"Home Of Peculiar Artists" Welcomes All Kinds Of "Misunderstood" Creators And Here Are 50 Of Their Most Precious Works

Bored Panda reached out to Ricky Dampers, a self-taught wildlife artist, who shared his background and inspiration for his art during the interview. "I started drawing when I was 12 years old, at that time I used to draw cartoons, then as time went by I developed some love for wildlife and animals in general because I used to watch wildlife documentaries on the National Geographic channel," he said. "So I changed from being a cartoon artist to a wildlife artist thanks to the inspiration I got from watching wildlife documentaries.”

He went on to describe the process and techniques he uses to achieve such lifelike details in his artwork. "Speaking about the process and techniques, well, firstly, I outline my subjects using freehand, then, I shade using charcoal pencils and charcoal powder to create the 3-dimensional illusion. To create texture, I use a pencil eraser and white charcoal for highlights," he shared.

When it comes to choosing the subjects for his drawings, Ricky explained that he usually chooses something eye-catching. "I usually love drawing endangered animals as a way of appreciating them," he told Bored Panda.

One particularly challenging piece he worked on was a drawing of cuddling zebras. "The most challenging piece for me to draw was the cuddling zebras because it was my first time drawing something like that," he said. "However, I managed to draw them well and they got many likes compared to all my other artwork."

Ricky also discussed his plans for the future of his work, saying "I am planning to do some mixed-media wildlife art where I will be mixing charcoal and other mediums to create unique artworks!"

He also talked about how his art reflects the world and society around him, "My art reflects the world around me in the sense that I capture the beauty of wildlife with my pencils and then present it to the world. Some people don't have the access to visit game parks but through my artworks, I hope they will be able to appreciate the beauty of wildlife and animals," he said.

In particular, Ricky discussed a piece from his portfolio titled "Agape love" (the 1st submission in this article), which is a drawing of three cuddling zebras. "I drew a piece of the 3 cuddling zebras, I titled it 'Agape love' given its composition as it represents family love. Family plays a great role in our daily lives, as we are blessed with things such as physical care, socialization, and of course, emotional support. To be honest, I was inspired by my emotions and society in general when making the drawing." he explained.