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Wednesday, July 30
Badashell is a new t-shirt design competition with a new winner every week. Their choices range from intense to cute, meaning that every type of t-shirt fan is likely to find something they enjoy as Badashell continues to add to the collection.
Starting August 10th, Badashell will begin choosing their weekly winners. Weekly winners earn $500 cash and $100 in store credit. Additionally, designers earn $1 per shirt sold (after the first 150 sold).
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Tuesday, July 29
Uneetee's latest winner is Accident Prawn by Loy, an amusing pun design that shows the shellfish in a cast and hobbling around on crutches. The details keep the quality level high, with a variety of comments scrawled on the cast and the prawn's dejection clearly conveyed through droopy antennae and pathetically emotional eyes. It's nice, solid work, and I love the way the oranges stand out on that blue shirt.
Uneetee choses winners from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners receive $1500, with the chance to earn more through reprints.
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Animals with Eyepatches! Yes! by Brock Davis (Laser Bread) is the winner of the Threadless Loves Lollapalooza contest, perfectly interpreting the theme by picking such a remarkable and wonderful subject. To me, it's a great design because it looks attractive and interesting on the shirt, and because the images get my imagination running. The distressing and colors are a nice touch- to me it makes the image look more naive and handmade, which adds to the enthusiasm that the design conveys.
Biro Battles and Bat Beasts by Miso & Ghost Patrol is this week's Select. Let's just cut to the chase: I have no clue what this is supposed to be, but I like it. Some kind of ox-sloth hybrid clutching the legs of a Batgirl impostor? Okay. Sign me up. Because what sells the shirt is both the general oddness and the excellent style. The penciled lines are gorgeously textured and inviting to look at. Solid work.
Eye Parcel by Olly Moss (Woss) is a triumph of lines. The hair-like lines swallow a variety of objects, ranging from skulls to arms to tires. It's the kind of drawing you can get a bit lost in, just enjoying all the details. While I think this is great art, I think it could have been a better shirt- the ink is too light in color for my tastes, and it makes the design get a bit lost even in Threadless's own product pictures. More contrast would make it easier to give this design the attention it deserves.
Coffee Cloud by Maxim Cyr (Recycledwax) has a great coloring style, which definitely conveys the richness of coffee (as it should, since the original submission was made with actual coffee stains). The style, which has both the humor of a cartoon and the depth that a layered ink treatment can bring, appeals to those who love their coffee but also those who don't- I've never touched the stuff, but this still looks like a fun shirt to me. I am a bit confused on one point, though. The characters totally baffle me- are they meant to be beans, cookies of some kind, or anything at all?
21st Century Pirate by Aled Lewis (fatheed) is about how people on the internet pirate stuff all the time. Tragically, this is such a common observation, and such a common joke that it feels incredibly stale to me. The good news is that while I don't care for the concept, the artwork is spot on. It's all clean, attractive, and realistic, with details to enhance the theme (such as the map on the bulletin board).
Threadless prints new shirts every week, chosen from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners get $2000 cash and $500 in Threadless credit, with the possibility to earn more through Bestee awards, poster prints, and reprints.
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Design By Humans has a HUGE sale underway to celebrate their first anniversary. Shirts start at just $12!
This sale will end August 1st, so act fast.
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Sunday, July 27
Line Rhino by artulo is in my opinion the best shirt this week. It has a simple, classic look that manages to be unique and interesting without relying on off-the-wall techniques, huge amounts of color, or a jumbo sized print. The rhino seems to grow directly out of the band of lines, almost giving the impression that he is stepping through a waterfall. Very solid work, though the girls version is a bit of a disappointment- it seems that the placement wasn't very well considered.
Live Long and Prosper by yehteh is a shirt with an absolutely massive print of that familiar Star Trek hand gesture, with a gradient star system within the hand. But while I like Star Trek, this shirt just doesn't work for me. The shape of the hand seems flawed, and the detail of having the thumb severed is just kind of bizarre. I'm unable to find any significance to it, and even worse I initially mistook that as a poorly rendered thumb ring. Finally, the size feels way too big to me- there's not really a level of detail in this piece to make me want to keep looking after a first glance.
let your mind be free ..!! by whyball is a really gorgeous illustration. It resembles a colored pencil drawing, which gives the composition a warm ambiance. The perspective is fantastically done, with a huge, grasping hand and flying bird seeming to explode out of the fabric. This is a good shirt, to be sure. At the same time, I think it could have been stronger. To me, the strongest concept on the shirt is the birdcage mind, but it is hidden behind a massive hand. While the hand is great conceptually, it does cut down on the wearability for me- I'd have preferred more emphasis on the cage.
