Tee Addicts / Artist Interview: Seventh.Ink

Posted by Andres

Hello Tee Addicts,

I would like to introduce our Artist interview series which will feature designers to brand already establish , to give you an inside look at the designers behind the t-shirts.

without further due lets welcome our very 1st designer Matthew Johnson aka Seventh.Ink,

1) Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a graphic designer and illustrator, by day I work under the guise of Seventhfury Studios. By night, and over the past few years, I’ve been developing my shirt brand, Seventh.Ink Shirts and Apparel. Seventh.Ink has become a personal playground where I can do the designs that I want to do without having to rely on a client for feedback. So, it’s a nice break from my ordinary day, and allows me to expand my creative abilities.

2) What inspired you to get into the T-shirt business? Did you always want to do it?

I’ve always loved illustrating, and one day I decided to try designing some artwork for t-shirts to see where that would go. I love originally designed shirts, so doing this made a lot of sense to me because even if I ended up without any sales I’d still have something to wear out of the deal. The more shirts that I create, the more I get inspired to take a new route on the next design. I’ve got tons of ideas, now I just need the time to bring them all to fruition.

3) Can you talk about your own creative process, from the idea to completion?

My creative process varies with each design, but normally it starts with an idea that I’ve written down on a sheet of paper. I usually start with the title of the shirt, so something like or would be written down and then I would begin to illustrate based on my interpretation of the title.

Sometimes I do the illustrations in pencil and ink on paper and scan them in and sometimes I do them digitally from the ground up on a Wacom tablet. Likewise, some of the designs are colored and fleshed out in Illustrator and some in Photoshop, it really depends on whether or not I want the design to be clean or gritty, respectively.

Before I finalize a design, I like to place it on a blank shirt template to get an idea of the size and exact colors I want to use. Seeing a design on a shirt can actually influence the layout as well. There have been times where I’ve placed line work on a shirt to see if it made sense visually and then moved pieces around after seeing it. It’s best to do something like that before you spend all the time coloring it in, otherwise you could end up retracing your steps.

4) Career wise, If you could do anything else art related, what would you like to do?

I love painting on canvases, so if there was anything that I wish I had more time to do it would be that. I’ve really been meaning to get back into painting, but between Seventhfury and Seventh.Ink I hardly have any time to eat lunch!

5) Who is your biggest influence and/or inspiration on your designs?

I don’t have one specific influence, because I don’t want to be linked to one specific artist. I actually just posted an article called “10 Inspirational T-Shirt Brands & Artists” which includes some of the artists and brands that have really inspired me recently. The list includes the likes of Johnny Cupcakes, Godmachine, Jimiyo, and more.

One thing that artists should always keep in mind is that you never want to copy another artists’ style and work. Getting influenced is more about the ideas that an artist or brand conveys, let them inspire you to find your own inner strengths and build your brand and skills in your own way.

6) Any advice you have for aspiring designers and Tee-addicts group members?

If you don’t try, you’ll never know if you can succeed. If you decide to get into the shirt business, be prepared to be broke and invest quite a bit of time and effort to get established. Once your brand has a following, you’ll reap the rewards!

7) Anything else you would like to add?

If anyone has questions, they can hit me up via the contact form on my site (www.furyshirts.com). I’m up for answering questions that people may have. Other than that, good luck to any aspiring t-shirt artists!