It’s been a while since we’ve featured a design from Scott Shore, but a handful of his graphics slid through our presses recently and we got so excited that we had to share them all as this week’s Featured Decks. You can follow Scott on Instagram @mettlevert or buy his skateboard designs at BoardPusher.com/shop/mettlevert.
If you’ve got an idea for a skateboard graphic BoardPusher.com has a deck to put it on waiting for you.
To help you get you rolling right out of the box we’ve added some new wheel options for you to choose from when making your BoardPusher.com custom skateboard a complete. To celebrate we’re offering $10 off ALL* complete skateboard orders with coupon code COMPLETED
First up we’ve restocked our shelves with Ricta Wheels and 3 different sizes of their Rapidos: 51mm, 53mm, and 54mm. Ricta has been in the urethane game since 2000 with a team that includes skateboarders Nyjah Huston, Brandon Westgate, Clive Dixon, etc. and a formula that is one of the most flat spot resistant wheels in the industry.
Next we’ve got some new OJ Wheels in our arsenal. We added three sizes of their Elite series: 52mm, 53mm, & 54mm. If you prefer cruising with a softer wheel we also now have 54mm 87a Keyframes. OJ’s been a respected name in skateboarding since the 80s and have experience in all facets from transition, street, park, bombing hills, and filming with a team that includes Ben Raybourn, Axel Cruysberghs, Fred Gall (one of our favorite old new schoolers), etc.
To view all of the wheel options avaialbe at BoardPusher.com go here and remember to use coupon code COMPLETED to get $10 off ALL* complete skateboard orders.
*Not valid on Bulk Orders of 10 or more.
As BoardPusher.com shop owners, many of you have uploaded your graphics as custom backgrounds as a way of offering customers a way to create their own skateboard graphics. We’d like to remind and show you how you can get your designs noticed on our quick, easy, and recently updated PERSONALIZE A DESIGN page. The best part about this page is that it is now listed on Google Shopping giving you the opportunity to make more sales from your skateboard graphics.
On the PERSONALIZE page, the customer can select a design and then they are directed to a quick editing page where they can type in a name/message/title into a primary text box and then add more text on a secondary line. Also, if your design is saved as a transparent .png, they can edit the background color. From there they can also move their design into our main designer to select different fonts and text colors, but the purpose of the personalize option is to make designing a custom skateboard graphic fast and painless.
Here’s how to get your background graphics onto our PERSONALIZE page:
1. Login to your account.
2. Click on your shop name.
3. Select Manage Custom Backgrounds
4. Upload your background graphic.
5. Once your design is manually approved by our staff, or you already have backgrounds uploaded to your shop, click Set Text Layout next the design you want to add to the personalize page.
6. In the designer you will be able to select a font, color, and size for your 2 lines of text. Both lines can be a different font, color, and size. Keep in mind that while a customer will be able to adjust all of these attributes if they choose to move the graphic into our classic designer, the only thing they will be able to change on the quick edit page are the words/messages/etc., so pick colors and placements you think will look good with each of your designs.
7. Click save. Your custom background has now been added to our PERSONALIZE A DESIGN page.
To add another level of customization to your graphic, cut out an area of your design and save it as a transparent .png. This will allow customers to select different background colors for that transparent area on the quick edit page.
If there are any questions regarding this process, or you think it’s taking too long for your design to be approved, just email info@boardpusher.com for a quick and helpful response.
Don’t have a shop and want to get started selling your designs? See how to get started here.
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.
Mister Kobayashi brings his Japanese art style to Brooklyn with today’s BoardPusher.com Featured Decks from his Tokyo Town series. You can follow him on Instagram @mister.kobayashi and find these boards and the rest of the series available for purchase at BoardPusher.com/shop/harumaki.
Every culture can become skate culture with a custom skateboard from BoardPusher.com.
Here are two more additions to the Sweethearts Salute series created by photographer Victoria Allen to benefit the Semper Fi Fund. To purchase these BoardPusher.com Featured Decks, and several other pin-up girl skateboards, head over to BoardPusher.com/shop/VictoriaAllen.
Upload your photos and images at BoardPusher.com to create your own custom skateboard graphic.
Today’s BoardPusher.com Featured Decks are graphics of characters created by Joseph Brown. To check out “The 🏠 of your favorite 🌲 blowing, skateboarding, music hoarding Red Panda” head over to rikiramen.com or follow him on Instagram @rikiramen.
Give your characters a new life on a custom skateboard graphic at BoardPusher.com.
This week, get a jump on your holiday shopping with an Early Bird Sale at BoardPusher.com. Now through Tuesday, November 13th, we’re offering 2 custom skateboards with your own design for $99 or 5 for $199 on all popsicle decks and similarly priced shapes (yes, you can mix and match). Just use coupon code STACKS in your BoardPusher.com cart to claim your discount.
James Dalton continues to flex his split deck series skills with today’s BoardPusher.com Featured Decks. This time around he tackled what is sure to be a crowd pleaser, a Galactic Empire TIE Fighter Pilot. If you’re unfamiliar with James’s skateboard series you can see more of them at kingsofnobody.com or follow him on Instagram @kingsofnobody where you can possibly get a glimpse at a future series. Fingers crossed.
See how to create your own split deck series here then try it for yourself 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.
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