Serenity Sake at RIPTapparel
One of my most enduringly popular designs is the “Serenity Sake” illustration I created based off of the cult classic sci-ci show “Firefly” (one of my all-time favorite TV shows) and classic sake label designs, and in awesome news, it’s being reprinted at RIPTapparel.com starting at midnight tonight! T-Shirts are just $10 (hoodies and kids shirts are available as well) but only for 24 hours!
Sake Cups
In celebration of this new printing, I’m also re-releasing the sought after “Serenity Sake” sake cups! These 1.5oz ceramic cups are screen-printed with the Serenity Sake illustration, and are available for $12.50 a pair through my shop, and ship to anywhere in the world!
Giveaway
During the 24 hours that “Serenity Sake” is for sale at RIPTapparel.com on March 30 – you could WIN a sake cup for free! Just participate in one or more of these ways:
Facebook: Follow me and ‘share’ the “Serenity Sake” post at the top of the page
Twitter: Follow me and tweet this message: Browncoats! Get your “Serenity Sake” shirt by @ianleino for just $10 today only at http://riptapparel.com ! #firefly #serenity
Tumblr: Follow me and reblog my “Serenity Sake” post
One More Thing
And finally, for those who prefer the silver version of this design, you can find that (screen-printed on American Apparel shirts) available for sale though my own shop as well.
Code of Arms – now on posters!
“Code of Arms” was my best-selling Woot shirt yet, but after a 10-week run, it finally fell out of the reckoning about a month ago.
HOWEVER, it was so popular that Woot has brought it back as a 16″x20″ poster in their week-long “Looks Good on Paper” promotion that includes cards, mini prints and posters. It’s just $15 with free shipping through this link, but only until Sunday at midnight.
And for those who missed the shirt when it was at Woot, I managed to get a few extra, and have them for sale now through my own shop. Once those are sold out, they’re gone forever, so don’t delay or your could miss out!
Heroes & Villains – PreOrder contest
I’ve just released not one but TWO new designs in my shop, both based on the astounding array of amazing weapons in comic books. Both designs are available on American Apparel shirts in guys and girls sizes, as well as printed on high-quality vinyl stickers.
Decide if you stand with the bold heroes who strive for justice and truth or with the villains who seek to reshape the world according to the own ideals. Or perhaps it’s a day-to-day decision, (in which case you may need both shirts) If so, just add both shirts to your cart, then use coupon code “SHAZAM” on checkout for $5 off your order!
In addition: from now through Monday, Feb 20th, I’ll be tracking pre-order sales for both my new “Heroes” and “Villains” designs.
Whichever side sells more during pre-order shall be declared the SUPREME RULERS OF THE UNIVERSE and everyone who pre-ordered the winning shirt will ALSO receive a rare Golden Ticket worth $5, $10, $20 or even $50 in credit to my shop!
You can follow along with which side is winning using this constantly updated chart on my “Contests and Giveaways” page.
I have quite a few more designs that will be released soon through my shop and other websites, so to keep up with all of the latest information (as well as more fun contests and giveaways) you may want to follow me on Facebook.
The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch
What better way to prepare for the dreaded Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog than to protect your tender flesh with the only weapon known to stand against it? Show your fealty to Arthur and your unflinching bravery in the face of almost certain death with this “Holy Hand Grenade” t-shirt, just $11 for 72 hours (Jan 11-13) at TheYetee.com!
American Apparel shirts in an alternate silver color scheme, as well as temporary tattoos are available from my own shop.
You can also WIN a free temporary tattoo, just help spread the word about this design through your favorite social media site. Here are the details:
Twitter: Follow me and tweet this msg - #MontyPython fans, check out the “Holy Hand Grenade” shirt by @ianleino – just $11 at http://theyetee.com Tattoos here: http://bit.ly/aXqsXj
Facebook: ’Like’ my fan page and ‘share’ the “Holy Hand Grenade” photo
Tumblr: Follow me on tumblr and reblog the “Holy Hand Grenade” post
Google+: Follow me and ‘share’ the “Holy Hand Grenade” post
I’ll choose 20 winners, and announce them Monday, Jan 16th. Good luck!
2011 – the year in review
What a year!
With the holiday festivities behind us, and only a few days separating us from the New Year, I thought it would be fun to take a quick look back at 2011.
