Interview with the 3rd place winner of Derby 126
Xaon has been participating in the derbies for most of 2009 and has just scored his first print. Here's more about him.
Shirt.Woot Stats? (first derby / shirts bought / shirts printed)
91 (Trees) / 4 / 1.
What are your tools of choice?
I use
Photoshop and an Intuos4 graphics
tablet.
What is your typical process for going about a design?
The hardest part for me is finding a good idea. Once I get an idea in my head I first draw a very rough sketch on paper. This first sketch helps me get my proportions and placement the way I want it, and doesn't contain much detail. I then either do a more detailed sketch straight in Photoshop or just start laying out the final design right away. Once I feel like I have the design mostly finished, I start experimenting, adding more details here and there, sometimes even straying a bit from my initial idea. I keep everything that adds to the design and toss the rest. When the design is finally finished I clean up my layers and add a color overlay to everything so I can play around with the colors.
What design or art experience do you have outside the derby?
I took (and am still taking) art courses in college. I'm majoring as a Digital Media Specialist and will be graduating next year. I did some freelance work for clients, creating logos and websites, but mostly I design for fun.
Which artists or designers inspire you?
Dylan Cole and Gary Tonge have always amazed me with their digital works, but I'm generally inspired by any kinds of art that I find intriguing.
Would you like to do art/design full-time? If so, what is your dream job?
Yes. My dream job would probably be working as lead designer in the videogame or film industry, or running my own design company.
Any plans to ever sell your designs using a print-to-order shop like SpreadShirt or CafePress?
Yes. In fact I am currently in the process of setting up a CafePress store which I hope will be fully ready within a couple of weeks.
What advice do you have for new derby artists?
When creating your design, don't stop too early. Even when your design seems finished, continue to experiment with it. Don't be afraid to add more details or ideas that are out of the norm. You can always go back to the original if you need to, but you may be surprised how much you may end up keeping.
Do you have a website or portfolio you'd like people to see?
Not officially, but I do have a deviantart account with some work there, though it's a bit empty right now:
http://innerchaos.deviantart.com.
