Let it be ugly

why the creative process takes time (art chat #2)

Welcome to another art chat! And today, I want to take you through the steps of a merch design I did for The Mango Cakes, an awesome band based out of Albuquerque. They play funk, soul and pop and are killing it. They also happen to be my brother’s band! Check them out.

They asked me to design a hoodie to sell at their future shows. I personally love designing merch. Because they often are stand-alone items, the style and art you place on them are so open-ended. They don’t have to be too “brand-y”. It’s also a fun challenge to make something people will actually wear. I don’t want any more white shirts with a centered logo in my closet. When music fans get merch, they want to be connected to the artist, remember the feeling of a live show and have it as a fashionable keepsake of good times. When music and visuals come together, people will wear your merch for as long as they can. Personally, I only choose to buy an artist’s merch if they move me in this way. On a practical note, most m…