Interview with the 2nd place winner of Derby 140
BennyDougs has been participating in the derbies for almost a year and this is his first Derby win but his FOURTH print.
Shirt.Woot Stats? (first derby / shirts bought / shirts printed)
103 (Outer Space) / 12 / 4. I think my first derby was the Space derby from last year. I got an honorable mention. I've bought maybe 12 or so. I just buy my own to keep or give as gifts. To be honest, I don't wear many graphic tees. Kind of ironic. I've had 4 shirts printed here: Night Owl, Zombie Vampire Robots, Pinball Wizard and Secret of the Sharpener.
What are your tools of choice?
Good old fashioned pencil,
Illustrator,
Photoshop.... sometimes I use a
Wacom.
What is your typical process for going about a design?
First I sketch by hand. Then I scan and bring into Illustrator or Photoshop. I use the Pen tool in Illustrator quite a bit. Sometimes I use a Wacom in Photoshop.
What design or art experience do you have outside the derby?
I've been a graphic designer for two and a half years. I've had the fortune of doing work for brands like Subway, Crest and Starbucks. Drawing has always been my passion. I was the cartoonist for my college paper, and won a couple awards for fine art at Seton Hall.
Which artists or designers inspire you?
I know it's cliche, but Ive always loved pop art, especially Lichtenstein. It's become a popular answer among digital artists, but you can clearly see how pop art continues to be relevant. Especially with t-shirt designers, just look at all the artists that are making reference to pop culture lately.
Would you like to do art/design full-time? If so, what is your dream job?
I've been a full time graphic designer since I graduated college in 2007. I think Im still searching for what I consider my "dream job". Right now, I really love being a designer and illustrating on the side.
Any plans to ever sell your designs using a print-to-order shop like SpreadShirt or CafePress?
I'm starting to look into selling my work as prints.
What advice do you have for new derby artists?
Don't take the commenters to heart. If you're going to show your work on the interwebs, it helps to have a thick skin. It takes a long time and lots of dedication to "break through". I don't think I've reached that point by any means.
Do you have a website or portfolio you'd like people to see?
BenjaminDouglass.
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