Joe Rampley

Minimalist, ethereal drawings from the LSAD graduate illustrator

A natural image-maker, Joe Rampley’s illustrations routinely focus on strong, structural forms, with a minimalist streak throughout. Intriguingly, this suggests a near-lifelike quality to many of his pieces, while others are more playful or seek merely to present their subjects in a new light. All, however, are endowed with a surreal, ethereal atmosphere that grips the viewer throughout.

Joe tells us that the architectural motif in his work stems from having “always been drawn to structure and place”. These subjects translate well into his signature clean-cut style, allowing him to combine his passion for both illustration and buildings. It’s a process he’s increasingly comfortable with and now enjoys “approaching a new brief which will push [his] style that bit further”; a testament to his desire to keep learning.

Having graduated with a Foundation Diploma from Blackpool & the Fylde College, Joe headed to the Liverpool School of Art & Design, graduating in 2015. While the former provided “the perfect starting block for a young creative”, Joe describes his time in Liverpool even more fondly: “It equipped me for life after university. With seminars about freelancing and talks from people who are successfully freelancing right now. It gave you a sense that this is a feasible goal if you put the leg work in.”

And so that’s exactly what he’s done. To recreate a sense of structure, Joe sets himself rules about elements like colour and composition, using these constraints to benefit his overall process. In so doing, he creates a cohesive portfolio where there is continuity throughout the entire body of work, evidencing both his sophistication and maturity as an emerging illustrator.

joerampley.com