We recently sat down with renowned graphic t-shirt designer Matt Lyon to pick his brain about his creative process and get some advice on how to start out in the t-shirt design business. Matt first made a name for himself on threadless.com, a community that votes on t-shirt designs, and he describes his style as abstract, wild, and colorful.

Alex Levin: When and how did you first get interested in design, and did you have any formal training?

Matt Lyon: I’ve been doodling for as long as I can remember and have always been interested in art. I studied Fine Art at University College London, and then moved on to teaching Photography and Graphic Design. In 2008 I decided to quit teaching and pursue a freelance career on a full-time basis.

AL: Who are your most influential artists, not necessarily t-shirt design artists?

ML: This is a tough question because there are so many artists that I love. I guess that if I had to narrow it down to those that I find influential, I’d say Paul Klee for his use of colour and Jean Dubuffet for his freedom of drawing. Klee coined the phrase ‘taking a line for a walk’, which is something that I do every time I pick up a pen to draw. In terms of illustrators, I’m a big fan of Jim Flora and Heinz Edelmann, and I’ve recently discovered the work of David Klein, whose work is wonderful.

AL: How big of a role did having popular designs on threadless have on your career? What if any were the milestones in your career?

ML: Threadless was quite significant to my work when I first started creating t-shirt designs. I joined Threadless in the early days when the community was a lot smaller than it is now, and the design process was limited to working at a certain size using only a handful of colours. I experimented with ideas to see how they were received, and after a couple got printed I started working under a new name with a new style. This was when C86 was born, using a folksy / psychedelic style that has continued to develop into what I still do today

AL: Do you design in any other mediums?

ML: T-shirt design is an occasional off-shoot of my daily work. I’ve not submitted to Threadless for a while, but when opportunities arise for t-shirt work it’s always a fun job. I love the creative freedom of it all, and it’s still a buzz to think of people wearing my designs. I’ve just finished a selection of 25 designs where I was given complete license to do what I want. I just let my imagination run wild!

AL: What other steps have you taken to advance your career? Specifically in the online arena?

ML: My career development has been slow and steady. In retrospect things have seemed to fall into place in terms of contacts and developments, but in reality it’s been more a case of being disciplined and consistent in what I do while letting time provide the momentum. An online presence is important in keeping people updated on new work.  There are plenty of creative sites that host portfolios and allow you to share work, and since working freelance can be a lonely pursuit, twitter and forum communities are helpful for meeting like-minded people.

AL: Do you have any other recommendations for people trying to make a name for themselves in graphic tee design?

ML: There are loads of T-shirt competition sites and communities to become involved with, and these are a great place to start. Choose sites that are suited to your interests and style, and then take time to develop ideas as well as the creative and technical skills to execute them. Get to know people and share ideas, and ask for feedback and critique on work. Learning and development is always the best part of being creative.

AL: What’s your personal favorite piece, and what existing or upcoming designs are you particularly excited about?

ML: One of my favourite pieces is my Threadless T-shirt design Subterrain (Make a Wish) because it marks an early starting point of my work under the name of C86. More recently, my AT&T billboard design reflects a more current example of this style and how it’s evolved over the past 5 or more years. For an insight into my creative process, my Daily Drawing project continues to form a valuable focus for my ideas (http://mattlyon.tumblr.com), and the work of my friends at the Black Rock Collective is always worth a look.

AL: Are you also involved in the t-shirt printing process, and if so which process do you prefer?

ML: At present, I’m not a part of the printing process, though I’d love to try out some screen printing again… Something I’ve sadly missed since my days at college.

AL: How would you describe your biggest demographic?

ML: I’m not too sure, so I can only surmise from the people who buy my work or those that follow me via various creative and social sites. I guess the biggest market is formed of those in their twenties with an eye for something colourful!

AL: A lot of people have described your style as abstract and psychedelic – how would you describe it?

ML: I always go along with how other people describe my work because they’re usually better at it than I am. At present, my designs are veering towards more abstract outcomes, and I’d certainly describe them as wild and colourful. At times there are echoes of folk art or vintage design from the 50s or 60s, but these come and go depending upon what I’ve been looking at.

AL: Lastly, do you use drugs and do they play any role in your art?

