Interview with the 1st place winner of Derby 52
NoisDois has only been around a few weeks and has already had his first shirt printed by Woot. Here's a few more facts about him.
Shirt.Woot Stats? (first derby / shirts bought / shirts printed)
49 (Independence) / 3 / 1. Independence was the first derby that I participated in. I submitted "I Walk Alone" and "No Thanks." I bought "335 Woolloomoo Way", "1986: The Legend Was Born", and now "Curious Little Turtle." "Curious Little Turtle" is my first and only shirt design that has gone to print. I'm still a little new around the com-Woot-ity (Ah man. Let's see how nerdy we can get shall we?)
What are you tools of choice?
I use Corel PhotoPaint, Corel Trace and Corel Draw for all of my designs. I recently bought a graphics tablet from a Woot-off (best purchase I ever made), and I've been growing more and more accustomed to using it. Anybody who's used one will tell you it takes time to get used to. Before I bought a tablet, though, I would sketch everything on pencil and paper and scan it in.
What is your typical process for going about a design?
I start by sketching a few things out on scrap paper. I try to imagine what would actually look good on a shirt, and if people would understand the message I'm trying to portray. I'll then start sketching it out on the tablet in PhotoPaint, after which I'll throw it over to Trace to smooth the lines out and vectorize it. That way it's easy to resize in Draw and add color where necessary. I've tried a few other methods, but this seems to work the best for me.
What design or art experience do you have outside the derby?
I've done a few banners for some websites and taken a few classes in high school and college, but that's about it. Once I jump back into school I'll be majoring in Graphic Design, but I haven't actually taken any classes on computer art yet. Everything I learned about Corel was from years of trial and error.
Which artists or designers inspire you?
I'm a huge fan of Walter Rane's work. I don't pretend to mimic his style in any way, shape or form, but his paintings have always been really incredible to me. He's amazing at making you feel like his paintings are in motion.
Would you like to do art/design full-time? If so, what is your dream job?
Well, I certainly do plan on being a graphic design artist when I grow up. My dream job would be freelance work, designing whatever for whoever. I'd love to learn everything there is to know about computer art, from web design to t-shirt design.
Any plans to ever sell your designs using a print-to-order shop like SpreadShirt or CafePress?
Nah. I like Woot, I'll probably stick with them for a while.
What advice do you have for new derby artists?
Don't be scared of the competition. There are a lot of talented artists on Woot, and they can be pretty intimidating. Don't let that stop you from putting your work out there. The Wooters will like it more than you think.
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