Interview with the winner of Derby 15
You've probably noticed a few of CheeseSandwich's owls and a whole lotta kaleidoscopes since s/he (or as s/he prefers to be called, "it") started participating in the derbies. Now it has just the right combination of great idea and great execution with "Ain't No Party Like a Boston Party" and it got it a derby win! Here's more about it (the person not the shirt).
Woot Stats? (first derby / years on woot / # bags of crap)
#9 (Summer into fall) / n00b / 0. I found out about woot from some co-workers a few months ago. I wooted right away and I haven’t stopped since. I guess it was love at first woot. I have nary a Blinged-Out Cabbage. To be honest, I already own so much crap that I am probably better off.
What are you tools of choice?
I currently like to use
Illustrator and
Photoshop, but I started with MacPaint when I was four or five.
What is your typical process for going about a design?
My design process can be summed up in five steps.
1. Brainstorm by searching the most obscure parts of my brain.
2. Roughly sketch out ideas for designs and placement.
3. Stare at the computer screen for between 10 minutes & 2 hours.
4. Digitize my phenomenal ideas.
5. Put the design on a beefy shirt model and never look back.
What design or art experience do you have outside the derby?
I majored in graphic design in college and I have been working in design full-time for 6 years (on and off).
Would you like to do art/design full-time? If so, what is your dream job?
I would and I do! It’s great to be able to turn your hobby into your career. My dream job would either be a designer for Apple or an astronaut/space cowboy.
Any plans to sell your designs outside woot?
I am in the process of starting a website which will offer original designs, but currently only have shirts available on woot.
What advice do you have for new derby artists?
I really wouldn’t have any advice on how to win because the shirt.woot audience has pretty diverse tastes. I just try to design shirts that I like and find to be funny or clever. New derby artists should remember not to take peoples’ criticism too personally. People can be harsh, but if you are proud of what you are doing, that should be all that matters.