Gorilla Attitude by dagnis is a weird shirt for me. I think the style is really cool and interesting... I just also think that it is a poor fit for the subject matter, and that the subject matter isn't a great t-shirt concept. The lined style gives the monkey the appearance of braces, makes the tongue look odd, and those lines at the top almost look like the beginning of a hat. Overall, it's a great attempt, just not entirely successful.
Big Buck$$$ by jaynajaynajayna is a textural drawing of two bucks, whose antlers take centerstage as they climb to the top of the shirt. It's a solid drawing, and the way it fills the shirt is pretty nice. I'm just not that fond of the color choice- I think a one-color print of this size might have benefited from using an ink tone closer to the fabric, making the work more subtle.
Design By Humans is an on-going t-shirt design contest that prints new shirts every weekday. Prints are chosen from the shirts submitted by and voted on by DBH members. Shirt of the Day winners receive $500 cash and $250 DBH credit. Shirt of the Week winners get $1000 cash. Shirt of the Month gets $1500 cash and $250 credit. Winners also have an opportunity to earn residuals through the Rockstar Awards Program.
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Myjellybean.com, a community site for girls aged 13 to 18, is currently holding a t-shirt design contest. They're looking for something that matches their brand, possibly through color, imagery, or the official logo.
The deadline for entries is September 15th, 2008. The winner will receive $100, two free shirts and a sponsor-supplied prize package.
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Thursday, July 24
Although TeeFury just launched this week, they're already off to a great start. So far the site has had two sellouts and has featured some stunning work from leaders in the apparel design industry, including Jimiyo and Tom Burns.
The site, which has the claim to fame of offering only one tee design on sale each day, is also always looking for new artists. Their Artists portion of the site allows people to join and submit their work for TeeFury to consider.
Those selected to print will earn $1 per shirt sold. After being printed, the full rights to the art reverts back to the artist, who is then free to reprint on their own as they see fit.
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This week marks Shirt.Woot's second Double-Take derby. As with their other double-take derby, no new entries will be selected- the only entries that will be in voting are those that Woot themselves have selected from previous derbies (including Honorable Mentions). There's still a lot of fun to be had for voters, though, as the quality level is much higher than in a typical derby.
The good news is, Woot has released the theme of their derby for next week, giving artists extra time to make their entries perfect. Derby #64 will begin at noon on August 1st, with the theme Old West.
Voting in the double-take derby is on-going from Friday at noon until Thursday at noon. Three winners will be printed the following weekend (as chosen by site members), with the printed designers earning $1000 for the first night of sales and a potential $2 per shirt sold on any sales after that date. (Because this is a double-take derby, Woot is also likely to choose four Editor's Choice picks- if they occur, it will likely happen in the days following the derby winners and those picks will receive the same prize as winners.)
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Wednesday, July 23
Uneetee's newest winner is Hidden Castle by Toang Wei Shang. It's definitely a unique shirt for Uneetee, taking a bit of a painterly approach to the shirt. It feels like something right out of the seventies to me (blame red sun and natural setting, maybe), but that's a big part of the charm. The Asian influence is also evident in the style and the structure of the dwelling that sits in front of the waterfall. It's a nice drawing, and definitely inspires daydreams in those who see it- who wouldn't want to live in such a cool place? Overall though, I'm not sure it's a great fir for the medium. The design feels like it's just plopped in the center of the shirt and the hidden castle, the shirt's best detail, isn't visible except from very close. Nice illustration, but not a favorite shirt.
Uneetee choses winners from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners receive $1500, with the chance to earn more through reprints.
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Monday, July 21
The Deer Without A Heart by Kneil Melicano (roadkill3d) is my favorite shirt this week... and honestly, probably my favorite shirt in months. I'm a sucker for wildlife shirts with great lines, and this fits the bill nicely. The color treatment, though, is what makes it truly unique. They're close to the colors we'd associate with the animals and nature (red of blood, watery blue, etc) except taken in a more surreal direction. The results are dreamy and intriguing, a definite buy for me.
