Today we’d like to introduce you to Pierre Cerrato
Hi Pierre, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Pierre and I also go by OOFSTER. I am a latino Artist/Producer/Editor and I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. I moved to Atlanta back in 2006 and have been here ever since. I am influenced by graffiti, skateboarding, my latino heritage, cartoons and any music I can headbang to.
I went to the College of Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit with the intent of studying graphic design. I really just wanted to make skateboard graphics and thought that was the best way to get into that, but I was less than thrilled with the program and as luck would have it, the school had just started an animation program. I was able to switch to the Traditional Animation track and took some extra Illustration classes.
A year or so after graduating, I was lucky enough to get a job at Soup2Nuts in Boston. I painted backgrounds on a kids show called Time Warp Trio. A year later, a good friend told me that I should apply for a job at the place he was working at in Atlanta. It was an editorial gig and I wanted to be a little closer to my family in Miami, so I applied, did a quick test and got the job. The studio was called Radical Axis (RIP) and I got to work on some Adult Swim shows, commercials for Cartoon Network Latin America and edited some “sizzle reels” for clients. Editing really clicked with the part of my brain that needs structure and likes to take a pile of footage and turn it into something cohesive and hopefully entertaining. After 4 years of working in editorial I wanted to get back into animating and more drawing related jobs. I landed a job with Floyd County Productions working as an illustrator on their new show. I loved the art style and comedic sensibilities of the show they produced before called Frisky Dingo and jumped at the chance to work on Archer. I was able to draw on the show for about a season and half before being called back into the edit bay. I did that for a little over 6 seasons until the last 4 seasons that I was fortunate enough to be a Producer on the show. Going back to edit didn’t bother me because Archer was so funny, looked great and had an incredible voice cast.
Editing and producing are creative in their respective ways, but they didn’t exactly scratch the drawing itch. My coworkers would invite me to art shows all around town and hang outs at the Highlander (RIP) I was able to make a lot of good friends at these hangs and would eventually start to get into small art shows and random live painting events. Killamari and I were hanging out a lot. (I met him while working at Radical Axis) and over time found out we shared a lot of interests and similar life experiences. He wanted to get an art club going and invited me and some other friends to be a part of the Lotus Eaters Club. I was still making stuff before joining LEC but being in the club was like supercharging my creativity because I was surrounded by so many fun and talented artists. I was inspired and motivated to create. Killamari also really pushed me to start painting murals and we have been eating, painting, and generally doing our thing around town for about 10-ish years now.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think anyone has a smooth road to any destination, especially living in Atlanta. Cuz of all the potholes… anyways, the road of my life has not been overtly challenging but I would say that the biggest professional challenge I faced was the transition from editor to producer. I sat in a room by myself for days on end, interacting with only a few people at a time, like some cave goblin, to suddenly being the point person for most of the production’s needs and talking to everyone on the crew. It was a dramatic change that took some getting used to. This also happened during the Covid outbreak of 2020, so there was quite a lot of change and adapting to “unprecedented times” in general. Creatively, at the moment I struggle with wanting to do too many things at once. There isn’t enough time in the day but I supposed that’s not the worst problem to have. Additionally, things have not been the same since Prince died but after all… “dearly beloved, we have gathered here today, to get through this thing called life.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I really enjoy drawing and painting cartoony characters with thick outlines and bright colors. The clouds, bubbles and other round shapes are a repetitive motif that I like to use for aesthetic and functional purposes. The smiles on the faces of my characters don’t always reflect my mood, honestly hardly ever, but I think that helps keep my attitude in check and serves as a reminder to keep it dumb and fun. I try not to plan out work too often. Even with larger work. I’ll have a general idea of what I want to get out, or I’ll dig through sketchbooks, revamp a thought I had years ago and I just go on the ride with it. It keeps things loose and enjoyable for me. You can always buff something, CTRL/CMND-Z it, or just start over. I don’t assign a lot of meaning to my work because I enjoy the rituals and the motions that come with making stuff. Working with brushes, spray paints and digital mediums all have their own specific little nuances and you can really get lost in the sauce and that tends to empty my mind. It can be a very peaceful experience but also an absolute nightmare when you get stuck in that downward spiral of not being able to achieve the results you are looking for. Rinse and repeat until you get to the figurative and literal Final_final_seriously_done_V47.psd and move on to something else.
Not sure if that covers what my work is about, but, to me, the process is just as important as the end result.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Despite my French sounding name, my background is Nicaraguan. Family members have told me I was named after a soccer player, but my dad could care less about sports of any kind. My mom said I was named after a soap opera character that my dad used to watch back in the day. They may have inadvertently sent me down the creative path with that one much to their chagrin. I’m kidding, my parents and my sister have always been extremely supportive of me and I will forever be grateful to them. ¡Gracias familia!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pierremcerrato.com
- Instagram: @oofster
