Well I wanted to say goodbye to the laFraise crowd before it was too late to do so.
October is my last month as Art Director with laFraise.
In my time here I made some great friends, met some great new artists and learned a bit about the industry.
Sad to say though that my freelance work and the goals of laFraise have taken me in different directions, so it was time to go our separate ways.

laFraise has been good to me over the last 2.5 years I’ve been with the company, and I wan’t to say goodbye to a few key people I’ve worked with here mainly Jana Eggers and Marie Noel. You guys were great to work with, and I’m happy to see you taking your own path as well, whether that be with laFraise or elsewhere. Also wanted to say thank you to other laFraise/Spreadshirt staff such as Scott McLeod, Jana Castro, Gregor Nobis, Nathalie Nienkemper and Nathalie Tachet. Also a big thanks to the former laFraise Art Director Norbert Reissig, who without laFraise would not have had it’s core mascot and supporting characters :)

Also the laFraise community has been great over the last few years. I’ve seen some great artists grow and really thrive in the laFraise community.
Nice to know I was part of that.

Either way, sad to go, but happy for the experience I’ve gained.

And you can always keep up to date on what I’m currently working on over at Jthree Concepts
Thanks again, and cheers!

Jared K. Nickerson
Art Director
laFraise.com

Congrats to paquéoz – this week’s winner (3 in 3 months)! This poor little fish is experiencing a feeling we all know: short-lived joy to utter disappointment. This shirt that will call for empathy or schadenfreude. And we loved it.

Free by paquéoz

Yet another design in galaxy, which we are out of. So we are going to have to fall back on a darker blue (navy) or lighter blue. We’ll leave that decision up to paquéoz ;-)

•••

Second place: 1 free shirt

Watching by DracoImagem

•••

Third place: 1300 brouzoufs

Hungry beaver by Davide

Pandelephant by Zguig

Elephant, Panda, WWF, Ecology, animal’s protection, there are plenty of those to describe this wonderful tee shirt designed by Zguig. We asked some questions to Zguig regarding Pandelephant …

Hi Zguig,

Could you please introduce yourself to those in the community who don’t know you yet? Who are you, how and why did you get into graphic design?

I salute you my friends! My name is David, I’m 27 years old and live in south west of France in le Périgord. I have drawn since I was very young but at first drawing wasn’t my job; I was much more into Ecology and town & country planning. I studied in this field and I’m working there at the moment. During my studies, I used to fill sheets of paper with sketches instead of notes, sometimes naturalist illustrations, sometimes heroic fantasy drawings or even funny sketches.
After my studies, I kind of left drawing aside, but then I discovered a link to laFraise when I was participating in a photo contest on the Internet and it pulled the trigger. I got into it immediately and I got back to the drawing and had to learn a second time how to do vector illustration. I proposed a few designs and was quickly rewarded – the beginning of a big new adventure!!
Now I have two jobs, because I became a freelancer graphic designer in January, but it’s just a little bonus …

Can you please tell us the story behind “Pandalephant”? What inspired you and how did you create the design? Did you have any difficulties?
I’m very sensitive to ecology and environment issues, you understood it, and I wanted to create a design which tells about the loss of our biodiversity. I could have drawn a mink or a bustard, which are threatened species, but it really wouldn’t have spoken to people … so I thought about the “mascot” species, the polar bear, the elephant or even the panda. The panda is famous due to the WWF logo and I thought it might be interesting if another species used it … I pushed the idea with the “Save me I’m famous” in reference to the “F**k me I’m famous”, to insist even more on the panda’s popularity.

Then the drawing came as natural as the idea came and I had lots of fun creating this design. Like most of my drawings, I make everything with a pencil and paper, I scan it and then I use illustrator and then refine the colours.

Have you ever had a lack of inspiration and what do you do when that happens?
Oh yes it happens! But it happens when I can’t do what I want to do. I have the feeling of losing my artistic fluid, what I do is not good even if I’ve got tons of ideas, I cannot make every idea live. I’m a very hyperactive person and I have 10,000 passions (I know I am exaggerating but I’m from the south of France, so please forgive me), so when the lack of inspiration happens, I go to something else, most of the time photography (animals or nature pics). When I am in contact with nature, I’m filled again with energy and I can get on board again!

Who is your favorite artist/designer at the moment? Why?
Waou, I’m gonna disappoint you but I do not have any specific artistic culture and most of the time I forget names. Let’s say that for illustration, lots of artists inspire me because I appreciate their work; I won’t make anyone jealous and I’m afraid to forget some, they will know but I won’t cite them. But very quickly let’s say that I love J Guarnido in Black Sad, or Moebius’s work, and in a different style Joann Sfar’s universe.

Then if I have to talk about artists who inspire me, music is a big part of my life and musicians inspire me. I listen to mainstream rock like Lofofora, the exceptional Eddie Wedder from Pearl Jam, the clash, les Béruriers Noirs or even Macéo Parker or the legend Marvin Gaye, among others.

Another one who I consider as a major artist in another field of action is the nature photographer
Vincent Munier. Through his pictures this guy can create atmospheres, touchy testimonies of wildlife, fragile and with a sweet touch, talent and respect.

If you were not a graphic designer, what would you have done for a living?
I do not really consider myself as a designer even if I’m settled into that job, but it is still something I do on the side. But If I were to do something else, I would probably be a professional photographer.
To be more precise, actually an environmental technician in a region with a measure of autonomy.