Let's Roll by Arbito is this week's Select. I hadn't realized until this printed, but in retrospect I guess there was a bit of a raver shirt deficit on Threadless. But, now that the situation has been rectified, they never need to print anything like this ever again. Ok, I'm exaggerating for effect. It really is pretty well done, just deeply unappealing to me. The character is too Yosemite Sam, maybe.
Someday by Lim Heng Swee (ilovedoodle) is about a baby bird dreaming of adulthood. The idea of a small animal with a shadow showing them as bigger isn't exactly new, but what makes this fresh and cool is the style with which it is done. Instead of being a dull silhouette, the shadow is called out with lines to show feathering and features. Similarly, the expression on the tiny bird's face expertly conveys his hopes. Great work.
Mister Mittens' Big Adventure by Joe Van Wetering (speedyjvw) is a shirt that, at first probably creates a sense of deja vu in most t-shirt junkies- it's the same basic concept as a DBH shirt. Honestly, though, the Threadless version is so much better, they're almost a different species. Mister Mittens is more complex, more colorful and a lot more interesting. It's not a buy for me (I wish the universe imagery was more subtle, and the lasercats theme isn't to my liking) but it definitely is the current pinnacle of the genre.
Spaghetti & Me by Steve Wierth (Torakamikaze) looks to me like kind of a foodie take on the concept of someone connecting with their creation (robot/inventor etc). The idea is fun (and definitely appealing to a big demographic), but the style is where it really succeeds. The attention to detail on the spaghetti is amazing, and the chef also has a great deal of charm. My gripe here is with the ink color- the orange blends in with the shirt color too much for my liking, and I would prefer if the spaghetti man stood out just as much as the chef in his white coat.
Toy Traffic by Richard Lee (lofty softy) is a pretty neat shirt for kids and parents. The idea is that Hot Wheels sorts of small cars are driving up and down the shirt, leaving tire marks behind. My hang up here is that I'm kind of at a loss as to why any adult without kids would wear it- unlike a lot of other childhood toys, where the imaginative elements give them a life of their own, the cars are just... cars. Nothing about the design (or my own experience playing with toy cars) makes me think of them as amusing shirt fodder. So I feel that the main value here is in interaction, and unless a kid is actively combining real Hot Wheels with the shirt, it's kind of lame.
Threadless prints new shirts every week, chosen from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners get $2000 cash and $500 in Threadless credit, with the possibility to earn more through Bestee awards, poster prints, and reprints.
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Sunday, July 20
Doves by yonil gets my nod as the best shirt at DBH this week. The colors and motion make it the most instantly eye-catching, and the concept holds up well once you take a longer look. Doves are tethered to the hand, their explosive escape attempt called out with a splash of color. All in all, an expressive shirt design that looks great when worn. I'm a little disappointed to see bird silhouettes AGAIN, though- lately it feels like every third shirt (both at DBH and beyond) has them.
Robocycle by Doctor_Murpheus is a recycling symbol made out of technology. I like the fact that it's all one color, but that's the only thing I like. The concept is flimsy (why robots?) and has of course been done previously in ways that make much more sense. It's not terrible, just incredibly bland... to the point where I'm curious what the thought process on printing it was.
Refraction by collisiontheory attempts to update the image of light passing through a prism, bringing it into a more modern t-shirt style with the addition of paint splatter. As with Robocycle, I'm not really sold. The issue for me is that while an attempt to make the material fresh has been made, it still feels like a rehash. When I look at this, my first thought isn't "Hey, what a neat take on refraction," it's "Pink Floyd was pretty cool."
Fight in Flight by JoyAng features a bird and a tiger, locked in combat in mid-air. It's also in gold foil, which I'm a bit torn on. It looks great, no question, but the use of only gold foil makes it hard to distinguish what is actually happening- and since it is such a good drawing, I'd ideally want better clarity on that. I'd still wear it as-is, though, and the Smoke shirt color is a nice addition.
One Fine Day by Bramish uses the repetition of several stormy icons and one colored sun to show that even in the midst of gloom, goodness can be found. The main strength of the shirt to me is in the differing styles of the icons, which gives the illusion of more variety than there actually is. This type of shirt doesn't appeal to me personally, but since I don't think DBH has another in the same style I think it was a nice choice to print anyway.
