Simon Walker is a freelance designer and custom typographer based in Austin, Texas. He’s donated the proceeds from both of the hand-lettered tees he’s done on Cotton Bureau to a friend battling cancer. Nice and talented, read on to learn more about the man behind the Super Furry moniker.
CB: What’s your story? How’d you get interested in design and typography?
SW: My love of letters began as a young teenager in England in the 80s, when hip hop culture was starting to make itself known. I’d always loved drawing, but I was immediately enamoured with graffiti and the way those letters warped and flowed and became abstract art. It wasn’t until my twenties in college when my love for lettering resurfaced during an art class, where I was making all these drawings and adding words to them without really giving much thought as to why. My professor at the time told me what I was doing was actually a thing called “graphic design”, to which I responded “what’s graphic design?” He then handed me some brochures to a couple colleges that offered courses in communication design - one of which was for the University of North Texas. I wish I could remember his name, because I genuinely owe my whole career to that one conversation.
CB: Aha! Further proof that everyone who lives in Austin, isn’t actually from Austin. How did you decide to go to school in Texas? How’d you get from there to Austin?
SW: We moved from England to San Antonio when I was 15 years old, back in 1988 (I’ll let you do the math). After a few years there and then another 5 at UNT in Denton, I spent about two years working in Dallas before being asked to interview at GSD&M Advertising in Austin. That was kind of a no-brainer, and I ended up staying at GSD&M for 12 years before finally, this year, breaking out on my own and going solo.
CB: How is freelance life treating you? Have you had any challenges going from a structured environment to a looser one?
SW: Freelance life fits me absolutely right - I love working at home, being at home with my family every day. I don’t even mind the bustle of the comings and goings of everyone around me. I loved working at GSD&M - there are few agencies, I’m sure, that offer that exact blend of freedom, respect, and creative passion - but there’s nothing quite like being on your own schedule and making your own rules (and then breaking them). The biggest challenge is of course financial, in that you’re never 100% sure where and when your next paycheck is coming from (a big difference to getting paid every 1st and 15th without fail), but I’m staying gratifyingly busy so it’s all working itself out pretty well I think.
CB: That’s great to hear - some people (myself included) really struggle to get work done at home. Going back a little, you mentioned being enamoured with graffiti as a teenager. Does it still interest you? Where else do you find inspiration these days?
SW: I still appreciate graffiti, for sure, and I feel like those sensibilities come back to me sometimes when I’m taking liberties with letterforms, but it’s not a world I spend any real time in these days. I get my inspiration from anywhere and everywhere - it’s not even necessarily anything I go looking for, we just live in a world surrounded by letters so, you know, it’s hard to get away from them. The kind of lettering that excites me the most is the stuff you see in the world that’s sort of accidentally good, like a logo on some cheap, obscure brand of hair gel on the bottom shelf at a Diamond Shamrock - there probably wasn’t any practiced skill involved, but the stars aligned and a killer treatment emerged and now there it is, hiding away in plain view, waiting to be noticed.
A big thanks to Simon for chatting with us. To be notified when he releases new tees via CB, sign up here.
Our latest interviewee is a Pittsburgh local and CB pal, Mundania Horvath. Dane is very active in the local design/maker community, runs a popular local blog, and supports various events year round. Read on for more about her background and her ever evolving artistic endeavours.
CB: When we were first introduced to your work you were making amazing collage posters, but over the last year you’ve started making house portraits. What caused the shift?
DH: I’ve always been in awe of Pittsburgh architecture and knew I wanted to incorporate that into my work but I wasn’t sure how. In 2013, I worked as a designer for a local architect firm and while I was there, I came up with the idea of illustrating Pittsburgh houses as a year long project. I wanted to challenge myself into doing something in a medium that I wasn't entirely comfortable with, with a subject that I was passionate about. At that point, I hadn’t done illustration work since college. I actually practiced a few houses before I launched Pittsburgh Digs. Once I started posting the series, it took off unexpectedly. I received some press and then people started requesting commissions. I do still work on collage pieces and recently started a new collage project. It's hard finding the time to keep up with both and my full time gig on top of that. I wish we had more hours in the day!
