Charles Ratteray

Charles Ratteray
[[File:|200px|Charles Ratteray]]
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Nationality:	USA
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Charles Ratteray is an American concept artist, storyboard artist, and illustrator who worked as a conceptual designer on the Re-imagined Series. Based in Los Angeles, he has worked in the entertainment industry for over 25 years, contributing his artistic vision to numerous high-profile television series and films.

Career

Early Background

Ratteray studied art in Philadelphia before coming to Los Angeles on an internship for special effects at the Academy Award-winning Stan Winston Studio. His strong work ethic led to a permanent position at the renowned practical effects studio. During his time at Stan Winston Studio, Ratteray was primarily interested in character design and entered the art realm professionally as an intern who was later hired based on his dedication.

Professional Style

Ratteray is known for his graphic novel approach characterized by dynamic lines and anime/realistic character designs. He quickly realized that to become a working freelance artist in television and film, he needed to develop additional abilities beyond character design, which encouraged his interest in storytelling and other layered aspects of design and filmmaking techniques.

Television and Film Work

After his time at Stan Winston Studio, Ratteray branched out into freelance work and became associated with Famous Frames, one of the largest storyboard agencies in the Los Angeles and New York area. He has had the opportunity to work closely with influential directors including Spike Lee, David Fincher, David Twohy, Ivan Reitman, Patrick Tatopoulos, and F. Gary Gray.

His television credits include memorable shows such as Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and CSI. Recent work includes serving as a storyboard artist on major productions such as Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), Blue Eye Samurai (2023), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Battlestar Galactica Contributions

Ratteray served as a conceptual designer on the Battlestar Galactica television series, contributing his artistic vision to the Re-imagined Series that aired from 2004-2009. His portfolio includes concept sketches for the series, though specific details about his individual contributions to ship designs or character concepts have not been publicly detailed.

The Re-imagined Series was known for its realistic, gritty aesthetic that departed from the more colorful original 1978 series, and concept artists like Ratteray played crucial roles in establishing the visual language that defined the show's distinctive look.

Current Work

Ratteray continues to work as a storyboard artist, concept designer and illustrator with major companies including Marvel, Netflix, Riot Games, and Disney. He also serves as an instructor at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, where he teaches aspiring artists.

Personal Life

Ratteray maintains a studio in Los Angeles where he creates both commercial work and personal artistic projects. He enjoys working with traditional media and often creates what he calls "freestyle art" - artwork that flows freely from his subconscious without judgment, which he typically reserves as gifts or for personal use.

References