Design By Humans is an on-going t-shirt design contest that prints new shirts every weekday. Prints are chosen from the shirts submitted by and voted on by DBH members. Shirt of the Day winners receive $500 cash and $250 DBH credit. Shirt of the Week winners get $1000 cash. Shirt of the Month gets $1500 cash and $250 credit. Winners also have an opportunity to earn residuals through the Rockstar Awards Program.
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Saturday, July 19
Straight from the press release, everything you need to know about this contest:
UNIQLO’s annual T-shirt design competition since 2004, the 5th “UT Grand Prix” will call for entries from July 15th.
UNIQLO has actively developed its global expansion as a casual wear brand from Japan, opening flagship stores in New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Korea and China, and also shown the global promotion campaigns that world people can participate such as UNIQLOCK and UT LOOP!
Based on the concept of “T-shirt Design Olympics”, UT Grand Prix calls for T-shirt designs from young & upcoming creators from all over the world. Works will be chosen from more than 10,000 submissions in the first and second phases of judgment, & these will be shown on the web. In the final stage, 20 designs will be selected by presiding guest judges, & these designs will then be sold as UT (UNIQLO T-shirt) at UNIQLO stores. Cash & other prizes will be also presented to the winner(s). The Grand Prix (top) prize is 3 million JPY (or equivalent in local currency at current rates).
Submission Period: July 15th - September 21st, 2008
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Thursday, July 17
Shirt.Woot's newest theme is like a breath of fresh air after the pixel constraints of last week. This week the derby is looking for designs about Emergency. Here's what Woot had to say about it:
Some emergencies are obvious: a burning building, a flash flood, a mad scientist in Times Square with a ray that turns people into insects. Others are a matter of perspective: a little kid would be more worried about his skinned knee than about the global oil crisis. Let your, um, urgency emerge and see what you can do with it in t-shirt form. Hurry, hurry! It's an emergency!
The Stop Sign Rule is in effect this week: incidental text is allowed as part of an illustration, but no slogan shirts.
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Wednesday, July 16
A Better Tomorrow's newest winner is Electro Pirate by Deedeekid. It's a great, graffiti-inspired illustration of a grimy pirate dude, centering on his charming lack of dental hygiene. The mess in his mouth spells... uh, something German, I guess?... in a bright neon green, which also calls out a tentacle, worms, booze and more. It's eye-catching, fun, and pretty damn unique- while I've seen pirates on shirts a million times, the idea of making one a rocker is new to me, and those headphones go a long way towards giving this guy a clear personality.
A Better Tomorrow chooses winners from the shirt designs submitted and voted on by site users. Although the site is in German, designers from all over the world can enter and win. Winners earn 500 euros when printed.
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Tuesday, July 15
In honor of their first anniversary, Design By Humans has started a new contest with a Unity Through Art theme. As DBH states, "Art is the lifeblood of society and transcends cultural and language barriers, evoking universal emotions without the aid of translation or diplomats." Artists have the option of using the DBH logo or name in their work, though it isn't required.
The submission deadline is July 31st, 2008. Three winners will be announced, with first place receiving $1500 cash, second place getting $1000, and $500 for third place. Unlike most DBH contests, where voting is a component in the final decision, in this contest Jason and Matt Gutierrez (founders of DBH) will be deciding the victors.
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Uneetee's newest winner is Showdown by Mark Y. I assume most hardcore samurai fans will buy it, so the real question is... is there a reason for a purchase for anyone else? The good news is that the individual elements are all well-drawn, in a crisp one-color woodcut style. The bad news is that they're layered on top of each other so haphazardly, all the detail is lost. In particular, the wave in the center muddles the composition without adding much value. Overall, I'd say it looks a bit like an attempt to create the complex, layered and vector pack-derived designs sold by places like Go Media, but lacking in the attention to detail and sense of scale that makes those shirts successful. Also, I think this would have been a great shirt to try printing as a v-neck, since the motion of the piece seems to lend itself to that.
Uneetee choses winners from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners receive $1500, with the chance to earn more through reprints.
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Threadless Loves Democracy is a new competition at Threadless, seeking t-shirt designs that center on the concept of democracy itself. That means nothing about specific politics, officials or elections, just designs about the idea itself.
Unlike most other contests at Threadless, a total of three winners will be chosen. In addition to being printed on shirts, those designs will appear on Threadless prints and on Jones Soda bottles.
