A new model for the effective two‐body nucleon‐nucleon interaction has been recently successful in calculation of ground state properties of spherical, doubly closed shell nuclei from16O to208Pb [1] and nuclear matter and neutron star properties [2]. The application of the density dependent finite range separable monopole (SMO) interaction has been now extended to axially symmetrical deformed nuclei [3]. In the present paper we report on HF+BCS calculation of ground‐state properties of even‐even spherical and deformedN = Zand proton‐rich nuclei between theN = Zand the proton‐drip line for 28⩽Z⩽50. The SMO results shown include total energy surfaces and deduced shapes, single‐particle energies, two‐dimensional distribution of nucleon densities, charge radii and two‐proton separation energies. A comparison is made with results obtained using the SkO Skyrme interaction and some other theoretical models as well as with experimental data, where available. © 2003 American Institute of Physics