9 new designs in my shop
It’s certainly been a busy year, and in addition to a wide range of client work, I’ve also been able to add nine new designs to my personal shop! For those who are looking for these designs on alternate shirt colors, or as art prints or iPhone cases, I’ve also made them available through RedBubble.com
Contests & Giveaways
Every time that one of my designs is printed (and plenty of other times throughout the year) I have a giveaway through a variety of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. In the past year, I’ve given away 38 t-shirts and more than 200 other prizes including pint glasses, stickers, pins, cards and other fun stuff! To get in on the fun for next year, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Google+.
Media mentions
Speaking of my shop, it’s been a great and busy year, thanks in large part to a wave of publicity from a variety of sites and sources. Among the more notable were “Choose Your Weapon” making the front page of Reddit and IGN.com, “He’s Dead, Jim” being featured on BoingBoing.net, “Doctor Whoville” showing up on USAToday.com, and my entire shop being profiled on G4TV’s “Attack of the Show”!
Other T-Shirt Sites
Threadless.com:
This year, Threadless printed 3 new designs of mine – “Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright”, “Watercolor Waterguns”, and “World’s Greatest Exaggerator”. In addition, five of my older designs have been reprinted as well! A number of them are already sold out, but you can always find all of my Threadless shirts that are in stock by using this link: Ian Leino shirts at Threadless
TeeFury.com:
In 2011, TeeFury printed 8 of my pop-culture based designs, and through the support of my friends and fans, I’ve clawed my way back to the #1 position in their best-selling artist list!
Woot.com:
Two of my designs have been printed at Woot this year, and have done better than any of my previous prints there. “Metrognome” hung around on the charts for several weeks in the spring, and now my latest design “Code of Arms” has proven to be my most popular Woot shirt ever! Please spread the word and help it stay on the charts!
Client designs
It’s been a busy year for client work as well, and in 2011 I created designs for the Hard Rock Cafe, as well as for musicians including James Taylor, Bob Seger, Stevie Nicks, Rascal Flatts and KISS.
More to come in 2012
I already have three designs scheduled to print in the new year, and a huge list of fun ideas that I can’t wait to start working on! To keep up with all of my latest design news (as well as contests, giveaways and other fun) be sure to follow me on your favorite social media site: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Google+.
Doctor Whoville
“Doctor Whoville”: $20 t-shirts at shop.ianleino.com
Every Doctoring Who down in Whoville
Toasts your survival and the revival of goodwill.
Even Oods and Judoons and Daleks confess
Today is a day to say, “Exterminate!” less.
It’s the season of hearts, big and deep as the Tardis,
To make room for any who, any how, regardless!
For faces and spaces may change with the season,
But peace on Earth is a wish for every dimension.
(WHO-liday poem by the incredibly talented Josiah Bancroft)
I don’t know about you, but I was never a big fan of doctors as a child. I never saw one unless I was already feeling poorly, and then once I went, the fun activities in all of the ‘Highlights’ magazines in their offices had already been completed.
However, there were two that always held a magical sway over me: Doctor Who and Dr. Seuss. Both spun up my imagination in new and exciting ways, introducing me to a dizzying array of new ideas and dramatically extending the borders of the realm of possibility.
Somehow it felt only natural to pay homage to both by combining them into this one design.
T-shirts are available in my shop, printed on American Apparel 100% soft jersey cotton tees. And given the holiday feel of the design, I’ve also printed up 5″x7″ greeting cards which are available in a 4-pack or a 12-pack. The front features the main illustration, plus a “Happy WHO-lidays” greeting, while the inside contains the poem above.
Thanks for looking, and Happy WHO-lidays!
World’s Greatest Exaggerator
My newest design “World’s Greatest Exaggerator” is now up for sale at Threadless! This design was inspired by an overheard snippet of conversation at a restaurant, and is currently in the running for the “3 Words or Less” competition. It seemed like a design that lots of people would enjoy, and something that even if YOU don’t need it, you probably know someone who does. Your votes and comments are how they choose what to print, so thanks for all those who took the time to vote!
Prints, laptop skins and iPhone cases are also available at Society6.com.
For this design, I turned once more to scratchboard, which is quickly growing to be one of my favorite artistic media. For those unfamiliar with the process, you start with a panel that’s coated in white clay, then covered in black ink.