CB: That’s great to keep yourself interested and learning by working in new mediums. Of the homes you’ve done, has there been a favorite?
DH: (editors note, she couldn’t pick just one; neither could we).
CB: These are all so beautiful! How did you get started in the graphic design world? Were you creative as a child?
DH: I was very creative and organized as a kid. I would sketch daily and keep my drawings dated, numbered, and signed in folders. (I still have them!) I later went to art school intending to focus on illustration, but a professor encouraged me to pursue design instead. So my introduction to the graphic design world was pretty traditional; I went to art school, did a design-focused internship, and then got a job with a small company in the Pittsburgh area.
I think that my illustration style was incongruent with the way that my professor taught, and he wasn’t very encouraging. I don’t regret ultimately focusing on design, but I wish I had continued with illustration too. I stopped sketching after that and didn’t return to it until I began my house illustration series in 2013.
CB: Do you ever thinking of going back to school and focusing on illustration? Or is working on that skill on your own time what works for you?
DH: Over the years I have learned that illustrations can come in different styles. I feel very comfortable where I am and I have the pleasure of working on house commission portraits for clients. During the day I have a full time gig at a university as their web content editor. I love my job and want to focus on that for now.
CB: It’s great to have a side project where you can continue to build upon a skill set you already have. Is there anything you’re interested in trying in the future that you don’t already have much experience with?
DH: I want to paint a mural, learn how to play drums, do a collage series that uses fiber art techniques and publish an illustration book.
CB: Wow - those are some ambitious goals! Good luck Dane, we can’t wait to see what you turn out next.
To keep up with Dane on the many things she is involved with, you can follow her on twitter, instagram, or her blog, Steeltown Anthem. Sign up here to be notified the next time she releases a tee on Cotton Bureau.
Illustrator extraordinaire Virginia Poltrack is lucky number seven in our interview series. Her Mollusca Cephalopoda tee is one of our all-time best sellers and probably not just because she’s exceedingly nice. Click through to learn more about her love for illustration and her experiences with Google Glass.
CB: How’d you get started being an illustrator? Did you draw a lot as a child?
VP: My first memory is watching my Dad draw a picture. I remember watching him draw, and seeing the lines and shapes come together like magic, and I thought, “Why would anyone ever want to do anything else? That is AMAZING! He just made something, where once there was nothing! I want to do that.” I was completely captivated and from that point on - drawing was it. That was all I wanted to do. I think I was 3 or 4, but that path never really changed for me. I have piles of sketchbooks, drawings, pens - you name it. I’ve kept everything. I was just always the “artist”!
CB: Ha! I suppose that makes it hard to move. Where some people haul around boxes and boxes of reading books, you have a whole history of your work on shelves I suppose? What are some of your favorite things to draw?
VP: Oh, I have sketchbooks that are probably 20 years old at this point! It's actually pretty funny to look back through them - the first couple sketchbooks are full of dragons and science fiction characters (although, to be fair, so is my current sketchbook…) I have a few things that I really love to draw - owls, birds, octopii, Star Wars characters. When I went freelance full-time, I talked to some other freelancers to get advice, and one common thing I heard (which was excellent advice) was to always have personal projects. Have a project that you do for fun, with no limitations. This serves a couple purposes. First, you’ll stay busy - instead of sitting around, freaking out because you don’t have any work, you’ll stay busy and productive. Secondly, it keeps your skill set active. Thirdly, it gives you something to post or promote. I decided I would draw all the characters from Star Wars - there are so many, it would take forever, and it would keep me occupied between other projects.
Sometimes people will comment and say, “Why do you draw X all the time?" but again, there’s a reason behind it. If I can’t think of anything else to draw, I’ll use one of those "things”, because I know I can do it. Also, I think re-visiting the same subject is an excellent way to measure progress. If I drew the same owl every day for a year, I could look back and see improvement, which is really important. Right now, I’m working on portraits of all of the Doctors from Dr. Who. Again, it’s fun, I can promote it, and it keeps me busy in between the other projects. Especially working with technology (websites, Google Glass projects, etc) it’s nice to take a break for an hour and work with a pencil and a piece of paper.