Enter by August 14th, 2008 for your chance to win the prize package, which includes nation-wide promotion of your design by Sappi Fine Paper (posters featuring your design will include your name and contact details), $300 gift certificate to Screwball Press, a Gocco P5 Silk Screening Kit!, complementary bottles of Jones Soda featuring each of the 3 winning designs, a signed copy of Jeff Howe's Crowdsourcing book, your choice of any other 5 Crown or Crown Business books, an advance Copy of The Wuffie Factor by Tara Hunt, a $250 Apple Store gift card and the traditional Threadless prize of a $500 Threadless Gift Certificate and $2,500 in cash.
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Monday, July 14
Strays by Glenn Jones (Glennz) is exactly the kind of slick-looking and hilarious work that the designer (and by extension Threadless) is known for. A take-off of the commonly seen alley-way scene where stray cats hide in every shadow, this surreal setting packs both small cats and larger prey- to the tune of lions, a giraffe and a rhino, among even more sets of unidentifiable eyes. The reason it works so well is that it centers on such a common experience- seeing something in the shadows- and twists it into a fantastic and funny image that captures the imagination.
Collection by Jimmy Tan W H finds the intersection of man-made elegance and nature. The chandelier's flourishes intertwine with spider webs, and butterflies flit across the composition. A couple of factors really enhance the value- the angle of the chandelier (it has some motion to it, instead of being more dull and centered) and the fact that flock ink is used. While I'm not a fan of this design in particular (the subject matter doesn't suit me and it feels really bulky on the shirt to me), I like that something like this was printed.
FeLines by Danielle Kerese (DaniellesGarden) is pretty much what it sounds like, a tight line drawing of cats, unified by the lines of their fur. It's definitely good work, sure to appeal to both cat fans and appreciators of one color art. The color used ruins it a bit for me, though- that bright blue on asphalt doesn't evoke anything catlike for me, and something about the color combination bothers my eyes, which keeps me from really looking at the lines. Great design, but the printing isn't too my taste.
Fail by Budi Satria Kwan (radiomode) is another favorite of mine this week, as it excels in several ways. The concept is funny, using the idea of the cow that jumped over the moon (nostalgia appeal) and focusing on the one that didn't quite make it. The style used is equally charming, using exaggeratedly fat cows (magnifying their leaping feat) and transparent patterns to great effect.
Human Thaumatrope by Federico Alejandro Saravi (VecinoLorenzo) is my least favorite kind of Threadless print, the kind that is wholly reliant on a gimmick. While thaumatropes are very cool, this shirt is not- for starters, no one will ever see it in action because people don't spin that fast. Which means that if you wear this, you'll be stuck explaining it to everyone you meet. Which is too bad, because it had some potential to be at least a little cool- the problem is, the style of the two sides doesn't match at all. The bird side is acceptable, if a bit clip art-y, but the cage side is unbelievably rough.
Precious Cloth by Fumi Nakamura (miniaturemouse) is this week's Select. Firstly, I love that the artist took advantage of the ability to custom-design a shirt color- I enjoy the variety that adds to Threadless's offerings. The design itself is unique as well, appearing to be a sort of illustrated collage. The strength is in how the elements interact, like the ribbon that transitions into arms and the floral pattern that overflows from the sleeve. Cool and interesting work, a great choice for a Select.
Threadless prints new shirts every week, chosen from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners get $2000 cash and $500 in Threadless credit, with the possibility to earn more through Bestee awards, poster prints, and reprints.
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Sunday, July 13
Fly!! by tinhiati is the best shirt of the week because of the way it balances great style with an appealing and humorous concept. The bird cages house antique planes instead of birds, and red lanterns add a punch of color and some oriental flair. The large size makes this a shirt that only DBH could have printed, as the competitors likely would have downsized the image and lessened its impact. Attractive, unique, and even funny- a very powerful combination.
Ghostez by blooboy is another design that is greatly benefited by its huge size. The illustration is cute, but not particularly interesting or innovative. What really works is the sense of motion to the piece, which imbues the otherwise plain-looking ghosts with some character. The boldness (especially combined with the fresh shade of green) makes this a great looking shirt, even though it isn't breaking any new ground.
Two Candles Skull by everybodylovesirine is a complicated drawing of a skull flanked by two candles. It's all done in a distressed gold foil, which to me has both positives and negatives. On the plus side, it's definitely attention-getting. But on the other hand, I feel that this printing style made it hard to see the details- you'd have to really look to distinguish that there even are candles, for instance. Some extra contrast might have boosted the appeal for me.
