Employee Spotlight: Eric Ramirez
🎨 Employee Spotlight: Eric Ramirez – Graphic Designer SME 🎨
We’re excited to shine the spotlight on Eric Ramirez, a Graphic Designer SME whose creativity is fueled by curiosity, resilience, and a deep-rooted passion for visual storytelling. From sketching comic book covers as a kid to experimenting with VFX and returning to traditional ink and watercolor, Eric’s artistic journey is a fun one!
Outside of work, you’ll find him perfecting his burgers on the smoker, staying motivated by reverse-engineering the world around him, and showing up every day to be the kind of father and role model he always hoped to have. Whether it’s with a pencil, pixels, or a grill spatula, Eric brings thoughtfulness and heart to everything he does—and we’re lucky to have him on the team.
👇 Keep reading below to learn more about Eric in his own words in his Q&A!
Employee Spotlight Questions
Q: What initially drew you to your field, and how has that passion evolved over time?
A: I’ve always would draw, since I was very young (I don’t really remember when I started). I started with copying comic book covers and the old VHS Disney clam shells. Then I worked my way into graffiti (my older brother was really into that). Through junior high and high school I just drew for my own reasons, not really to show it off or for any artistic freedom.But in high school I discovered Vocational Tech school… because I wasn’t going to graduate high school. VoTech allowed me to get the credits needed to graduate… So while there I chose “Graphic Communications” which was my start in design. That’s where I started to learn Photoshop, Illustrator, and using and fixing offset presses.
The way it evolved was that while in VoTech a recruiter for an art school (The Art Institute) came by and talked about cartoons, video games, comic illustrations, and what not… and it made me realize that people actually do that for a living. So I went that direction, the initial interest was in character design (2d then 3d)… I totally fell for the 3d arts. I loved the detail and making illustrations come to life with 3d. Over time it has changed to special effects (Visual effects -VFX-) which I do from time to time at home. Now I’ve gone back to straight up pen and ink with water color. Since my professional career circles around SO much tech… I’ve been leaning towards more traditional mediums.
Q: What’s a valuable lesson you’ve learned from a work experience, good or bad?
A: No matter what, the goal is to understand what “around you” looks like and in the ways that it does. And when that is understood how does the human eye perseive it and how would a camera lens captures it.
Q: What’s your strategy for staying motivated during challenging times?
A: Research why things look they way they do… and when you do, how can I replicate it. Figuring ways on how things work naturally motivates me to try to recreate/develop it with all the control I have using/mixing the software’s that exist.
Q: What are you most passionate about outside of work?
A: My Family, to be present, to be everything that I didn’t have.
Q: What’s a fun fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know?
A: I used to box, for about 7 – 8 years. I think I was pretty good at it… and because I’ve always have been heavy but short… almost all my matches were kids MUCH taller than me. I lost plenty, but when I would get close (to the point where my forhead was touching thier chest) I would destroy them.
Q: What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
A: Drinking coffee while cooking with my wife.
Q: What’s your favorite aspect of our company culture?
A: I’m not really sure, I haven’t much chance to interact with the company other a few people. Soo, I don’t know how to answer this question.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to cook (or order)?
A: I like to make burgers for the kids, I make them big. Then I smoke them for about an hour (they don’t shrink that way and stay juicy) then I sear them on the grill. I also bake bacon and add avocados to them. My kids call them “Big Boy Burgers”.
Q: What’s your go-to karaoke song? (If they don’t sing karaoke, replace with “What’s a song that always gets you pumped up?”)
A: I don’t sing… nobody would want me to sing. That’s why I draw, lol. I really can’t think of a specific song but I like Hip Hop… grunge and 90-early 2000’s rock, I also like metal from time to time (now that I’m older… I don’t listen to as much but other than when I’m doing house work)
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: When life kicks you and puts you on the ground… and tries to keep you there. All you can do is get up and say “is that all you got!?”
Q: Do you have a favorite quote or motto that you live by?
A: I need to be better, so they (my kids) can be better then me.