ML: I’ve not taken drugs for a while, but when I was at university I often experimented with a number of entheogens whilst making artwork. Aside from the way it allowed me to think differently, it provided further insight into a number of artists’ work, such as Henri Michaux and various Outsider artists. And the design style of the Aztecs makes a lot more sense after the use of hallucinogens.

Graphic Tees in Sports Rivalry

Rivalries are a nearly universal element in sports. For countless years, passionate fans have argued and fought for their team of choice. Constantly looking for new outlets to vent their emotions, fans have turned to graphic tees. T-shirts offer a continuous public display of the wearer’s loyalties and send a strong message to any adversaries. These creative graphic tees have poured more gasoline on the fires that fuel some of the world’s greatest sports rivalries.

Yankees vs. Red Sox

Arguably the most well-known and extended sports rivalry, these two teams have a history that goes way back. This graphic tee would most likely be found somewhere on the streets of New York City.

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Celtics and Lakers are two of the most successful franchises in basketball history, together accumulating a total of 33 championships. Inevitably this has lead to a coast vs. coast rivalry that has spanned many decades. This graphic tee displays a mantra that is very common in Beantown.

Michigan vs. Ohio State

The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio can be traced back to a war the occurred during the 1800’s. These two teams have a deep seated hatred for each other that has resulted in intense competition for the greater portion of a century. This t-shirt goes so far as to compare Ohio State fans to less evolved humans.

North Carolina vs. Duke

The rivalry between North Carolina and Duke, commonly referred to as “The Battle of the Blues”, is exacerbated by the fact that the two schools reside only 8 miles apart. With a reputation for some of the craziest fans, UNC fans would be proud to wear this graphic tee.

Palin Wink T-Shirts coming soon?

Last night, Sarah Palin decided to wink to America. It’s the Al Gore sigh in the year 2008. It’s the Howard Dean scream. It’s… on a t-shirt!

2008 is a sad year for all Americans whether we like it or not.  With the Presendtial campaign winding down we have come to realize all of the flaws in our checks and balances system that our founding fathers deviously devised.  Our presidental candidates have resorted to fear tactics to scare voters to choose, and most of all, our economy is in the toilet.  A toilet made in China.

Everything we own comes from an Asian continent.  Why?  I haven’t the slightest idea anymore.  Do employers and people on wallstreet have any idea how much money American would rake in if it produced it’s own products?  How many jobs it would give Americans that deserve it?  The arrogance of bankers, congress, and politicians alike amazes me, but I never thought I would see the day that even the graphic t-shirts that I’ve come to love would fall prey to economic troubles and Asian outsourcing.  Even those trendy artists and tree huggers alike that claim their tees that they sell on the streets of major cities are ‘homemade’ fail to note that the cotten t-shirts that they are printing on come from China, Taiwan, or some other country selling them at dirt cheap wholesale prices.  Ninety-seven percent of all clothing sold in the United States is no longer made in the U.S. Yet, Minnesota is home to two long-standing textile manufacturers. 

Today I am offering a retrospective, and a digital monument to all of those creative graphic t-shirts made in America.

Sarah Palin, though a divisive Republican, is totally hot. That’s not even the half of it, she’s hands down one of the most attractive older women I’ve ever had the pleasure of resting my eyes on and though I’m not a fan of her politics and beliefs, I would gladly enjoy staring at her everytime she has to give a speech if she and McCain win the presidential nomination. But I’m not here to ran about just how smokin’ hot Palin is, I’m here to talk about how quickly those bright brown eyes of hers wooed fashion designers around America into producing a clothing line just for her. Within hours after her official nomination as the running make for John McCain there was a flurish of graphic tees and babydoll t-shirts depicting Sarah Palin as either hot, sexy, or in the case of the opening picture: “My homegirl” The fandom of Palin doesn’t stop with clothing. Her most notable internet mime is the quote: “Hottest VP – Coldest State”. Whoever came up with that line was a genius. Much like Nintendo’s “Wii”, Palin’s catchphrase is easy to remember and fun to say. Free viral marketing. If Palin’s stardom continues to grow Obama might start to have some competition for his ‘celebrity’ status.