Floral Connexion by Kmeleon is an illustration of a flower, printed with a gradient. There's a bit of a twist, as the interior of the blossom sports USB cords. As shown in the comments for this shirt at DBH, it's a bit of a polarizing factor. Technology fans are rarely the type to wear huge flowers, while nature-lovers balk at the combination of the flower with the cord. As for me, I'm in a third group- not particularly wanting to wear a giant flower, but also not impressed with the idea of combining the cords. Although the concept does nothing for me, I should note that the drawing itself is incredibly well done. I'm also a fan of several of the artist's other pieces, so I hope DBH sees fit to print him again very soon.
Gimme Gimme Gimme by mathiole shows a skeleton being destroyed by his greed. Lightning strikes right through his heart and rough x's show stress on his joints. The word balloons convey the frantic nature of his emotions. It's definitely solid work, but one detail ruins it for me. There's a large star of david behind the skeleton's head. Frankly, in a design that seems to be about greed, that just sketches me out something fierce. I'm sure the implication wasn't intentional (unless there's a reference I'm unfamiliar with), but I can't help but feel that a simple pentagram would have done the trick and avoided the issue nicely (maybe even adding a bit of extra demon subtext).
Design By Humans is an on-going t-shirt design contest that prints new shirts every weekday. Prints are chosen from the shirts submitted by and voted on by DBH members. Shirt of the Day winners receive $500 cash and $250 DBH credit. Shirt of the Week winners get $1000 cash. Shirt of the Month gets $1500 cash and $250 credit. Winners also have an opportunity to earn residuals through the Rockstar Awards Program.
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Saturday, July 12
Monsieur Poulet is a French dude who looks like a chicken. And he has a great site with an on-going t-shirt design competition, which thankfully also has a great English-translated version available as well. The site calls itself a Temple of Good Taste, and so far their shirts have been living up to that title. Kong in Paris and Sad Song are two of my favorites, but the boutique is full of clever and well-designed work.
Each month, Monsieur Poulet chooses two winning designs. Winners earn 2 Euros per item sold, for a total of up to 2000 Euros.
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Thursday, July 10
Winners at Allmightys earn commissions based on the sales of their shirts, which vary from 2 euros to 1 euro per shirt sold, depending on what place the shirt design won in the contest.
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Shirt.Woot's newest derby has a Pixel Grid theme. Here are the details, direct from Woot:
Imagine our 16" by 20" print area is broken up into a grid of 1/4" squares. Your job this week is to create an image by filling some of these squares with blocks of solid color. You can place your design anywhere you want within the grid, and fill (or not fill) as many of the squares (or pixels) as you like. All of your pixels must align to the same 64 x 80 grid of 1/4" squares. You can't use any other design elements: no lines, no shading, no partial or multicolored pixels. And, of course, you're restricted to our usual six ink colors. This the same challenge faced by many of the early pioneers of computer graphics. Let's see what you can do with it.
No video-game or computer-graphics references whatsoever will be permitted.
And no text.
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A Better Tomorrow's newest winner is Underwater Love by Svenh, and as the title implies it is a celebration of everything people love about the ocean. From giant squids to little fishes and from submarines to sunken pirate ships, it's all there and begging for your attention. The chaotic nature of the design works well, as it amplifies the peril of the central character- his vessel is being squeezed by a tentacle, and from the look on his face danger is eminent. In this light, the sunken pirate ship is also a reflection of this guy's future. A great shirt, though I do question the shirt color choice- surely blue (or maybe even the right shade of green) would be better suited to the oceanic ambiance than silver.
A Better Tomorrow chooses winners from the shirt designs submitted and voted on by site users. Although the site is in German, designers from all over the world can enter and win. Winners earn 500 euros when printed.
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Tuesday, July 8
Uneetee's latest winner is Reborn by Yau Hoong Tang. And I have to say, I think it's one of my favorites in Uneetee's entire collection. The concept itself, a tree growing out of a pencil, is gorgeous and thought provoking. It makes the viewer consider all the other things a pencil can create, and the fact that even such a great tool comes at a price. The colors are great as well, emphasizing the growth element (and contrasting with the often drab shirt colors that Uneetee tends to favor). Overall, a great shirt for artists, thinkers and those with environmentally-friendly leanings.