What is your bigget fear in life?
That my children and grandchildren do not see what makes me happy: a healthy environment…

If you win the jackpot tomorrow, what would you do?
First of all I would throw a big a party with my friends and then live from my passions.

Congrats to zafeu for winning this week’s contest! A little luck goes a long way. But, you’ll need a whole lot of luck when facing a lawnmower.

Are you really lucky? by zafeu

To be printed on 500 green laFraise shirts.

•••

2nd place : 1 free laFraise shirt

End of Kidness by massala k.

This brilliant design has great composition and characterization, taking a well known series and giving it a whole new feel. Well done massala. Unfortunately, due to copyright reasons we aren’t able to print it.

•••

3rd place : 1300 brouzoufs

Bodybuilders by georgeslemercenaire

The excellent detail and action in this design really caught our eyes. Another impressive submission by georgeslemercenaire.

Delicious byVinsse

We already did an interview with Vinsse for the release of the fantasy Pyrus carnivorus designed in 4 hands with Georgeslemercenaire, and we do  it again for the release of Delicious, an adorable Shirt like its beaver! An unusual interview, check it out!

FrigoBanjo: Do you like beavers?
I find these little creatures very seducing and they seem so sweet…

Lulu: What are you going to do with the €1,000? Are you going to pay your rent or just enjoy it right away?
In fact I’m ruining myself with drugs and chicks!  ;-)

Dehlia: Is graphic design your life or a bonus?
Graphic design is my life and even if I still have some money issues, it is a life of comfort (no boss and I do what I want).

Sechet: Did the fabulous puppet that is Pinocchio upset you when you were a child?
In fact, I’ve always had some affection for Pinocchio and those long nose problems, I do know that … But most of all I’m a nature lover and between the puppet and the beaver, I’ve made my choice :)

Nath (lf crew): Why did you name your design “Delicious”?
Just because I guess that an enchanted puppet might be extremely delicious for a wood lover :-)

Dehlia: How do you start working? Do you start on a sheet of paper, which format and with a pencil?
I always start drawing with a pencil on a sheet of A4 paper; it is the most pleasant moment for me but also the most important in the design’s creation (in my opinion).

Clémentine: Do you work with a tablet or a mouse? Do you do a sketch before and did you draw its hair strand by strand?
Recently I’ve been working with a tablet (Judgment day for example) but for Delicious I hadn’t gotten one yet. So I made a sketch, I scanned it and then I worked it out with Illustrator (Automatic vector) and all the hair was done by hand. I’ve used vectors to get some paint effects that I had previously done on paper. All colors were done on Illustrator with a mouse.

Clémetine: Do you listen to music when drawing? If yes, what kind of music?
I listen to music 99% of the time; I wake up with music and go to bed with music! I do not have any particular genre, I listen to all kinds from reggae (a lot) to old rock/hard rock (a lot), and passing by jazz (a lot too), techno & noisy electro (lots of …).

Nath (lf crew): Are you hat or cap?
In general I’m mostly hood  ;)

Get all Vinsse’s work.

Congrats to conker for his selection with this shirt which will certainly attract some eyes closer in your direction:

Avez-vous de bons yeux ?
To be printed on 500 laFraise silver coloured shirts.

•••

Second place: 1 free shirt

Rhinoféroce by zilone

We liked this design – found the characterization of the rhinos cute and the shavings well done. But we felt that there was something missing, perhaps in the environment?

•••

Third place: 1300 brouzoufs – This week we wanted to highlight two designers with 3rd place

Coffee break by rodrigobhz

Great visualization and word association – a morning shirt so to say. Keep up the great work rodrigobhz!

Ex aequo with

The Juicement day by ouno

This design has depth, both literally and figuratively with its background, characters and storyline. Well done ouno!

This week we had a nice staging picture and it made you confortable to vote for it ! I present you the winner of this week FIONA !!!!! :-)

Fiona thanks a lot for your submission and congrats !

Fiona wears Your own bomb at home - Conker

Love green by ndikol

For the release of the green love green by ndikol, we’ve made this interview to get to know ndikol more and how came the idea of this nice design?

Hi Ndikol,

▪ Could you please introduce yourself to those in the community who don’t know you yet? Who are you, how and why did you get into graphic design?

My name is Ndikol. I am a graphic designer from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. I’m interested in graphic design because I have loved drawing since I was a child and I want my designs to be famous across the whole world.

▪ Can you please tell us the story behind “Love green”? What inspired you and how did you create the design? Did you have any difficulties?

The story of “Love Green” is about the sacrifice a deer makes trying to protect and save nature from global warming. I was inspired by the similarity between antlers and branches. With these similarities, I made the design tell about a deer cutting off their own antlers and using them as a branch that will be planted. This design aims to encourage people to let plants grow. I fortunately didn’t have any difficulties because it purely came from my idea and I was able to tell the story of this design in my own design style.

▪ Have you ever had a lack of inspiration and what do you do when that happens?

Yes, of course. Sometimes when I’m not in a good mood, that will affect my desire to design and in the end I have no ideas. To restore my mood so I can get inspired again, I would do something refreshing like browsing the internet, watching a movie with my girlfriend, playing a game, karaoke, or traveling.

▪ Who is your favorite artist/designer at the moment? Why?

My favorite artist is Pixcute. Because he teaches me a lot about design, and he is the great designer that I have met.

Get to know more about ndikol’s work.