Impressions - June/July 2011 - (Page 50)

HANDS ON >> SCREEN PRINTING >> HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON >> HANDS ON Graphics & Design SCREEN PRINTING HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON Five Markets to Track for Artwork Trends Spend time observing what’s selling to these cutting-edge niches to ensure you’re keeping your own designs fresh. Depending on the niches to which your shop caters, keeping up with constantly evolving artwork trends can make or break you. Certain markets, such as skateboard, surf, hip-hop/urban, mixed martial arts (MMA), streetwear and fashion boutiques all require that you provide fresh, cuttingedge artwork. As an artist, it’s my job to stay abreast of design trends. I beneﬁt from the fact that many printers who come to me already have done research and know exactly what they want. However, I also travel to Hollywood and Los Angeles on the weekends to follow trends by watching people on the street. Working with industry-leading apparel companies on both a freelance basis and as an in-house art director also has allowed me to see what’s hot in these trend-setting markets and make recommendations to my clients. As a trendspotter, I observe not only art details and color palettes, but also shirt styles, specialty design elements and the most fashion-forward brands. Following is what I’ve observed from a few specialty markets whose clients require edgy, updated artwork. URBAN & HIP-HOP For the urban and hip-hop markets, money references and handcuffs still are popular design icons, but the use of historical ﬁgures in art has increased. For example, artists will take an image of Marilyn Monroe, cover her with tattoos and depict her holding a gun. I’ve also seen designs of George Washington robbing a bank. These types of old-mixed-with-new designs are extremely popular at boutiques. Artists also are blending mobsters and 1950s icons with modern-day gangster images, such as tattoos, weapons and dollar bills — especially $100 bills (known as “Benjamins”) — in the hip-hop niche. For example, you might see a design of Al Capone with a money roll and prison tattoos. 50 Impressions >> June/July 2011 One of the biggest trends in the urban market is 1950s icons paired with tattoos, weapons and dollar bills. If using a celebrity’s image, be sure to investigate if you need to get permission from a copyright owner before proceeding. All design photos courtesy of Josh Miles, 5 Ace Designs, Corona, Calif. The gangster look also is in with the urban market, which still prefers oversized shirts with large designs printed with plastisol ink for a thicker feel. This market embraces two distinct color palettes: colorful, warm tones like yellow and orange, or black and white with a splash of red. Chino Hills, Calif., artist OG Abel is extremely popular in the hip-hop market. Many of his designs include white airbrushed printing on a black shirt, with a couple of grays for the shading. I’ve had customers ask me to create similar-looking designs. Ironically, artists previously tried impressionsmag.com http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - June/July 2011

Impressions - June/July 2011
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
Cool Kidswear
Cpsia: Three Years Later
Trend Update: Teen Apparel Decoration
Recession Survivors Reveal Strategies for Staying in Business
How to Win an Apparel-Decorating Award
Technique
Graphics & Design
Production
For Screen Printers Only
Online Directory
Pressing for Profit
Tech Tips
On Design
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - June/July 2011