A couple of weeks ago, David Sheets set aside some time for our Q&A with the BoardPusher Art Director.  We have compiled some highlights for you below:

Dave: I’m really not a fan of labels. I think there is a place for just about everything. Skateboarding is an individual thing which is why I think Boardpusher is so awesome. It allows you to decide what “skate art” is to you.

With that being said David gave some insight as to some of his processes when creating skateboard graphics.

Dave: I always start outside of the computer and do as much by hand as possible. The computer is used last to put all of the drawing layers together and prepare the graphic for digital output. My secret is I trace over my drawings several times making it cleaner each round. I tend to use the digitized sketches to add texture and create color under the final ink drawing.

A sample of how you can layer different drawings to create texture, detail, and color.

Dave: I do it both to scale, 9 x 33 inches, and get it scanned at, say, Kinkos. Or I half it so it fits on a smaller scanner. If you half it then set the scan settings to double it or scan at 200%. I also always scan at 600 dpi and then knock down the resolution to 300 dpi before printing.

Dave went on to show some examples of sketches and some techniques he has used.

Sketchbook skull study to final crop of a deck design I did for Angus Morrison.

Ink scans that are then layered into art.

The final version of the Angus Morrison deck can be found here.

This is a scan of a window screen. There are so many different things you can find just lying around to create various different textures. I will scan just about anything to make texture within graphics.

No subject will be too taboo or too complex.  We’d just like to get an open forum going with your questions and ideas and see where it goes from there.  It’s up to you to decide what your graphics are, we just want to give you the knowledge to make them look the way you want.

We can’t make any promises of what will happen, but we look forward to seeing what does.  Remember, the ink gets spilled starting Wednesday.

Cheers,
Boardpusher staff
(especially the Art Director)

HOMETOWN
Wheat Ridge (White Rich), Colorado

SETUP
8.0″ BoardPusher Levi Decks, Indy Trucks, BoardPusher and Diabolical Wheels, Black Panther Bearings.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SKATING?
My mom bought me a skateboard for my 1st birthday so I have pretty much had one around my whole life.  My friend David’s big brother Doug got us really into it.  He’s the one that made it look like fun to me.  Now I have been skating seriously for about 11 maybe 12 years.

INSPIRATION
Living, my daughters Stella & Ravenna, and the rest of my Family.

FAVORITE TRICK
My favorite trick would have to be a Benihana because a lot of people hate on that trick and not many people do them.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG SKATERS
Skate for Life and love every second of it.  Don’t take anything for granted.  Always wear a helmet it could save your life.

FAVORITE VIDEO
The End.

OTHER SPONSORS
Bern, Globe, Lit Apparel, Diabolical Skate Shop

ODDEST SKATE SPOT
Work after hours in the warehouse.  Couldn’t resist the pushcart and other goodies to grind.

STRANGEST MOMENT ON A SKATE TRIP
Coming out of The King of The Road party and into a scene out of a B Theater Movie.  Crazed street bum had a knife out and was going after Daewon Song as our wheel man Vendola was taking the bum from the side.  It was very strangely surreal.

FUNNIEST MOMENT WITH A BOARDPUSHER EMPLOYEE
(As I asked this I thought about getting nailed with a spit wad during Levi’s entrance today.) I don’t know, too many antics to count.

FAVORITE CARTOON THEME SONG TO SKATE TO OTHER THAN TMNT
(No answer, just continuously played theme songs from his phone ranging from Rescue Rangers to Ren & Stimpy.  Then a challenge ensued over how fast we could recognize sitcom theme songs.)

CLASSIEST REST/TRUCK STOP EXPERIENCE
One road trip I got stuck in a driving daze and was the only one who could drive.  Pulled in to get a cup off coffee and lost $50 somehow in the process.  Most expensive cup to date.

BEST HISTORICAL FIGURE NOT KNOWN FOR ART THAT WOULD MAKE THE BEST SKATEBOARD GRAPHICS
Buffalo Bill due to his gnarly beard and endless supply of blood to paint with.

LEVI RANDOM FUN FACTS
Can’t smell,  can only taste hot sauce,  Funyuns are a favorite snack,  likes lasers, but not the womp womp,  doesn’t know what a “Skrillex” is, has a tattoo of a Ninja Turtle to show his undying love for TMNT, has never worn Levi’s,  has a taxidermy Bongo that ended up being the centerpiece of his basement bar.

Watch Levi Tear It Up


NOW THAT YOU KNOW LEVI BETTER HERE’S HOW TO ENTER
1. Upload your design on an 8 inch deck here.
2. Click “Finish Deck” and paste the link to our facebook page.

LINKS TO DESIGN SWAG
Feel free to use any, all, some, or none of this to aid you in your design for Levi’s Graphic.  We have included links to some BoardPusher logos if you decide to go that route, but we don’t want you to think that you have to use them to win.  Designing for Levi’s size of an 8 inch deck might help though.

1. 8 inch deck template

2. Boardpusher full logo on Black

3. Boardpusher full logo on Clear

4. Boardpusher BP logo on Clear

Entries must be submitted by April 16th.

Good Luck and have fun, cause Levi always does!  He is stoked to see what YOU come up with!

BoardPusher

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New Homepage - Click to visit

The BoardPusher.com homepage has been updated with a photo of Lee Wilson floating a Kickflip at Indian School ditch in Albuquerque last year. Jeff Nass snapped this shot on our trip down to the Wild In The Parks Finals in Phoenix. This ditch always delivers. You could spend days skating here.

Lee Wilson Flip @ Indian School