Cyber Monday is here and it’s your last chance of the season to get 25% off all BoardPusher.com orders. Custom skateboards, longboards, griptape, customizable backgrounds, shop decks, completes, gift certificates, the whole site is on sale NOW and for one more day only. Use coupon code 25SK8 to get 25% off your ENTIRE BoardPusher.com order.
We’re so excited to see what graphics you’ve come up with this year that we couldn’t wait, so we’re starting our Black Friday Sale NOW! Take 25% OFF your ENTIRE BoardPusher.com order by entering coupon code 25SK8 in your cart before checkout. That’s custom skateboards/longboards/all shapes, custom griptape, fully assembled completes, anything you can fit in your cart. Need a few days to create a design? Don’t worry, we’re running our Black Friday Sale all weekend through Cyber Monday, December 2nd.
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Melissa L created this griptape graphic for George Francis to use on his drop through longboard (see below). George uploaded the design to BoardPusher.com, applied it to his deck, and it’s this week’s Featured Griptape. You can follow Melissa and George on Instagram @concurrentcontrast & @bantown respectively.
With sizes of 9×33 inches, 10×36, and 10×43, you can design and add custom griptape to any BoardPusher.com shape OR apply it to any skateboard deck you want.
Tom Ryan is a master at getting his original, hand-painted art pressed onto BoardPusher.com Custom Skateboards. “Release the Kraken” was initially an acrylic and ink creation, but here it is digitized and pressed onto a pintail longboard for this week’s Featured Deck. It was also completed with our basic components package. View more of Tom’s artwork at tomryansstudio.com, follow him on Instagram @tomryansstudio, and pick up one of his skateboard graphics at BoardPusher.com/shop/tomryansstudio.
Design whatever your heart desires onto a pro-quality, 100% Canadian Maple skateboard deck and add trucks and wheels to make it complete all at BoardPusher.com.
Squad19 formatted their Time To Skate graphic for multiple board shapes. These BoardPusher.com Featured Decks are “Rocky Nugent Model Skateboard Rider approved graphics Inspired by Rocky, time spent skating is time well spent.” Follow Squad19 on Instagram @squad19mpls or browse more of their skateboard graphics at BoardPusher.com/shop/squad19.
Upload your own skateboard graphics on one (or all) of the several shapes available at BoardPusher.com.
“Trenchtown” is a portrait of Bob Marley created by Cheyenne Smith for her Stadik Longboards brand and it’s today’s BoardPusher.com Featured Deck. Follow Cheyenne’s artwork on Instagram @stadikdesign or browse more of her longboards at BoardPusher.com/shop/stadik.
Design your own custom longboard graphic at BoardPusher.com.
The folks over at Hackster.io decided to put their graphic on a few of the different shapes we offer at BoardPusher.com and they’re today’s Featured Decks. Hackster is a community dedicated to learning hardware, from beginner to pro, a philosophy we share in our own endeavors of skateboarding and creating art. Follow them on Instagram @hacksterio or see what it’s all about for yourself and get started at hackster.io.
Design your own skateboard graphic on a shape that fits your style at BoardPusher.com.
“Jamie Tyndall is a Canadian Comic book artist, that is known for his depictions of sexy strong female characters.” He certainly didn’t skimp on his technique on today’s Featured Deck. Jamie “is the penciler, inker and colorist for most of his very detailed work.” We’re stoked to see another one of Jamie’s characters on BoardPusher.com Pintail Longboard. Browse a plethora of his artwork at jamietyndall.com and follow him on Instagram @jamietyndall.
Upload you own custom design on to several different skateboard deck shapes at BoardPusher.com.
New Jersey designer and illustrator Lauren Ramer’s skateboards give us a warm, nostalgic feeling as her graphics remind us of late 80s and early 90s deck designs. It was a time when skateboard graphics, much like the people who rode them, fit in very few scenes outside of its own culture. Lauren may have a contemporary take on deck design, but her connection to the genesis of modern day skateboard graphics, and her delightfully repulsive designs, made us very curious about her first exposure to skateboarding as well as her creative process.
What was your introduction to skateboarding?
Growing up I had a lot of guy friends. I would hang out with all the skateboarders and so eagerly want to skate, but, unfortunately, lacked any and all talent for skating. Although I sucked at it, I would still try and I would fall… a lot, especially when I turned 18 and got my first longboard. I hit a huge rock, face-planted in front of my house, and was covered in band-aids for a few days. It was around this age I realized that maybe I would be a part of the community by using my artistic side to design skateboard graphics instead.
During those early days in the skateboarding community, were you influenced at all by skateboard graphics? Was it even something you noticed at the time or do you ever think back to those designs?
When it came to skateboarding the graphics were all I ever saw or noticed. When it came to brand, speed, style, etc. I didn’t really know any of it, but the bright and crazy graphics are what always stood out to me.
Your designs have a classic skateboard graphic feel, combining gross or dark subjects with a playful sense of humor. Was using skateboards as a canvas a natural progression for you or something that was always in your sights as a designer?
Designing skateboards felt like a very natural progression for my art style, especially since the subject matter I like to draw doesn’t fit into a lot of industries.
