Interview with the 1st place winner of Derby 100
Lucky1988 has been participating in the derbies for more than a year and this is his first derby win but 4th print. Here's more about him.
Shirt.Woot Stats? (first derby / shirts bought / shirts printed)
44 (Summer) / 25 / 4. Here's the breakdown of shirts I've had printed:
- Editors Choice '08: Double-Take Derby 3
- Mystery Derby '09: First place
- 2 dailies (Kris Blingle, Breakfast Club)
What are your tools of choice?
What is your typical process for going about a design?
Coming up with the concept is the toughest part. I do some rough sketches on paper, refine the idea into a tighter sketch and scan it, bringing it into Photoshop. I reduce the opacity of the "sketch" layer and create a new layer above it. This is the layer where the line art is created. Using the Wacom, I trace over my sketch layer, adding varied thick and thin line weights. All the subsequent "color" layers go below the "line art" layer. I work at 300dpi, and the design is at the "actual size" or "larger" to be printed on the t-shirt. In Photoshop, it's always better to work larger and scale downwards.
What design or art experience do you have outside the derby?
I have a degree (BA in Art) and have worked as a graphic designer.
Which artists or designers inspire you?
There are so many artists that inspire me that it's hard to pick a favorite. However I do love cartoons and comics of all genres. Some of my favorites are the classic "Looney Tunes" cartoons, "MAD" magazine, Ed Roth of "Rat Fink" fame, "Garbage Pail Kids," "Wacky Packages," and even Spongebob.
Would you like to do art/design full-time? If so, what is your dream job?
I'm currently freelancing, but I'd love to have a job involving character design or something in the animation field or comics.
Any plans to ever sell your designs using a print-to-order shop like SpreadShirt or CafePress?
I haven't thought about it, but maybe in the future. I have a few other places you can check out:
What advice do you have for new derby artists?
Keep drawing and don't give up. Some designs I thought would be a hit have failed miserably and some with very little expectations have skyrocketed. Also try to have a solid concept as the backbone of your design. In many cases it is more important or vital than the aesthetics of the design. Also try varying your line weights to give your designs more depth, volume and interest.
