Christian Bland (USA)

Christian Bland (USA)

Together with Andy Burr, and Adam Demitri, Christian Bland, mainly known for being Black Angels' electric juggist, is running Bland Design. As for Rob Fitzpatrick we really can talk here of psychedelic rock posters, in the purest Electric Grandmother & the Vulcan Gas Company style. I am sure I do not have to tell you how much I love the Black Angels (a quick tour around the blog will definitly convince you) and I must admit I love Christian's artwork as most. Both together, no need to take any substances, the trip is already there !

 

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?

on the record player is The Zombies..'The Best Of', and in the car The Beach Boys 'Little Deuce Coupe'

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

I was born in Miami, FL but moved to Houston, TX when I was 7. My Dad's a preacher who starts churches. He started one in the Houston area in 1987, so that's why we moved from Miami to Houston. I went back to Florida in 1998 to go to Florida St. University on a track & field scholarship (high jump) to study advertising & graphic design. I moved back to Texas in 2002 to attend University of Texas to get my masters in advertising.

I started The Black Angels with my friend Alex Maas in 2004 and have been doing that full-time since 2006. I also do all the bands design work.

When did you start drawing?

I started drawing when I was probably 5 or so in the weekly church bulletin during my Dads sermons.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

I make a living from playing & touring with The Black Angels. Whenever we have down time, I take on freelance design projects if they're to my liking. I prefer psychedelic art, so I primarily work with other psychedelic rock n' roll bands.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

every now and then a fanzine will ask for some art and i'll send it along.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

I love all the psychedelic posters from the 60's (Fillmore, Vulcan Gas Company, Avalon Ballroom, & design groups like Hipgnosis, The Fool, and Hapshash & the Coloured Coat.

My favorite poster artist is Wes Wilson who did many of the early Fillmore posters. I got to work with Wes on The latest Black Angels album 'Phosphene Dream'. He provided us with several drawings on the inside booklet of the album.

What are the principal steps in your work ?

The first thing I do is look for inspiration. Then I visualize what I want my design to look like. Then I get it out of my brain and make it tangible.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

The computer and scanner are my main tools. So i combine elements I've done by hand with the help from the modern computer.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

13 hours

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?


I mainly do stuff for The Black Angels, but if someone commissioned me to do artwork for them that inspired me, then I'd be into it. The reason I got out of advertising was because I was tired of doing art for products that weren't relevant to me.

For which band have you already worked for?

The Black Angels, the UFO Club, Christian Bland & The Revelators, Austin Psych Fest

For which band would you love to work?

Psychic Ills, Clinic, Crystal Stilts, Moon Duo, Wooden Shjips, Panda Bear, Radiohead

Do you choose the artists yourself?

Yes.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

perfecting a poster beyond the point where only you notice the imperfections. that's when i know it's time to stop.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

I think so. It seems like there's a reemergence of psychedelic art &music. I'm not very familiar with other modern psychedelic artists, but I dig all the Moon Duo album art.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

http://www.theblackangels.com/

http://www.bland-design.com/ (this sites in need of an update, just havent had the time to get to it)

You can see me on tour with the Black Angels.

What can we wish you for the future?

I'll be working on the Black Angels 4th album this winter. I like to design the album artwork while we're recording so that the visuals reflect the music.

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!

Rob Fitzpatrick (US)

Rob Fitzpatrick (US)

If you are looking for a genuine rockposterist as they were back in the 60s 70s, do not go further, he is just there ! Rob Fitzpatrick is one of the guy who is developping the more the inheritage of this period, by the choice of its subjects and the typography he is using on its posters, but just have a look and you will understand immediately what I mean.

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?


I'm listening to Shapes Have Fangs - Dinner in The Dark. You can stream it here: https://www.facebook.com/austinpsychfest?sk=app_205521576149308

We're working on a live release from the festival and I'm comparing the live recorded tracks from the festival to these studio recorded versions, this album is from our little record label, check it out! Rad music from Austin and beyond.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

My name is Rob Fitzpatrick, I'm from Austin, Texas, currently living in Puerto Rico. I'm an illustrator, designer and web developer.

