Melanie Scott is a cartoonist living in LA, doing caricatures by day and stickers for her Etsy shop by night. I happened upon her work on Instagram and found her work to be very charming and silly in all the mediums she works in, especially her collages and character designs. Read on for more about Melanie's art journey and check out her artwork below!
Q: Where did you get your start, and how long have you been a caricature artist?
A: I actually went to school with the intention of breaking into the animation industry after graduation. I graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in 2020 - which, as everyone knows, was a rough year for employment and everything else. I received nothing but rejections from animation studios (if I received a response at all.) At the end of 2021, I moved to LA to be closer to my goal. After more rejections from studios, I started looking for other ways I could use the skills I learned in my animation classes. In March of this year, I noticed there was an opening for a caricature artist at the aquarium in long Beach. I applied, and then pretty quickly got the job! I've been doing caricatures since then.
Q: Where do you currently work, and what work are you doing?
A: Right now I'm working for the company Sketched, which is contracted by Universal Studios Hollywood. I do caricatures at the park 3-5 days a week and work at the aquarium when I can. I also recently started doing gigs -- I had my first one doing caricatures at a homecoming dance. That was a very busy night!
Q: What is it about caricature that you’re passionate about?
A: I've always loved drawing people's faces and expressions, so I transitioned into caricature art pretty easily. What makes it special to me is the positive reactions I get from people when I really nail a drawing. Sometimes a kid will ask me to draw them as their favorite character, or doing something they love, so I put in the extra effort to make it special for them. Sometimes it pays off and I get a really happy kid - that always makes my day. I like that what I do can make people smile. We all need more of that.
Q: Where do you find inspiration from? What or who influences your caricature or artistic style?
A: I have loved cartoons since I was a kid, so animation has really shaped my art. If I had to pick the biggest influences for how I draw caricatures, Mike Judge and Daniel Clowes are the first artists to come to mind. I'm also a big fan of Damion Dunn's work, and I've learned a lot just from looking at his art and time-lapse videos.
Q: How do you overcome creative blocks?
A: It's tough because sometimes I just don't feel like I'm anything special and like I'm wasting my time, and like I'm not happy with anything I make. Doing caricatures kind of forces me to keep drawing even when I feel like that. Other than that, I watch art videos on YouTube to give me ideas, and I try to experiment with other mediums when I feel like making art but can't seem to draw.
Q: I see that you studied illustration and graphic design, and then animation, at two different art schools. What are some things you learned from art school that you still apply to your artistic process?
A: That's half true, because the first college I went to was just a community College with a really good art program - that was a really affordable way to learn the basics of drawing without jumping straight into an expensive school. I highly recommend it.
As for my time at Otis, that's where I learned to step out of my comfort zone. When I first started there, I had essentially just come off a break from doing serious art for over a year, trapped in a dead-end job that sucked out all my energy. The encouragement, critique, and sharing of ideas from my teachers and peers helped me see things from a new perspective and improve, and being around other artists gave me a more of a competitive mindset that made me strive to do better.
Q: Tell me more about your illustration and design work. What kind of work are you interested in making, and what stories do you want to convey in your work?
A: I design stickers for my etsy shop based on media I enjoy, but I also make original sticker designs out of silly doodles and drawings that I do. I like to try to incorporate humor and absurdity into my art, even in more serious pieces - I think a lot of people cope with humor these days, so I hope my stuff can resonate with people that way.
Q: What are your favorite tools to use in your work? What hobbies or passions do you have outside of caricature?
A: I primarily use marker and neocolor 1 wax pastels for my drawings. Personally, I've settled on using repurposed Crayola markers refilled with water-based waterproof ink for my lines, since they create nice variation in line weight - plus, I just love thick outlines. At work, I primarily color with airbrush, or a combination of airbrush and pastel. Outside of work, I like to make collages, sculpt, play video games, and go hiking when I can.
Q: Who are your favorite women artists in caricature or in related industries?
A: Here's a few: Lindsey Olivares, who does these exaggerated, geometric, almost abstract caricatures that I absolutely love; Sophie McPike, who does soft, flowery, colorful illustrations of women; and Abby Houston, who does abstract compositions in brilliant colors. I like to look through their Instagrams for inspiration!
Q: Thanks again for participating in WIC's Artist Spotlight! Where can we follow and support your work?