CB: That’s awesome! I’d love to be able to have the ability to see how I’ve grown and improved in such a tangible way. You’re right about keeping yourself busy with personal projects, it really keeps the mind fresh and ready for what’s next. Speaking of Google Glass, how’d you get involved with that? You went to the Google I/O Conference recently, right?
VP: Oh, let me talk about Google Glass (I know it’s a slightly polarizing topic for some, and I am biased in favor of it - but..here’s my story about Glass.)
I never really liked technology. I liked pencil and paper. But I watched this promotional video for Glass, and I was just hooked. I wanted to try it! I entered the “#ifihadglass” contest and won. I knew I could make videos and photos about my drawings, but I also wanted to be a part of the technology. I live in Johnstown, PA - when else in my life was I going to get a chance to test out beta technology for a company like Google, and have them see my work? It felt like a pretty amazing opportunity! I have used Glass with my illustrations, but I’ve also been a part of creating apps (Glassware) - like Word of the Day (sends a vocabulary word once a day to Glass), Vignette Postcards (I made seasonal illustrations people can use with their photos to share on social media), Flash Stacks (is a way to send custom content to Glass) and a few others. I went from disliking technology to really being at the front of it! This entire past year, my focus has been on Google Glass and wearables. But it’s been one of the best years EVER - I was invited to Google I/O (their developers conference). I got to go to Google HQ and hang out and meet some amazing people, I’ve had the Glass team share my illustrations all over social media, and the other Explorers have been incredible. I’ve made new friends all over the world and met some of the best people ever - all because of Glass!
It’s also been a crash course in a new way of designing - Glass (and all wearables) behave in a totally different way, and require a new way of thinking about design. I’ve learned a lot about best practices in the last year - what looks best on a translucent display for Glass, how to best display text, logos, formatting - it’s been an education in and of itself. Again, I know that people question the technology for a number of reasons, but for me, it was very simple. It was an opportunity to be a part of something new and exciting - an opportunity that wasn’t going to happen twice. I fully intended to take advantage of this and make the most out of it, and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that!
CB: How exciting! Sounds like it has been a whirlwind year for you, but that you really learned a lot and had fun too. How did you come up with the ideas for the Glassware apps you’ve created?
VP: The Glassware app ideas came from a few different places! The first app we made was called “Glassentation” and it’s basically a way to send slide notes to Glass. Think of it as turning your Glass into a teleprompter, of sorts. My husband does a lot of public speaking, so that one was his idea! Word of the Day (which is my heart - I love that app beyond words) was my idea. I love vocabulary and learning new words. In fact, most of my sketchbooks have vocabulary words in them. If I see a word I don’t know, I write it down, along with the definition, and try to use it as often as I can. I thought it would be a fun application for Glass! It actually evolved from there, as well. Glass has a feature called a “vignette” - which is basically a picture overlayed on a picture. So people started taking a photo with the word of the day that related to the word, and shared it on social media. So that app actually turned into a game, which is fantastic! We also worked with a friend of ours, Jeremy Shore, and he developed the Android / Wear version. So now, if you have an Android phone and/or smart watch, you can get word of the day for that, as well! WOTD for Glass is an official app, which means we went through the review process and had it approved by Google. Moving forward, anyone who purchases Glass will have the option to turn on WOTD and start getting the notifications! We are at over 6,000 active users, which I am so proud of, especially considering Glass is still a beta product that not many people own!
Flash Stacks grew out of Vignette Postcards. Vignette Postcards was actually Google’s idea - they wanted a way for people to be able to share holiday greetings with Glass. I took a bunch of custom typography and made images out of it, that people could send to Glass. So for example, people would take a photo of their Christmas Tree, and in the corner, it would have my drawing of the text “Merry Christmas!”. The problem was - what if people wanted to send their own information to Glass? They had no way of doing that - until our friend Cecilia Abadie reached out with Flash Stacks! It allows users to send photos, text, and other information to Glass, giving users complete control over custom information. We are REALLY excited about this - I think it opens up a lot of opportunities for medical and educational uses. There are a few more apps in the works as well - we have more ideas and projects than time, unfortunately! But it’s a good problem to have, I think. It’s also worth mentioning again, that the community was a crucial part of this process. We used beta testers for each app, and they would give us helpful ideas and feedback!