When did you start drawing?

Ever since I can remember I have been drawing.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?

Both. I went to school for Communication Design at Texas State University, but I'd give more credit to the projects I've done on my own time to the development of my art and style.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

I make a living from a combination of art, design and web development. I'm only recently being commissioned for projects that have the potential to pay any bills in regards to illustration, but web design and development really is my primary focus b/c it pays the bills for my wife and I.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

None. Something to aspire to!

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

60s psych posters, and a lot of modern poster artists. C.M Ruiz, Alan Forbes, Witch Ghetto, Zach Hobbs (Young Monster) all come to mind... My friend Christian Bland has been a consistent inspiration through his music and visual art. I'm always inspired by Tyler Stout's work, so epic! In addition to that, op art, new and old, is a huge influence on my work. I have reinterpreted the work of Japanese illusion artist Akitaoka Kitaoka in many of my posters, there is nothing more mind blowing than still or printed art that moves before your eyes, his work is maybe the ultimate op art. You should interview CM Ruiz, his work is bad ass, really hip stuff.

What are the principal steps in your work ?

1. concept, 2. sketches, 3. computer draft, 4. refine by hand, 5. finalize on the computer. I use Photoshop and Illustrator.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

Sometimes I don't add any hand drawn elements to my posters, and I always regret it - it just feels better, and looks better having some hand drawn lettering, line work, etc.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

I'd say minimum of 5 hours. Sometimes much, much longer.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

In regards to poster art, I only do what I like, and work with bands I like etc., but I do commercial work to pay the bills also - this is totally separate from what I might consider my 'art'. I'm trying to get away from that, and I'm very lucky to be able to. I bet I could take that concept and make something pretty cool, so if they wanted that image in the style that I work in, sure. I could do a tripped out four horsemen poster for a metal band. Slayer.

For which band have you already worked for?

I'm one of the producers of Austin Psych Fest, so I've worked with a few bands in that scene. I've been very lucky to work with bands like The Black Angels, The Wooden Shjips and many others.

For which band would you love to work?

Bigger bands through which my work can reach a wider audience would be cool, so maybe Radiohead, TV on The Radio, Animal Collective, My Morning Jacket, Jesus and Mary Chain when they start touring again.... I'd love to do a poster for Tame Impala, Caribou, Warpaint, Black Lips, Dum Dum Girls, Oh Sees, Deerhunter, Panda Bear, Dead Meadow, Black Mountain, Pink Mountaintops, Spiritualized... to name a few favorites I guess. I'd love to do more Black Angels posters, they're my friends and partners in the festival but they're also truly are one of my favorite bands. There are so many rad bands out there, thousands... I really would like to just do more posters in general, and get away from the web development side of what I do which keeps me so busy, there are so many bands that I'd love to work with - it's overwhelming, but exciting to think about.

Do you choose the artists yourself?

Usually I ask to do the posters. Sometimes I'm asked or commissioned to do the work, but the majority of the posters I've done I've asked to do.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

The most difficult part for me, is that once you have it pretty far along, with multitude of variations available to a modern designer (changing the scale of elements, colors, type styles etc. etc.) it can be really difficult to just settle on the final design and know that it's the right decision. That results in a lot of time wasted for me. I'll spend 10 hours tweaking something, and once the final decision has been made, the work to get there really only took a few minutes - I become very indecisive.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

I guess I'm part of the psych poster scene perhaps.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

On my gigposters page, this is maybe 1/2 of my work, I need to get the rest up but I want to get my website up first so I can sell the prints, but that's been taking forever to get done due to my workload. A lot of my work can be seen on austinpsychfest.com. We have a new site launching on November 1st, but check out the current one, that was a big accomplishment for me a few years ago, I designed and developed that website. I've attached a handful of posters that aren't on gigposters

The best praise you received lately?

Hmm... how about being asked to do an interview by you?

What can we wish you for the future?

Send good vibes my way in regards to getting further into poster art and finding a way to make it sustainable - I'd really like to be doing more of this and less commercial work and web design that I'm only doing to pay the bills.... That and to spend more time surfing and less time working :)

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!

