A graphic goes through many stages before it ends up on a shirt or hoodie. Typically the design will be modified and refined all along the way until it makes it onto the garment in its final, most polished form.
Usually I will start out with a sketch. And then I will either ink the drawing before scanning it into the computer or I will scan the sketch straight into the computer and rebuild the drawing (with the pen tool) in Illustrator. Once the drawing is in Illustrator I can start working out the color story and the final composition.
After I am satisfied with the graphic I will place it into a matrix (or spec sheet or CAD) to sort out placement and to assign specific colors (Pantones) and dimensions. Sometimes I will have to make some tweaks to the graphic based on its placement or the color of the garment. Once my matrix is complete I send it to the printer and that is what they use to print the tees and hoodies. By the time a graphic has gone through all of the stages, from sketch to matrix and from my hands to the printer’s, all of the imperfections have usually all been worked out.
It wasn’t until our most recent release came back from the printers and I was going over it with Steven that I was struck by something sort of peculiar. I couldn’t really understand why I’d made the decision to tag the “Petty Criminals” graphic with a GOST logo in the lower right corner when the graphic already featured the word GOST in giant type across the top.
I kind of know what I was thinking, I guess. I mean, I think I was probably trying to brand the graphic with one of the “staple” logos. I have the “GOST N’ Knives” logo and I have the “Rider” logo and they can be used either together or separately, but I always like to have at least one on every graphic.
It’s just that when I tried to add the GOST Rider logo to the Petty Criminals graphic it ended up looking kind of redundant, like, “GOST by GOST.” Steven found this very funny and had a good laugh about it
It wasn’t until I was waiting in line at the grocery store when this Gucci ad featuring James Franco caught my eye that I finally felt vindicated. It seems that my fashion instincts were right on point. Far from being the befuddled, redundant designer that Steven was trying to portray me as, it turns out I was actually (once again!) on the cutting edge of fashion!
GOST by GOST!
Arlo