Uneetee choses winners from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners receive $1500, with the chance to earn more through reprints.
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Monday, July 7
Training by Michael Valadares Ferreira (Bisparulz) is my favorite shirt of the week- although it's working in the very familiar territory of cute monster designs, the style and the humor make it a stand out for the genre. Part of what works for me is how the reality of the situation is unclear- because of the style used, I wondered if the city was real or also a toy like the monster's dolls. The huge size on the shirt also works really well in conveying the enormity of the creature, yet the green on green color palette keeps it from being overwhelming. Great work.
Piggy Board by Preston Haynes (Merboy) was selected as the winner of the Human Giant Loves Threadless Good Old Fashioned Fun themed contest. I'm pretty fond of the style it's drawn in- the spare use of color and the heavily lined patterns look great. I'm not totally sold on the design though- since the concept is so much about movement, I wish there was a better sense of motion in the piece (even the placement, dead center on the shirt, contributes to making it very static). The other complaint I have is more subjective- I just don't find this very funny. At best it's maybe a bit amusing, but I think the entire concept of a skateboard without wheels is too convoluted to really get a good laugh.
Rain In Spain by Dylan Martorell (nalyd) is this week's Select. And to me, this is a great example of why Selects have the potential to be so awesome- the artist adapted his style to the medium well and chose an off-beat subject matter that, while unlikely to score well in the general competition, makes for a cool, interesting shirt. The linework is fun and gives life to some really nice creatures (the spider is my favorite), and the gradient looks hot on the printed shirts.
I'm Not Afraid Of The Dark is a slogan by Dan Maltzman (Maltzmania). And as with a lot of Type Tees, I'm not a fan. The trouble is that its entire value lies in one quick joke- and even worse, the joke isn't apparent unless you're in both lighted and darkened areas, allowing both messages to be seen. In the dark, the I'm Not Afraid text is hidden and the Hold Me text glows. To me, even if I saw both versions, I wouldn't laugh or be all that amused by it. It just feels like an old joke dressed up with a more modern printing effect.
All I Need by Thomas De Santis (Montro) is a shirt with a ton of pretend pockets on it. In the pockets are all kinds of things, ranging from spectacles to a crab. I'm not a trompe l'oeil fan in general, so maybe I'm coming into this a bit prejudiced, but... I sort of don't understand the appeal. The pockets don't look that realistic, so it's not a true illusion sort of thing. And unless I'm missing some sort of symbolism or reference, it looks like a fairly random collection of items (I thought at first it would all be things that played on the idea of pockets or were used in pocket metaphors, but I don't think that is the case). I think the heart of it is, I'd rather wear a shirt with twelve actual pockets than twelve pretend ones... but neither of those shirts is one I'd be likely to bother purchasing.
Threadless prints new shirts every week, chosen from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners get $2000 cash and $500 in Threadless credit, with the possibility to earn more through Bestee awards, poster prints, and reprints.
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Sunday, July 6
The 20% off sale at Design By Humans ends tonight at midnight. Use coupon code "mj00" for your discount.
Keep Fierce by jimiyo is the best shirt this week, both for the amazing art and the unique shirt placement. On the back, a badass tiger set in a composition full of other symbols of awesome, like koi, pyramids, birds and waves. And the front shoulders feature those same birds, definitely a cool approach to the t-shirt, and not one I've seen printed at DBH previously. At any rate, I love the approach and the tattoo-style illustration is complex and interesting. Great stuff.
Cuervo Muertos by dcastle8183 is another DBH print inspired by Day of the Dead. It's a solid enough illustration, but between the style and the colors, nothing really speaks to me or sets it apart from the crowd. Maybe it's just that DBH seems overloaded with skulls these days, but I think something a bit more unique in concept might have been a better choice to print. Again, the style is great, it's just subject matter that has been thoroughly mined and requires a bit more of a fresh approach to be superior.
Colorstorm by paulobbruno in part suffers from the same problem as Cuervo Muertos- lightning feels very done at this point. But the technique of using dots to give the illusion of transparency makes this stand out from other lightning designs and really gives it a reason for being. It's a nice, simple design that proves complexity isn't the only thing DBH is interested in printing.
