Stephanie Ramplin's cute 3D characters in kitschy outfits will raise a smile

What strikes us first, though, are the often mundane yet charmingly honest depictions of everyday life: from discovering and squeezing a new zit to eating pizza instead of lifting those weights, Stephanie finds humour in the dullest moments. "I love combining kitsch, sparkles and a high heel with the splendour of everyday situations. There're lots of cute characters, chunky thighs and a sarcastic sense of humour," she tells Creative Boom.

An illustrator and designer from Bristol, now based in London, Stephanie began drawing and creating when she was a child but began her career in arts marketing, working for places such as the Southbank Centre and the National Theatre.

Interestingly, she didn't do any formal training in illustration or design: "I actually studied music at uni. But I've always tried to jump on any little opportunities that come my way, stuff like posters, album artwork, logos, which has slowly led me to where I am now. I used to work just in 2D but last year I took the plunge into the world of 3D, having always wanted to do it, and I've completely fallen in love with it."

Through her design work, she mainly focuses on the arts sector and her clients include Universal Music, London Symphony Orchestra, and the YMCA. She also makes sure she always has a personal project "ticking along". As she tells us, "The lockdown has given me the time to do some fun stuff. At the start of this year, I made a little about animation about all the gross stuff I'd seen on my daily walk (you can find it on my Instagram). It was the first time I'd made a longer-form animation with a narrative arc all by myself, usually, I just make a looping GIF or a short 15 second video, so I definitely felt a sense of achievement after finishing it! Would love to do more in the future."

What stands out most about her work is the characters she creates. Character drawing is something she claims to have always been obsessed with. "I think I'm quite observant and I would say a lot of my work is just reflecting the world around me, whether it's friends, people I see when I'm out, or my favourite pop star. I also love to celebrate different types of bodies – as someone who's always struggled with body image and accepting their body, it's liberating to explore this in my work and I'm often creating characters doing something I wish I could do. Like jumping out of a cake in a sequin bra and panties...perhaps one day!"