Initially, I create my layout / composition sketch using a combination of digital and analog techniques:
Then, I transfer the artwork to the scratchboard. To do this, I place the original drawing on top of the scratchboard, and trace it all with a ball-point pen. The pressure from the pen leaves light impressions in the soft surface, that I can then use as guides.
After that, it’s a matter of using scratching tools to slowly and deliberately scratch away the top surface to reveal the white clay underneath. To begin, I outline the primary shapes to make it easier to see them as I’m working.
Once that’s done, I go back and begin rendering each individual element.
Until eventually (many hours later) it’s completed!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little process blog! If so, and you’d like to keep up with my work, feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
He’s Dead, Jim
My latest design, “He’s Dead, Jim”, is now available in my shop!
“Landing party, with me. Spock. McCoy. Uhura. And… you. Over there in the… red shirt.”
Ah, the poor red shirt. Ensign Whosit. Yeoman Whats-his-face. Don’t bother learning their names, as they won’t be around long enough for you to need to know them. This design is my tribute to unsung heroes everywhere who tirelessly do their work behind the scenes and sometimes give their lives while the flashy ego-maniacs is charge get all of the credit (and all the alien women).
Engineers, Communications Officers, Security, Administrators – this shirt is for you.
Front print has an updated insignia, showing the likely fate of the wearer, and warning label on the back lists each and every method by which those brave red-shirted souls were summarily dispatched during the Original Series.
2-sided screenprint on red/black 50/50 Augusta 710 ringer shirts for guys, and American Apparel 100% soft jersey cotton 4377 cap sleeve shirts for girls. Available only through my own shop!
Pre-order today and get a free 1.25″ pinback button with your order!
For those looking for something a little less subtle, I’ve also made a single-sided version, available through RedBubble shop.
SausageFest 2011
SausageFest is an annual party (now in its 4th year) that my wife and I throw at the end of summer for all of our friends as well as some of my local design clients and vendors. And to answer your question: yes, we do allow girls to come too.
This year, we’ll have over 20 pounds of bratwurst from a local freerange organic farm, as well as a full keg of craft-brewed beer and a wealth of summery games and activities.
Previous years’ shirts have been such a smash hit that lots of people have asked about them after the event, and several of our friends have even had strangers attempt to buy the shirts right off their backs!
They’ve been so popular that I decided to put them for pre-order for just $15 through my shop for to those who weren’t able to attend the ‘Fest but still want to proudly display their love of all things sausage-y. This year’s shirts are printed on lightweight super-soft vintage style ringer tees to complement the retro style of the illustration. Guys shirts will be black on a gray/black ringer and ladies will be purple on a lavender/purple ringer tee.
Girls – Bella 6050 sizing chart
Guys – Canvas 3055 sizing chart
I’m placing the order with the printer tomorrow, so you only have today to pre-order if you’d like to get one!
Available only at http://shop.ianleino.com
And for fun, here are each of the previous years’ designs as well
The Final Note + linocut process
Every life is a unique song, but they all end with the same final note.
My latest design “The Final Note” is up for scoring at Threadless and needs YOUR votes and comments to help it get printed!
For this design I’ve used a linocut process to first create a block print, which I then cleaned up digitally into the final t-shirt design. It’s a really fun way to work that not many people have tried, so I thought it would be fun and educational to give a quick walkthrough of the process. For anyone interested in trying it out, I’ve linked to low-cost options for most of the tools and materials, and you should be able to set up for linocut printing for under $40 total.
Process:
As a graphic designer, I’m stuck in front of the computer most of the day, so whenever possible I like to get back to some actual analog illustration and print methods. I particularly enjoy linocut which is a relatively cheap and easy (though time-consuming) print method that you can do yourself without too much set up cost.
Most of these are probably available from your local arts and crafts store, but I’ve also provided links to DickBlick for anyone who might want to puchase them online. Here’s what you’ll need:
CARVING:
1. Carving tools. There are fancy ones of course, but a decent $7 set like this will work just fine.
2. Linoleum. Artists originally used regular flooring linoleum as a cheaper, quicker substitute for wood block carving. Eventually some art-supply dealers wisened up and made a new type specifically designed to be carved. There are several different types, but this one is a good balance of professional quality for a decent price.
Now, on to the process!