R Black (US)

R Black (US)

X-Mas time is really close now, so I wanted to offer you a last gift before I leave the internet a little bit for holidays, and I am glad this gift is R Black as the guy is really hugely talented…

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?

I'm obsessing about The Black Angels at the moment

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

My name is R.Black. I am a graphic artist from Oakland, Ca. I'm a Gemini, I like long walks on the beach and naming light posts after famous Russian historical figures.

When did you start drawing?

My earliest memory of drawing is around 5, I think i drew Foghorn Leghorn in which there was a giant statue of for some reason at my school.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?

More like drawing from cartoon strips, Peanuts, Garfield, Bloom County as well as Disney characters when I was younger, moved into comic books and anime as I got older, and drawing my friends and my characters from D&D and other roll playing games at the time.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

-I do make a living as an artist, but I keep "living" very simple.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

-No at at really, mostly poster work and graphics.

Where does your influence come from?

-Influences usually come form what ever Im really into at the moment. If I like something say like a genre of music or theatre, Ill start doing posters for anything related to it as to be able to enjoy it for free( like I said, live simply), I like to be involved in the subjects I take on

Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

-Im really influenced by art nouveau artsit such as Mucha and Jules Chéret. Neoclassical like Ingres, pop artists such as Lichtenstein. Comic artists like Jim Lee and Kirby. Posters artists like Ewing, Coop, and Fairey.

What are the principal steps in your work ?

Ponder, thought , depression, drink, execution, elation.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

I used to sketch and ink by hand then color in Photoshop. Then I'd just sketch, scan and then "ink" and color in Illustrator. Now that I'm proficient in Illustrator I just do all the steps at the same time.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

Depends on how quickly the idea comes, the labor is the easy part, I do not feel my style is very complicated, its the idea that's the difficult part.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

-As Im a whore for art, i'd do my best to paint what you wanted if the price or the interest is right. i have no idea how to use oils, but I wouldn't back down from a challenge. I'd even make them unicorns with peg legs in you were paying good.

For which band have you already worked for?

-A ton, but generally a poster artist tends to work with a venue and not the band directly, in my experience.

For which band would you love to work?

-Devotchka, hands down.

Do you choose the artists yourself?

-Sometimes, if I really love a band, I'll approach them directly, most times its a venue asking if I want to design for bands. More rare is when a band comes directly to me.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

-Being clever, coming up with an original idea that both conveys the attitude of the band and developing an image that will make a viewer want to go see them.

You feature in the new gigposters 2 book, how did you find yourself involved in it ?

-Ive been on gigposters for a long time, I think just by being known by them is what led them to invite me to be in the book. I've also been part of a calender one year and some other things. Its a great site.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

-More like part of the rock poster scene, made splash for a second when my book came out, if only for a second. There seemed to be a few of us at the same moment when it got really exciting for me. Artist such as Brian Ewing, Tara Mcpherson, Andrew Bawidamann, and Scrojo to name but a few.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

My site rblack.org, the theatre im part of shotgunplayers.org, Facebook and of course Gigposters. One of my Occupy posters was featured on the Rachel Maddow show and another one on the Huffington Post. I also had a book published some years ago by Dark Horse, you can get on Amazon for super cheap.

The best praise you received lately?

Someone was mentioning that before the met me they used to steal my posters off the way at clubs, I think thats awesome, when one is moved so much to rip an item off the wall and dedicate wall space for it in their home, amazing.

What can we wish you for the future?

Opera posters!

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!

Jeffrey Boozer (US)

Jeffrey Boozer (US)

I know you are not visiting the blog to learn about my life and crazy stories I am going through with those interviews, but Jeffrey's story is not just "another one". This interview is online since mid oct 2011 but on Jeffrey's blog . For some reason, he never sends it to me. This is just because I received a tube full of Jeffrey's wonderful art, that I investigated what had happend with this interview. Enough said for now on the private part of my life. Let's welcome, with all my apologizes a unique, sensible and talented poster artist: Jeffery Boooooozer !!!!

