If you’re considering trading your money for my skills, you can view my resumé and my portfolio below, then send your interest via e-mail to mikeramsey5 at gmail dot com.
If you would like to hire me for freelance work, I’m always available. No job is too small, and my rates are low and negotiable! A detailed prospectus of your project is the first step toward finding what works for your budget.
View my Portfolio on Cargo
Resumé (PDF)
Philosophy of Design
I have a passion for design. Like the clothes we wear, the design choices an organization makes speak to the character and identity of that organization. Good, thoughtful design strengthens any message, idea, or brand, providing a sense of completeness and confidence that resonates with customers. Unfortunately, the world is filled with careless, incoherent design that can cause people to tune out a message before it’s even delivered. I consider it my personal mission to help organizations and individuals communicate to their constituents in a stronger, more purposeful way.
Bringing Stories to Life
Long before discovering the pleasure of good design, I have had a lifelong love affair with cartooning and illustration. There is a certain magical quality to a process that begins with a blank white page and ends with a vivid world filled with interesting situations and characters. Breathing life into stories – to capture the essence of a personality in a few bold strokes, to establish a mood with the judicious application of color – brings me great joy that I am eager to share with organizations, publications, and authors.
Awards & Honors
2nd Place, Original Cartoon
2007 Michigan Collegiate Press Association Contest
1st Place, Column
2006 Michigan Collegiate Press Association Contest
Honorable Mention, Original Cartoon
2006 Michigan Collegiate Press Association Contest
3rd Place, Editorial Cartoon
2006 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Software Proficiency
InDesign •••••
Illustrator •••••
Flash •••••
Final Cut •••••
HTML •••••
CSS •••••
PHP •••••
After Effects •••••
MS Office •••••
Fine Arts Media
Graphite •••••
Charcoal •••••
Mixed Media •••••
Acrylic •••••
Watercolor •••••
Oils •••••
Sculpture •••••
Education
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Arts – Graphic Design
Sept. 2008 – May 2012
Michigan State University
Studied Telecommunications (five semesters toward Bachelor of Arts)
Sept. 2004 – May 2007
North Allegheny Senior High School
High School Diploma
Sept. 2000 – May 2004
Experience
Freelance Graphic Designer / Illustrator
Sept. 2006 – Present
Specialize in print, identity, and web design, as well as fine art and cartoon illustration. Past clients have included student groups, authors, home beer brewers, and political organizers.
Online Editor
Sept. 2008 – April 2012
Designed, implemented, and managed the online presence of The Clarion Call, Clarion University of Pennsylvania’s weekly student newspaper. Duties included the creation and management of The Call’s website, Facebook page, Twitter account(s), YouTube channel, Flickr account, etc. and the coordination of same with other members of the Editorial Board and staff.
Editorial Cartoonist
Sept. 2008 – April 2012
Drew political cartoons for The Call’s Opinion page, on deadline, every week. Duties also included creating occasional illustrations and columns, as well as aiding the Managing Editor in the editorship of the Comics section. Garnered greater attention to the paper by stimulating conversation among the readership.
Graphic Designer
Jan. 2010 – Dec. 2010
Designed posters, flyers, brochures, and other print materials for PAGES (Printing And Express Graphics Services), Clarion University of Pennsylvania’s in-house print shop. Duties included not only design but also some maintenance of the shop’s printers and other equipment. Clients included individuals and student groups as well as the University itself, for which I was trained in the University’s established style guidelines.
Editorial Cartoonist
June 2005 – May 2007
Drew award-winning political cartoons for The State News, Michigan State University’s daily student newspaper. Duties included delivering five cartoons per week on deadline, serving on the paper’s Editorial Board and contributing to daily editorial meetings, and creating occasional illustrations and columns.
Producer
Jan. 2005 – May 2007
Served as a writer, director, editor, and occasional actor for MSU Telecasters, a student group at Michigan State University that
produces content for the university’s student-run television station.
Duties included staging sets, operating cameras and other
equipment, editing video and managing a production team as a
booth director.
