The one I'd like to discuss is based off a design I'd sketched out long prior, which I titled "I'm Open." It had a nice, dreamy atmosphere, and indeed is similar to dreams I'd had when I was a child. I feel it's one of those designs that just fits as a shirt. 25 other people agreed. A bit less than I'd expected, admittedly. If you're one of those 25, what did you love? If not, what am I missing? This should be a learning experience, and I'm willing to learn if you have anything to suggest.
***Disclaimer: All images in this post are for display only. No design herein is currently for sale. Any changes to this status will be noted in a separate post.***
4 comments:
I've read a lot of your posts on the Shirt.Woot forum, and felt compelled to view your site because of it. Can't help but have a very uneven feeling reading your - at times - unnecessary, unconstructive critical posts and then see a blog filled with designs like this.
I by no means am 'slamming' or denigrating your contributions by any means, but you should reconsider your approach when you are submitting work this poor. I realize your feeling of ‘style’ winning out over execution, but that simply can not be the case.
I respect the need and want to grow from feedback. In that vein, I'll give you a little piece of advice: While I see the 'style' you are going for, it seems (based in large part from your postings here) that it is done out of necessity rather than design. You simply lack basic execution skills, and to a lesser degree, cohesive visions in style in general. I'd recommend advancing yourself technically before over thinking broad ideas you simply can't execute. Once you've mastered some of the finer points of the software, you'll be in a better position to develop stylistically.
Roland,
I have no desire to get into a roundabout over this, but I think you knew as well as I that I'd respond.
I see this blog, as well as my entries, as proof that I have nothing to hide when it comes to my own critiques. One can obviously take what I say with a grain of salt if they feel my opinions are undermined by my own skills. I feel, however, that aesthetics need not come with a steady hand. Some of the brightest critics of our time have had no skills in their own fields except an appreciation for the art. Even so, I'm generally constructive when it comes to execution. Generally, I harp on the uncreative or blatantly off topic. An uncreative idea doesn't benefit from clean execution any more than you feel my work benefits from a sloppier one. There's no way to be constructive if even the idea falls flat. Still, that is there. This is here. You may not like my work, and that is fair, but I have striven to be as creative as possible week to week. That is why I welcome critique... I don't think the ideas are the main flaw.
And style can win over execution... it's just unlikely. The designs I respect from derby to derby are the ones that have an appealing concept, and have a style, whether crisp or sketchy, which interprets it. On the one hand, the truly artistic pieces should make it to print, and on the other, it's just a shirt, it just needs to be appealing. When a design succeeds without artistry or charm, but with a slick yet hollow concept, I wonder who is bothering to vote instead of seeking out similar work that has already been printed.
To put it another way, I don't enter derbies to win, but to push myself, and to see how far I can get. A win would be amazing, but there are so many designers that have superior gifts that I don't expect it. Even so, I have weeks where I get 10 votes, and weeks when I break 100. The fact that I can do that ever (especially since I -am- a bit caustic at times), to me, suggests that there is a niche for my work. I know where my shortcomings are, but I know that I have strengths as well. I'm working at it, and it feels good to know that sometimes, I hit a chord by experimenting and learning, without needing to recycle a tired gag or resort to clip-art. The failures will continue to go here, and will hopefully continue to get better slowly as I continue honing my drawing skills.
I'm sorry about your head. Van Owen is a son of a bitch.
~X
Adder is right... woot is the perfect place to test out quick sketch designs. You get an idea for what the voters want without doing a time intensive illustration. Obviously this approach wouldn't get to the voting stage on DBH or Threadless, but on woot you can get almost immediate feedback and you may even get lucky and knock one out of the part. The woot voters are a hard bunch to figure out, if the mood strikes them and mob mentally takes over... they'll vote for anything.
I just want to say that I caught the Pearl Jam lyrics reference here, and I like it a lot. I'm guessing you're from the Great White North (based on the curling design earlier) and as your neighbor in nearby Seattle, I say keep on designing.
You can always work with other artists to construct your vision. Heck, that's what cinematography is, along with several other art forms.
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