A: You can follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sadwastelander
and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadwastelander/
and check out my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/melaniescoolstuff
Q: Where did you get your start, and how long have you been a caricature artist?
A: I actually went to school with the intention of breaking into the animation industry after graduation. I graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in 2020 - which, as everyone knows, was a rough year for employment and everything else. I received nothing but rejections from animation studios (if I received a response at all.) At the end of 2021, I moved to LA to be closer to my goal. After more rejections from studios, I started looking for other ways I could use the skills I learned in my animation classes. In March of this year, I noticed there was an opening for a caricature artist at the aquarium in long Beach. I applied, and then pretty quickly got the job! I've been doing caricatures since then.
Q: Where do you currently work, and what work are you doing?
A: Right now I'm working for the company Sketched, which is contracted by Universal Studios Hollywood. I do caricatures at the park 3-5 days a week and work at the aquarium when I can. I also recently started doing gigs -- I had my first one doing caricatures at a homecoming dance. That was a very busy night!
Q: What is it about caricature that you’re passionate about?
A: I've always loved drawing people's faces and expressions, so I transitioned into caricature art pretty easily. What makes it special to me is the positive reactions I get from people when I really nail a drawing. Sometimes a kid will ask me to draw them as their favorite character, or doing something they love, so I put in the extra effort to make it special for them. Sometimes it pays off and I get a really happy kid - that always makes my day. I like that what I do can make people smile. We all need more of that.
Q: Where do you find inspiration from? What or who influences your caricature or artistic style?
A: I have loved cartoons since I was a kid, so animation has really shaped my art. If I had to pick the biggest influences for how I draw caricatures, Mike Judge and Daniel Clowes are the first artists to come to mind. I'm also a big fan of Damion Dunn's work, and I've learned a lot just from looking at his art and time-lapse videos.
Q: How do you overcome creative blocks?
A: It's tough because sometimes I just don't feel like I'm anything special and like I'm wasting my time, and like I'm not happy with anything I make. Doing caricatures kind of forces me to keep drawing even when I feel like that. Other than that, I watch art videos on YouTube to give me ideas, and I try to experiment with other mediums when I feel like making art but can't seem to draw.
Q: I see that you studied illustration and graphic design, and then animation, at two different art schools. What are some things you learned from art school that you still apply to your artistic process?
A: That's half true, because the first college I went to was just a community College with a really good art program - that was a really affordable way to learn the basics of drawing without jumping straight into an expensive school. I highly recommend it.
As for my time at Otis, that's where I learned to step out of my comfort zone. When I first started there, I had essentially just come off a break from doing serious art for over a year, trapped in a dead-end job that sucked out all my energy. The encouragement, critique, and sharing of ideas from my teachers and peers helped me see things from a new perspective and improve, and being around other artists gave me a more of a competitive mindset that made me strive to do better.
Q: Tell me more about your illustration and design work. What kind of work are you interested in making, and what stories do you want to convey in your work?
A: I design stickers for my etsy shop based on media I enjoy, but I also make original sticker designs out of silly doodles and drawings that I do. I like to try to incorporate humor and absurdity into my art, even in more serious pieces - I think a lot of people cope with humor these days, so I hope my stuff can resonate with people that way.
Q: What are your favorite tools to use in your work? What hobbies or passions do you have outside of caricature?
A: I primarily use marker and neocolor 1 wax pastels for my drawings. Personally, I've settled on using repurposed Crayola markers refilled with water-based waterproof ink for my lines, since they create nice variation in line weight - plus, I just love thick outlines. At work, I primarily color with airbrush, or a combination of airbrush and pastel. Outside of work, I like to make collages, sculpt, play video games, and go hiking when I can.
Q: Who are your favorite women artists in caricature or in related industries?
A: Here's a few: Lindsey Olivares, who does these exaggerated, geometric, almost abstract caricatures that I absolutely love; Sophie McPike, who does soft, flowery, colorful illustrations of women; and Abby Houston, who does abstract compositions in brilliant colors. I like to look through their Instagrams for inspiration!
Q: Thanks again for participating in WIC's Artist Spotlight! Where can we follow and support your work?
A: You can follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sadwastelander
and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadwastelander/
and check out my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/melaniescoolstuff