In the beginning, what drew you towards art or was it just something you always did because it came naturally? What were some of your earliest creations and inspirations?
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember, but I personally feel like I didn’t start finding my style and artistic voice until college. Over the years I tried to experiment with different mediums to find what I like, but I really like pencil and ink drawings followed by digital coloring. It just feels natural! Also, one theme that has really stuck with me through my art development is horror. Through high school a lot of my art revolved around horror, creepiness, and just overall weirdness. I’ve always had a love for horror movies and creepy characters so it felt natural I keep that theme in my work.
My designs always seem to take a cute, light turn and I honestly have no idea why. Whenever I begin a project with the initial thought of “Oh yeah! I’m going to make this gross, disgusting illustration.” it always ends up becoming cute and charming somehow. Also I think my use of bright colors also adds to this.
Who is the artist that inspired you the most when exploring this side of your creativity?
I was always very inspired by 90s cartoons like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. The weird characters and funky colors always got me so excited. One artist who really inspires me is Chris Piascik. One of my professors at college introduced us to him, and ever since then it made me feel confident that drawing weird and unusual creatures is something people actually want to see!
When creating graphics for a skateboard do you start with the idea that it’s going to look good on a deck or does that realization come after the graphic is completed?
For my skateboards I always take into account the strange long dimensions. I usually start with a small rough sketch of a skateboard shape, then I create my illustrations to fit nicely inside the weird shape. I like to think of things that are tall or long, for instance right now I am working on a really tall and gross cheeseburger deck.
What’s your process for creating a design as a skateboard graphic?
After I have have drawn a little doodle of a design inside a skateboard shape I redraw it at a slightly larger scale on Bristol paper, usually 11 x 14 [inches] or something. This is where I usually take a lot of time to draw in all the details. When I get to the inking phase with pens I don’t like to have to think about anything, so I take my time in pencil mode until I’ve got the drawing to where I like it.
After inking, I scan it into my computer and I color it in Photoshop with my Wacom Cintiq. Adding bright colors is my favorite part. Also, I’m so indecisive about colors. I usually go through like 6 different palette options before I find the one I like.
Describe your work space and the conditions in which you enjoy designing.
Currently I have my own small studio in the second bedroom of my house in which I use to create art. It’s amazing to have my own space considering over the years I never had an art studio. Before this I was living in a small 500 square foot house where my “studio” was just a corner of my kitchen. Now it’s great. I can listen to music or watch It’s Always Sunny… and lock myself in my studio for hours on end. It’s surrounded with all types of art and weird decorations so it definitely makes it feel like home.
Do you figuratively or literally ever go outside of your comfort zone when creating?
I feel like I haven’t really gone out of my comfort zone in a while, especially with my illustration, but I think that’s because I tend to dabble in quite a few different hobbies and crafts, so I don’t get bored of one thing. For example, I painted a mural in my house a few weeks ago and the style, medium is very different than my illustration. I tend to find other outlets to express creatively so I don’t ever feel a need to leave my comfort zone.
However, I will mention that I am currently doing Inktober this year and, although it’s not totally out of my element, color is my safe space, so doing strictly black and white illustrations is a little scary for me!
What’s the mural you painted in your house?
I feel like most people would expect me to say “Oh I painted a giant monster with boogers” since that is my illustration style, but I actually just painted a really simple mountain scene. I like my house to feel homey and serene. I keep the weirdness to my art studio.
Do you only create digitally or is there another medium you enjoy exploring?
When it comes to my illustration and my style, digital is what I love. However, every now and then I like picking up all sorts of mediums and tools for creating. Sometimes I like sewing and knitting, other times I even like acrylic or oil painting. I think I just prefer digital illustration nowadays since there is no mess and mistakes are easier to fix.
Where does the name Freak Head come from? Why was that choice made for your skate brand name?
When I was trying to think of a name for my boards I wanted something fun and strange. Not sure how those two words came together, but it felt right!
What would be a dream project within the skateboard industry? What about a dream project in general?
For me a dream project isn’t necessarily an individual illustration, but more of a dream to launch my brand into a full on skateboard and apparel company. It’s definitely one of my long term goals, but there’s much work to be done!
What advice do you have for other artists when tackling the concept of putting their designs on skateboards? What general advice do you have for artists getting started?
Just do it! Skateboards are a unique medium in which really anything goes for skateboard graphics. Any gross, pretty, silly, or simple graphic can make an awesome board design. So just start doodling, painting, or whatever it is you do and throw it on a board.
Lauren’s Freak Head skateboards can be seen and purchased at BoardPusher.com/shop/FreakHead, find more of her artwork at LaurenRamer.com, follow her on Instagram and most social channels @laurenramer, and, if you’re fortunate enough to be in Philadelphia this weekend, find her booth at the Philly Punk Rock Flea Market this Saturday, October 27th.
Sometimes we’re impressed with a skateboard graphic just because it’s weird. That’s definitely the case with today’s BoardPusher.com Featured Deck that we’ve been affectionately calling Cat Pizza. It was created by Veronica Mognato and you can see her artwork at veronica-move.tumblr.com.
Let your freak flag fly with a custom skateboard graphic you create at BoardPusher.com.
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