The Old Man in the Sea by Sonne has more personality than just about any other shirt printed at DBH lately. The combination of inked lines and delicate watercolor splashes suits the theme perfectly, bringing to mind crashing waves and woodcuts. The repurposing of the man's hair as both waves and storm clouds is clever and interesting to look at, but the element that really draws me in is the eyes- they're both piercing and soulful, and they make me want to know more about this guy.
Take Control by bortwein is, unfortunately, far and away my least favorite shirt offered this week. I think the heart of it is that I can't conceive of why anyone would want to wear a giant tv controller. I mean, I watch a ton of tv and I'm still baffled. Maybe if the buttons said something funny or pertinent to the fact that they're being worn it would make more sense. What exactly is the point of this? To me, it's just not attractive enough to stand on its own.
Design By Humans is an on-going t-shirt design contest that prints new shirts every weekday. Prints are chosen from the shirts submitted by and voted on by DBH members. Shirt of the Day winners receive $500 cash and $250 DBH credit. Shirt of the Week winners get $1000 cash. Shirt of the Month gets $1500 cash and $250 credit. Winners also have an opportunity to earn residuals through the Rockstar Awards Program.
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Saturday, July 5
Camiseteria, Brazil's on-going t-shirt design competition, has teamed up with Vh1 for a new themed contest. They'd like to see some shirt designs that deal with the subject of Pop Culture.
Enter before August 2nd, 2008 for your chance to win. First place will receive R$600 cash, R$400 in Camiseteria credit, and Kit CaixaPOP with iPod Nano (no clue what that first part is, but the Nano part sounds great, right?). Second place and third places are also awarded, getting R$600 cash, R$400 in Camiseteria credit, and Kit CaixaPOP.
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A Better Tomorrow selected a winner in their ABT vs. DE:BUG contest, a great design by Stetson79. It's a fresh-looking design that combines android imagery with a classic protest pose, defiant fist raised to the sky. The reason this is a great competition winner, to me, is that I'd enjoy wearing it even though I have no clue what DE:BUG is. The branded element of the shirt is present, but not distracting, and the design itself is appealing to the average person. Definitely a great choice.
A Better Tomorrow chooses winners from the shirt designs submitted and voted on by site users. Although the site is in German, designers from all over the world can enter and win. Winners earn 500 euros when printed.
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Friday, July 4
Teetonic's T in the Park winner is Botanica Rockenrolla by Zipperking. It's definitely a solid concept, and a step above the usual special competition winners at the site. The rock and roll hand gesture is nicely capped off with a tiny bird perched on top, which is a cool detail. I also like that the T of the festival's name is done up to look like a manicured bush, which is a nice completion of the theme. My only wish is that the rest of the text was better matched to the idea- dotting the I with a flower is a nice start in that direction, but I'd like to see more done to unite the two portions. Overall though, it's very nice work.
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Shirt.Woot's newest derby has an Energy theme. Here are the details, direct from Woot:
What does energy mean to you? Is it something that you can buy for $150 a barrel? Is it some ineffable New Agey quality that comes in positive and negative flavors? Is it a scalar physical property often defined as "the ability to do work"? Is it something you get from a can full of sugar and caffeine? Nervous, nuclear, mental, kinetic, potential, surface, green, vacuum, electrical, spiritual, solar, healing, sensible, latent, emotional: choose your energy and make us wear it.
No straight resubmissions from past Derbies, especially including Heat and Light. We'll be pretty hardline about it this week, and we need your tattles to catch the offenders. But, as always, reworked versions of past submissions are permitted. We'll be the judge of whether it's reworked enough.
Incidental text allowed, but no slogan shirts. We're calling this the Stop Sign Rule. If you need a bit of text here or there to make your design work, that's OK. You can show somebody reading a newspaper, or the digits on a gas pump, or a label on a package. But if text is the primary focus of your design, it will get the axe. Again, we'll make these decisions on a shirt-by-shirt basis, so err on the side of caution.
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Wednesday, July 2
Uneetee's latest winner is Zaal Persian Legend by B. B. Hive. To be honest, I have no idea who Zaal is or why he's a legend, and it's just a shirt so I'm not willing to do any research on the matter. I prefer to think of Zaal as the patron saint of sneezes, face formed from the gusts of air that a bout with allergies might produce. And regardless of who this dude is, there's a really neat style at work- the clouds transition seamlessly to details of the character, and it sits very nicely on the shirt.
Uneetee choses winners from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners receive $1500, with the chance to earn more through reprints.
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