Interview with the 2nd place winner of Derby 166
FishBiscuit5 has been at Woot less than 9 months and already has her first print. Here's more about her.
Shirt.Woot Stats? (first derby / shirts bought / shirts printed)
132 (Heart) / 30 / 1. My first derby was #132. I submitted two entries, both of which were promptly rejected. I was mortified. The rejections totally motivated me to learn more about derbies and shirt design. This is my very first print. Yay! I have printed elsewhere and do have more coming up, but only once so far with Woot.
What are your tools of choice?
Photoshop and a brand spanking new Bamboo
tablet. (Thanks for the gift, mom!) She’s my biggest fan. I’m pretty sure she’s going to hang my first print on her refrigerator.
What is your typical process for going about a design?
After reading the theme, I panic. Then I panic some more. Yeah, panic definitely sets in. The time constraints are daunting, but they do push me to think and get the brain juices flowing so I do find that exciting. Next, I sit down with my laptop and just brainstorm. I make word lists of things that pop into my head that relate to the derby theme. I google my favorite ideas to make sure they have not been done before. I ponder my idea list for a while before finally making a decision to go with one. Sometimes I sketch and scan, but most days I just start drawing in Photoshop because I heart the pen tool! I feel it gives me the most control over my drawing. The most difficult decisions for me are colors and fonts, if text is permitted. I spend hours thinking about them and playing with different options. I really try to think about what I would want to wear as a shirt. If I wouldn’t wear my own design, why would anyone else want to? My final step is to seek opinions from friends and family. It’s nice to get different eyes to look at your design. My husband is integral during this process since he gets bombarded with the “How’s this?�� question 500 times a week. That’s about all there is to my design process.
What design or art experience do you have outside the derby?
I don’t have any formal design training, but I have painted wall murals for friends and family. My son’s bedroom is wall-to-wall Star Wars Clone Troopers. It’s pretty cool and I’m proud of the work. I’m an elementary/middle school teacher so I have to use my creativity to create interesting, engaging lessons for the kids. I try to incorporate art and graphics into my daily teaching. It’s a great outlet for creativity and expression.
Which artists or designers inspire you?
I can’t really put a finger on the names of any artists in particular. I find inspiration in daily life and in music. I find myself thinking of design ideas while listening to tunes. Simplistic styles really appeal to me. If I see something with clean, simple lines and complimentary color combinations, I feel inspired.
Would you like to do art/design full-time? If so, what is your dream job?
I don’t think I would want to design full time. I find that once an avocation turns into a vocation, I lose interest and desire to keep going. My dream job would involve doing something fun and fulfilling while implementing cutting edge technology and being independently wealthy. Hey! I think I’m already in my dream job. Teaching meets my requirements for the dream job. Well, except for the being independently wealthy part.
Any plans to ever sell your designs using a print-to-order shop like SpreadShirt or CafePress?
I have an account at
RedBubble.
What advice do you have for new derby artists?
Study designs you find appealing. Research to learn more about the industry, it really helps to understand what you’re aiming for. Accept constructive critique and don’t take criticism to heart. Above all, have fun! Design what you like and be true to yourself. Everyone has different tastes and, while you can’t please everyone, you should design to please yourself.
Do you have a website or portfolio you'd like people to see?
FishBiscuit5.deviantart. I don’t have all of my work up there. Just a few pieces I like.
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