What are we listening to when we come to visit you?
I just got a great record from 1975 called "Fish out of Water" by the bassist for the band Yes, Chris Squire. I am really into this record right now and listening to a lot of 1970s era stuff. I DJ at a local bar every Tuesday night, focusing on 1970s and 80s vinyl records. It has pretty much taken over my listening time at home.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?
I'm a graphic artist and illustrator, living in Oakland, California and originally from a smaller town in Southern California, near San Diego. I draw and silk screen posters for bands I love. I get a chance to sell them at shows. I also make t shirts, art prints and hopefully books, soon.



Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?
During Elementary and High School, I drew obsessively on folders and notebook covers. I was quite a metalhead, and loved getting the hang of drawing the intricate, imaginative logos of my favorite bands. I think it helped my lettering ability quite a lot. I still love drawing letters, almost more than anything else. Later, I went on to a renown art and design college in the US called Art Center. They almost ruined everything!

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?
I have a family and support myself by working for commercial clients in the apparel industry. I work a lot more digitally, and with photography for my commercial work. I like to keep them away from my drawings, which I tend to save for posters or prints.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?
This is the first zine interview I've done! I'm so honored. I have recently sold a few designs to a local surf shop, and I will be collaborating with a local record store soon too.



Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?
Yes. I admire many contemporary poster artists. I have met many of them and been able to share work and advice. Its a great community, most of us do it because we love it, and it is awesome to get together and talk about printing and/or drawing. I particularly admire Stacie Willoughby, David V. D'Andrea, Dirk Fowler, and my friends from Austin, Texas, Mark Pedini and Farley Bookout, who run Empire Press. Classically, I have always loved Rick Griffin's art, particularly because he combined surfing and music imagery. I worked as a graphic artist for several surf companies for many years. Even more classically, I admire the work of Pieter Bruegel, Cassandre, and Alphonse Mucha.

What are the principal steps in your work ?
I start with very small sketches of the characters I like to draw, then I combine the lettering needed to convey the event, display the names of all the bands and any other necessary information. Somewhere in the middle of this, I hope to achieve a nice balance between the illustration, the hand done lettering, and any digital type I might have to include. Drawings start very small and are enlarged to enhance the detail and finish.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?
The drawings are all hand done, starting as pencil sketches, then moving ahead to ink on a translucent vellum. Once the inkings are done, I scan everything and compose it in Photoshop, add color, and make each layer into a file to be printed on film and burned to the individual screens.





How long does it take you to do a poster?
Usually 2-3 weeks, depending upon the number of colors, and the amount of coffee I consume.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?
I wouldn't welcome that kind of direction in one of my posters. I try to get bands to agree to let me go with an idea of my own, and further trust me to execute it in a way that will compliment the show, their sound, or their visual aesthetic. Starting with too much direction is almost always a bad idea. I do submit the design early to the band, to make sure they approve. Often, I do two slightly different versions too, and the band's feedback is very important.

For which band have you already worked for?
I have designed posters for The Clientele, Camera Obscura, Pokey Lafarge and the South City Three, DeVotchKa, Justin Townes Earle, Jesse Sykes, Alela Diane, Bert Jansch, The Dutchess and the Duke, Cake, MC Hammer, The Black Angels, O'Death, The Moore Brothers, Shannon and the Clams, Exene Cervenka, and Dum Dum Girls. Apologies to anyone I may have forgotten.

For which band would you love to work?
There are a few bands who really support poster artists, commissioning different work from many different artists during the same tour. I think I would love to design a poster for the Black Keys, one of these great patron bands. I also admire Damien Jurado very much and almost got to design a poster for him. Looking to the horizon, I wouldn't turn Neil Young down if he asked. Nicely.

Do you choose the artists yourself?
I do. I choose bands I admire and am familiar with. Often I would go to the show anyway, but bringing them a poster I designed and printed is a great feeling.



What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?
Too much type! I like to keep things kind of minimal, but it can be challenging because I never want to leave out anything the bands, club or promoter need to communicate. That's the most important message in the poster, so it demands a lot of care.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?
Yes! I feel artists like my professional acquaintances and friends like Summer Makovkin, Jason Munn, and Lil Tuffy are all doing it basically the same way, letting our love for music and graphics jump into bed together and seeing what pops out!