CB: That’s really interesting how involved the Glass community is with each new idea that comes along. Such a great way to get feedback and make improvements! Speaking of community, how did you find Cotton Bureau and why did you decide to submit your ideas for t-shirts to us?
VP: So I’ve only been “online” a few years - I started with Dribbble (of course!) I used to look at Dribbble every day, but didn’t have an account. Finally, I signed up and got an invitation, and became active in the community and on Twitter. Of course, we all know there are some people and organizations that stand out - which is how I found United Pixelworkers! I went to a Dribbble meet up in Pittsburgh, and I remember a few things - one of which is how kind Jay Fanelli was when I got to meet him (which meant a lot to me!) I also remember talking to him about being in Johnstown - and he said, “It’s not where you are, it’s the work that you do.” I really took that to heart, and appreciated him saying that. So I was a fan of Pixelworkers for years, and was REALLY excited when Cotton Bureau launched! It was a no-brainer for me - getting to work with really talented people that I respect! To me, even having a design accepted is a big deal - and having it go to print or making some money is just icing on the cake! It’s a win-win situation - I can’t say enough good things about you guys!
CB: Virginia, you are too sweet! Thanks for spreading the CB word so much, we really appreciate it. Congrats on having so many tees go to print, we really love your latest tee, Owl King!
Virginia’s Owl King tee expires Wednesday, Sept 23rd at 2pm - be sure to snag one before they’re gone! To keep up with her work, you can follow Virginia on twitter, dribbble, and instagram.
When designer and letterer Judson Collier launched his Fake It Till You Make It tee this past June, he did it in a way we’d never seen before. We had to get the scoop behind the idea for his dedicated site and his “celebrity endorsements”. Click through to get the scoop.
CB: Based on the site you made for your tee, we garner this idea came to you as a doodle, can you elaborate?
JC: Yes! Every once in awhile I’ll post some fun doodles on Instagram to share with friends, and so I had drawn out Fake It Till You Make it just to post on Instagram at first. I shot the image off to a couple of friends and they thought it would make a great tee!
CB: How’d you find out about Cotton Bureau and why did you decide to go with us versus someone else?
JC: I knew a lot of people who were using Cotton Bureau to sell tees— but what really drew me to using CB is that I didn’t have to worry about throwing a large chunk of money down ahead of time, knowing that I got enough of the right sizes.
CB: What made you think of designing a site to help promote your tee? What was the response like?
JC: Honestly, I wasn’t sure of how well the shirt was going to go, and I knew from previous experience promoting a shirt— no matter how hard you push it, you will still have 15 friends who would have bought the shirt had they known it was for sale.
I also tried to make a goal of pushing the shirt often, but not being spammy about it. The site really laid the ground work for that goal— just being open and honest with my friends, and asking big.
CB: The photoshops of celebs wearing your tees were great - we especially loved the Kanye one. What was the response like on twitter and instagram to those shots? Did you gain any new followers from doing those?
JC: YES. Absolutely my favorite part. I realized about halfway through that my tweets and posts were too formal for promoting the shirt. If you follow me on twitter, most of my tweets are jokes about pizza, taylor swift and annoying hipsters I see at coffee shops— so they definitely didn’t fit in.
This was right around the time that photo of Macaulay Culkin wearing a t-shirt of Ryan Gosling wearing a t-shirt of Macaulay Culkin came out, so the only thing I could think of is how hilarious it would be to show Ryan Gosling wearing my shirt.
The reception was awesome—and I ended up doing the same for Kanye and Kim, Lionel Richie and a few others. What was great is that I was able to promote the shirt really hard and still get a good laugh out of people— They ended up being some of my most popular posts!
