollars if you want you some images behind of any website! Of course I’m talking about if you want 100 images behind your website. ;) The price is $75 dollars for each illustration/character. Also there’s a very good feature in my blog, a donation button, but I guess nobody knows how to use the button, I didn’t get any donation, anyway someone has Paris Hilton email address?
Thanks Ricardo! Looking forward to seeing more illustrations soon! :)
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