Bruno's drawings is a project that came out of necessity, but is the result of a passion for cartoon by Bruno Prates. An initiative that is not limited to caricatures, but extends to the youngest, through a project in preschool that want's to promote creativity, through this art form and in the future an academy of design for all.
What led you to this project of Bruno and his cartoons?
Bruno Prates: This project somehow begins in childhood, when my father encouraged me to draw uncle Mac Duck, or Zé Carioca, that was how we passed the time. Then I started to create my own figures with the head of a cartoon, legs and arms of others, because I thought it was more important to copy the originals. Because I was training a lot, I began to hear that I drew well and in 1997 tried to send to an Alcobaça newspaper some drawings in a more critical tone, humorous strips, the director like it, published it and then I started to my experience in press. On the other hand, also had a habit of making designs to offer to my friends or family at a wedding or anniversary and people began to encourage me to charge for the drawings, but I did not, because I am a professor of visual education and technology since 2003, if my job was to draw I charged money, but I do it for pleasure. In 2013 the Ministry of Education decided that there was no longer a need to have two teachers per room and only need it one and many of us teachers of that area we were unemployed and I had to find an alternative to school and many things I could do I remembered that the cartoons was the one thing I domain and started to publish my work in social networks and started to receive orders.
You have a main character in the cartoons or your are just a result of the photos they send you?
BP: There are two different concepts, I have the custom cartoon, where people send the photo and I do the design and then have the humorous strip to the press that I always have a main character who is Zé Povinho, is a design that represents us all inspired by Bordallo Pinheiro and yes that is my usual character.
When you draw the cartoon on demand in addition to the photo, you ask for a summary of the personality of the person you will caricatured or not really?
BP: Normally I ask for the photo and a theme that they want to see the person depicted. If something very elaborate increases the price is depending on the complexity of the work. In general people tell me the musical tastes of the target for me to draw something that has to do with the music, or enjoy the computers to have an element associated with that, or new technologies. For example, there are children who dream of being astronauts, I draw them in that way. There are features that I question the customer, if it is just a caricature I do it in the humorous and entertaining style that characterizes me, if it's a company to place an order then yes I ask the "portrait" of various personalities, or people to represent. The cartoons for companies is a more recent and a less consistent project, in this case I make a cartoon based on what co-workers notice in that person, which idea has from it.
What are the people who ask you for cartoons? Have you got the idea of a target customer?
BP: Yes, already. Bruno's designs have been around since 2013, and in these three years of existence already can do this classification, mostly are women between the age group between 25 and 45 years of age, they are those that hire me, why? I do not know, they ask me many caricatures of children, husbands or Valentine to offer. Men are more modest or distrustful but they also order, it's more the corporate level. It is more noticeable particularly in father's day, when approaching the date I have many orders, when is Mother's Day, I have almost no requests.
Reveals a little of what you intend to long-term to be "Bruno's drawings"?
BP: As I teach and give training have a project with the pre-school which aims the development of creativity from the cartoon. This is a work that I intend to develop with the earlier ages and that already exists. I started last year to present the idea and this year I have to implement it in partnership with the Municipality of Caldas da Rainha. Another goal is to go to the schools address this issue of caricature, to explain how to live from design only depends on the way we worked. The medium and long term which is why I'm working, I want to help create an academy of drawing in the shed cartoon and not so much the plastic expression, because we have a lot of requests for workshops for adults and sometimes is not easy because I have no availability for all. I would like to provide a facility where it could develop such skills in terms of design.
Have you had any request for a caricature somewhat strange or unusual?
BP: I have one or another customer asks me to favor certain parts of the body, I speak of the genitals and these situations leaves me somewhat embarrassed, though it is all over the Internet and I have to keep the maximum a certain distance and respect so there is no confusion. Then I have very beautiful customers and try to get the message that will probably be difficult to transpose it to the design because it is a fun caricature.
So it's always that way that orders are made? By Internet? You never find yourself physically with the person to make a cartoon?
BP: No, there are few such situations, because the cartoon is very simplified. It's a quick design that does not require an analysis on the spot, through photography can make the drawing, although there are customers who have this idea, but I always explain the process, which is simple because it allows me to work the hours I want I'll managing my time efficiently and can work this way.
How long on average delays to make a caricature?
BP: First, I read everything people write about the person, then I draw a caricature on a sheet in pencil, I scan it, then do the vector on the computer and chick at the end command apply on t-shirts or mugs, or frames, but also do paintings on walls, on average it takes me two hours per person. I continue to draw in pencil not to miss this design habit, I like drawing and also because of the scan is the most boring part of the job. Then, step the cartoon into the vector to make it easier for their application in other materials. When I design send a proof for client approval, if approved immediately everything is solved in two hours, but if they do not respond immediately, or you need to change something, that happens sometimes, a job may take longer. There is also this issue, the person sends me a picture that they like very much and does not show cases the true of his features, I draw from that image, then the person says he does not like it, why? For one, the design is mine and and my view of that person, not just reproduce what they want, although not everyone is easy to draw.
What makes one person more difficult to draw than others?
BP: It is to be as normal as possible. If you do not have a physical characteristic that you can highlight like the nose, teeth, ears, eyes or hair, it becomes more difficult because it is a common face and you have to go looking for something to not be like the picture. (laughs).