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?
I have an online store crumblediamonds.etsy.com

A page on gigposters

My blog

And Facebook

Early in 2012 I will be having my first art show at a local music club called the Uptown. I will be showing posters, drawings that went into the prints, and also new work!



The best praise you received lately?
A woman approached me at my table during a local craft and music fair and recognized my poster for Pokey Lafarge. She had been at that show and I had found out it was her birthday, so I gave her a print for free. She and her husband bought a shirt of mine at the fair. I was really impressed and flattered.

What can we wish you for the future?
A bigger press! And a vacuum table... I am really trying to upgrade my homemade press at home.

Chris Hitchman (UK)

Chris Hitchman (UK)

I discovered Chris' work thanx to Monster Magnet. His stunning poster for the Spine of God tour was just so perfect I couldn't afford not to have him on the blog. So welcome Mr Hitchman and, of course, a very happy new year !!!

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?

Right now silence, but usually my music taste is all over the place and changes constantly, depending on mood and what I'm working on. Melvins, Múm, Brian Jonestown, Dead Meadow, Tom Waits, 13th Floor Elevators, Blonde Redhead, Mazzy Star, Swans, Comets on Fire, Black Angels...  to name a few on the playlist recently, along with some weird noise rock and a load of obscure garage bands.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

My name is Chris Hitchman. I'm from South Wales. Aged 27. I like art and music and attempting to combine the two. I wish I had more posters to show, I'm actually working on three right now so I'll keep you updated!

When did you start drawing?

As soon as I could hold something to draw with. I think most kids draw and create in their own way, I was just slightly more obsessive about it.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your school books?

Art was my favourite subject in school and I'd quite often get told off for drawing in the backs of my books in other classes. I studied A level art but I didn't really have any direction after that, started a few courses, decided they weren't for me. Worked a few jobs, hated them. It wasn't until a few years later that I decided that this was what I really wanted to do and it's mostly been self-taught, do it yourself, find out what you can ever since there. I think only now, many years later am I finally starting to find a style that I'm comfortable and happy with.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living?

Not sure if I'm making a living but getting by, although some awesome projects have just started coming my way so I'm hoping this year will be a good one!

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

No. But I'd like to.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

Life, and pretty much everything around me really. I feel like I follow so many artists, painters, illustrators and poster designers and keep finding new ones each day that If I mentioned just a few I'd feel rude for missing out others!

What are the principal steps in your work?

Think about it for way too long. Then panic that I have no time left. Think again. Sketch ideas. Rip them up and move them around on a lightbox until I'm happy with the placement. Same process with the fonts. My sketches are usually super rough and messy so I'll re trace the whole thing so it's clean and tidy, and then on to the inking. Finally scan it in and add colour if needed.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

Mostly by hand with a few exceptions.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

Anything from a day to a week.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it?

I'd like to think if a band came to me they'd have a vague idea of what they were going to expect from me. I wouldn't be comfortable accepting a job in oils as I don't think I'd be doing my best work and that wouldn't be fair, but I'm always up for getting creative and experimenting with different ideas and concepts. I've had some pretty weird ones already so definitely not a problem.

For which band have you already worked for?

Mostly local bands so far. I've been lucky to live in an area with a pretty awesome music scene that I enjoy and that has definitely helped me to get inspired, create album art, tees and posters. My first big job was creating a poster for Monster Magnets 20th anniversary tour of their Spine Of God album and I've recently been asked to design a poster for Mudhoney which I'm way too excited about!

For which band would you love to work?

Melvins!! Seriously though, any band that I enjoy listening to, whether I've heard of you before or not. I think the list would be endless! I think Tom Waits would be a fun challenge, not quite sure he'd dig my stuff though!

Do you choose the artists yourself?

I'm just starting out so I've mostly contacted bands I feel my style may suit, although others have started coming to me recently which is definitely exciting!

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster?

The initial concept and anything that involves using a computer.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else?