First, generate a rough sketch of your idea
Then coat your linoleum with a thin coat of gesso or white paint
Because the carving will be mirrored in the final print, be sure to reverse your initial drawing when you create it on the linoleum. This can either be done as a new drawing, or if you scan in your sketch and flip it in Photoshop, you can then transfer it over using carbon paper.
Then, get to carving. I recommend you find a good movie or TV series with lots of dialog on Netflix, or else set up a good long playlist on your iPod.
At this point, I find it helpful to see what the actual print will look like (as I’m bad at thinking in the negative) so I use a wide-point Sharpie to color in the uncarved areas of the design that will print.
Once the central image is carved away, you can either work on a setting for the character or remove the remaining material for a clear background plate. I like to create an organically-shaped frame around the edge and leave a bit of “chatter” for a little more dimension. Note by the change of lighting that night has now fallen. Did I mention this isn’t a super speedy process?
A little more carving the next morning, and a final round with the Sharpie reveals what our final print will look like.
So that’s it for the carving portion of this tutorial. I’m now working on the actual printing part, and will update this post this afternoon once I have that documented as well.
UPDATE!
So, here’s how the printing went (along with a materials guide for those of you following along at home)
PRINTING MATERIALS:
3. Brayer: (cheap version – $6, pro version – $60) This is what you’ll used to spread the ink onto the linocut when you’re ready to print. I found a mid-range one for $18 at Michael’s
4. Glass/Plexi sheet. This is how you coat the brayer with a smooth layer of ink. Tempered glass works best, but in a pinch you can use standard glass or even plexiglass.
5. Ink. There are lots of options here, and honestly I’m still experimenting myself and don’t have a strong recommendation yet.
6. Pressure: Fancy types will have a special printing press, but like me you’re doing this at home, so you probably won’t. There are several different methods and you should experiment to see which works best for you and your print style. For this print I’ve used a combination of a heavy rolling pin and the back of a spoon.
Now for the super lo-fi print process:
Take your glass/plexi sheet, and apply some of the ink to the center. Then take the brayer, and push the ink around until it is smooth and consistent without streaks or spots. This means that you have covered the brayer in an even coating of ink, and there won’t be blank spots when you apply it to your block.
Now roll the brayer across the surface of your block, being sure to cover every print surface. Depending on the size of your block, you may need to re-ink the brayer.
Place your block on a hard, flat surface. Here I’ve placed a cut section of plywood on top of the stove. Let’s hope it doesn’t leave any scratches or I could be in real trouble.
Lay your paper on top of the block, and press down lightly to tack it down. Once you’ve placed your hand on the paper, don’t remove pressure until you are finished with your print.
Apply pressure! What you want is to exert even pressure across the print surface. To achieve this I used a heavy marble rolling pin, but apparently forgot to take a photo.
Now, you can peel back a corner to get a look at the print, but be sure to keep your hand on the paper to keep it from slipping.
I noticed that there were some areas that were not pressed enough with the rolling pin, so I’m now using the back of a spoon to fill in the detail in those areas.
And here’s the first print! It’s not perfect and you shouldn’t expect it to me. What it does is give you a good idea of where you may need to carve out more of your design, how well you applied your ink and how evenly you pressed it.
Based on that information, you can make any further tweaks that you need until you’re happy with the result.
CLEANUP:
As it turns out, this may be the biggest pain of the entire process, depending on what inks you use. Oil-based inks tend to work best but are also the worst for cleanup. I used mineral spirits to remove the ink from the brayer and the glass/plexi plate. This is not a quick or clean process, but should be *slightly* quicker than cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
In addition, it seemed to merely transfer most of the ink to my hands. This is AFTER quite a bit of hand cleaning. It turns out that a good way to get oil-based pigment off of your hands is with oil (to lift the pigment) and a little salt (as an abrasive). Once you’ve got all the ink off, you’re now left with merely OILY hands, which you can clean with standard dishwashing soap.
DIGITIZE!
Now that all the dirty work is done, I take my favorite of the prints and scan it in, clean it up a little in Photoshop and pop it onto a t-shirt template to see how it looks. I’m not typically a fan of framed work on shirts, so I’ve created a second version removing the frame and background to leave just the central character. That allows me to increase the size of the main image and remove any distraction around it, to make a graphic better suited for a t-shirt design.
Thanks for reading! If you like this design or enjoyed seeing the process behind it, please take a moment to vote for it at Threadless!
