Welcome to 2009! Whether you're back at work or still on holiday we've got loads of goodies to help keep you feeling the summer love! Click here for a taste of what we've got...
Love the idea of people walking the streets with your artwork plastered across their chests? nzgirl, in partnership with Libra Girls Get It, wants to make your dream a reality so we're running a competition to design an nzgirl hoodie.
No idea where to start? We asked nzgirl’s Art Director, Sarah, who’s developed a number of the prints for our clothing range, to share some tips…
The key to a good hoodie/t-shirt design is something unique that no one has seen before. It must be pleasing to look at, show visible effort and relate to its market. Your design also needs to reflect its brand, its theme as well as being a strong and individual piece.
Step One: Inspiration Take an hour and browse the internet, look at design websites, artist’s sites and clothing sites. Look at sites from other countries – they often have completely unique and new design styles compared to anything seen in New Zealand. It’s not about copying other people’s ideas but helping you develop your own style.
Step Two: Research If you already have an idea for the hoodie in your head, research everything about it. For example, you might know that you want to use an image of a butterfly in your design. Look for photos or drawings of different sorts of butterflies. Think about the way artists use them today and how they may have used them in the past. This will help you come up with a style and theme and a way to draw or produce a butterfly that is artistic and unique.
Step Three: Make it Unique During your research you might come across new and interesting ways of creating your design. Mixing media is a good idea, scanning, painting, water-colour, sketching, ballpoint pen, collage and, of course, illustrating and tracing with your computer.
Step Four: Get Started Your first sketch or design, won’t be your final. A good way to start designing is to brainstorm. Quickly write and sketch your ideas all over a sheet of paper. This will help you come up with something if you don’t already have an idea. Keep a pen and paper with you at all times so you can jot down or sketch an idea as soon as it pops into your head.
Step Five: Rework Put some time into your design, rework it and try it in different angles, back to front and upside down, repeat it to make a collage and see what you come up with. Sometimes mistakes are good! So chuck some paint at it and see what happens!. Leave your design overnight or for a few days and come back to it to see if anything needs improving or adding to. After spending so much time on your design it is always good to have a break, when you come back you often see things that aren’t working or sitting right that you missed before.
Step Six: Placement When you have a design that you are happy with, download the jpeg of the hoodie and place your design on the front. Think about placement, size and practicality. It helps to print out your design at 100%, pin it to a hoodie and put it on! See that it sits well on the body and the shape looks right.
Step Seven: Final Steps Once you’re satisfied with your design then it’s finished!. If you are still a little unsure, ask a friend to have a look and see what they think. Remember to ask someone who would wear it… If you are designing an nzgirl hoodie for an nzgirl then you don’t want to ask your boyfriend or your grandad what they think! Often it is good to get a couple of opinions – and don’t be afraid to take constructive criticism!
Above all, keep your ideas simple, keep the theme in mind and just have fun... Good Luck!
Sarah
Click here to enter the Design a Hoodie competition.
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their chests? nzgirl, in partnership with 
Step Five: Rework