I'm not too sure how to answer this one. There are other artists that I talk to, who inspire me and are helpful and supportive to each other, but I don't think I belong to a 'scene'. I do what I enjoy and think doing your own thing as an artist is the most important. Saying that though, there's a few artists from South Wales I admire, maybe that's my scene, artist such as Jimbob Issac, Oram, Godmachine and some awesome new talent from artists such as Gareth John Day at the Hand of Doom and Sarah Esprit.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

You can find my posters and other artwork at my blog, shop or facebook.

http://chrishitchmanart.blogspot.co.uk/
http://chrishitchmanart.bigcartel.com/

The best praise you received lately?

Most recently 'I like your style', because to me finding your own style is the hardest part. I'm sure I'm still not there yet but that means a lot to me.

What can we wish you for the future?

To get my art out there... More posters. More album covers. More awesome music!

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website!!

Thank you for finding me!

Mike Klay (US)

Mike Klay (US)

What link could you imagine between Paul Simon and High on Fire ?M83 and Fu Manchu ? Difficult to say, isn't it ? Well it is definitly a wide range of music styles, as wide as Mike's drawing skills. Just take a look at the first and last poster on this post, would you guess it is the same drawer ? Definitly I wanted to have Mike on the blog, here he is, just for you !!!

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we
listening to when we come to visit you?

Kavinsky, Red Fang, M83 and The Black Angels.  My iTunes library is always on shuffle.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from,
what do you do?

I was born and raised in San Jose, California and currently live in Seattle, Washington.

I'm a graphic designer by trade with my full time day job.  On the side, I freelance and design

concert posters and art prints.  I also screen print everything myself.

When did you start drawing?

Grade school.  I was obsessed with ninjas and drew lot of them in different rooftop battle scenes.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins
of your schoolbooks?

I went to college to pursue a mechanical engineering degree.  After i flunked calculus, i decided that i should

probably do something that interests me a bit more.  A trip to the art department provided clarity for what i wanted

to do with the rest of my life.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

I guess I'm living from my art, since i have a day job as a graphic designer.  I don't scrub toilets on the weekends or anything.

(well at least not public ones)

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

Nope, not really.  I've kinda been flying under the radar of most publications lately.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists
you particularly like, what are your influences?

Life.  A sound, smell, or sight trigger most of the ideas I come up with.  

What are the principal steps in your work ?

I usually think long and hard about a piece before I even begin producing something.

Lately I've been picking up the pencil a lot more and actually sketching my own work.

Sometimes I use my own photography, but mostly create everything in Illustrator.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

See above.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

It all really depends.  As little as a few hours or as much as a full day.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel
like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses
running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are
you up for it ?

I think people come to me or any artist for that matter for their style.  

I try and please my clients to the best of my ability.  

For which band have you already worked for?

Death Cab For Cutie, Ladytron, Dj Krush, Simian Mobile Disco, M83, Broken Bells, The Cars,

Ratatat, Ghostland Observatory, Minus the Bear, Kinski, Amon Tobin

For which band would you love to work?

I would love to silk screen a poster for The Prodigy.

Do you choose the artists yourself?

Mostly.  I love creating posters for musicians that I already like.  It makes the creative process a whole lot easier.

Every once in a while I'll get asked to create a poster for a band that I'm not too familiar with.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

Creating a cohesive piece that conveys the show info cleverly and creating something that the musicians will enjoy.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

I don't know if you can call it a scene.  It's more of a community of artists doing a similar thing.

You will attend Flatstock 2012, is it the first time you take part of
such an event ? What are you expecting from it ?

I've attended flatstock since the first seattle one (3) in 2003.  

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we
see your work , on the web or in real life?

http://www.powerslidedesign.com  and you can sign up for my email list there.

on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Powerslide-Design-Co/164812403552500

The best praise you received lately?

I donated a few pieces to an auction recently and they were so well received that a few people bought some from my site after they

lost out on the bidding.

What can we wish you for the future?

More of the same.  Currently working on a companion piece to the dirt monster series involving different types of locomotives.

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!