CB: Any tips you have to pass on to other CB rookies?
JC: Self-promoting can be such a miserable thing, but if you be yourself and have fun with it, it’s so much easier for other people to enjoy it, and get behind you and your work.
If you’d like to see Jud’s tee up for sale again, sign up to be notified here. To keep up with Jud’s musings on pizza and Taylor Swift, follow him on twitter.
We recently caught up with Boston-based designer and illustrator Josh LaFayette in order to get the skinny on his background, the transition to going freelance, and how a positive outlook in all aspects of your life is essential. Click through for the entire interview and a roundup of some of his work.
CB: We love your work, but (shamefully) don’t know much about how you got started. Can you give us a little Josh LaFayette history?
JL: Thanks! I started college pursuing a degree in Biomedical Science. Two years in I realized that “Graphic Design” was a thing and I’d been doing it for fun since I was a kid. I changed my major and graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from Auburn University in Alabama. I worked as a designer at a handful of places and had a lot of fun doing so. In 2011, I realized that I was hand-rendering all of my solutions, so I left the ad agency I was working at to be a full-time independent illustrator. My wife and I moved to Boston in early 2012, and I’ve been freelancing ever since!
CB: What’s been the most challenging part of freelancing for you in the last two years?
JL: Man, it’s been a crazy time! (Almost three years—1,019 days to be exact :)) When I left the agency where I was working, I didn’t have any clients, and I was making the transition from “designer” to “illustrator,” so my online portfolio/presence was kind of hard to understand to people who didn’t know me. I didn’t get any work for close to six months. So, short answer, “getting work/finding clients.” Doing daily drawings is what really started to bring work in.
CB: We recently listened to the episode of What’s Your Story? that you were on. We really loved the part where you talked about being positive and nice and how it is often a conscious choice on your part, both IRL and online. Do you think your choice to project positivity in all aspects of your life has brought you more work? Or more of the type of work you like to do?
JL: Thanks! I’m glad you liked the interview—Meighan is great. Being nice has helped open doors to projects for sure. Most people don’t like to work with jerks. Being positive has brought in the type of work that I’d like to do. My style is playful and humor is a big part of my personal work—a lot of the work that I’m contacted for calls for that, so I reckon people are noticing! Also, I think positivity is a key ingredient to living a happy and fulfilled life. I’m only here (you know, like, on this planet) for a short time, so there’s no use in being a grump about stuff. Some situations aren’t going to work out and some (most) things are going to be difficult, but I can choose to smile all the while.
CB: We think you’re on the right track! Your fun and positive outlook has also gained you quite a few tumblr followers. Was there a single post or series of posts that gained attention and kept people coming back, or has it been a more organic journey?
JL: There was a series of posts/events that created a sort of perfect storm that really launched my “tumblr-career” into full blast. I started using Tumblr in early 2009 at the behest of my friend and former classmate, Greg Leuch, and by 2012 I had amassed a whopping 100 followers. Near the end of 2012, Tumblr offered to include me on their Illustrators Spotlight (which I eagerly accepted!) and around the same time, a (very bad) drawing of mine was on the Tumblr Radar for the first time. Then I started getting on the Radar about once every month. So in about a year’s time, I went from 100 followers to 100,000 followers like magic. But I’d like to give a message to those reading: lots-of-internet-followers does not equal $$$$!
CB: That’s very true! While followers may not be paying your bills, it’s still nice to know that people out there appreciate what you’re doing. We hear you’re in grad school for your MFA, how’s that going and what else is on your horizon?
JL: Yes, that’s definitely true!
You heard right! I am in the Hartford Art School Low Residency MFA in Illustration program and just finished my first contact period at the end of July. It’s a wonderful program run by amazing illustrators, and I’m very excited to be a part of it.
As far as the horizon—my bff, Lou (who I happened to be married to), is 37 weeks pregnant, so there’s gonna be a lil dude in our lives real soon!
CB: Congrats on your upcoming initiation to #dadlife! Good luck with grad school and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.
