Last year, Dutch artist Nick Van Hofwegen was commissioned to design all art for Foster the People's sophomore album. (Photo courtesy of Nick Van Hofwegen)
With a virtually endless selection of printing services available online, you can turn almost any design into a T-shirt, whether it's your four-year-old cousin's fridge art or a commissioned piece from a revered artist. Below are five styles we love, created by artists from all sorts of backgrounds, and organized by what we think makes them successful. Check them out, and get a nice dose of inspiration for your own band's T-shirts!
1. Classic rock 'n' roll style: Dirty Donny
Dirty Donny's design for New Jersey band Personal and the Pizzas. (Image via facebook.com)
In the metal, punk, and rock 'n' roll realms, Dirty Donny Gillies' artwork is iconic. The Ottawa expat (he now lives in San Francisco) has worked with Queens of the Stone Age, the Melvins, the 5.6.7.8's, the Donnas, and Mastodon, plus brands like Fender, Dunlop, and Vans. Among his collectors is James Hetfield of Metallica – a few years ago, Hetfield called upon Dirty Donny and his pal Wade Krause to custom paint a pinball machine. Dirty Donny also sells weird figurines, shrunken heads, patches, buttons, guitar picks, and, of course, really awesome '70s-style black light posters. Creepy creatures and ghastly ghouls in eye-popping neons are his trademark, but he sometimes bends to fit the commission in question. Such is the case with a recent graphic for New Jersey punk troupe Personal & the Pizzas, seen above.
2. No-frills wit: La Luz guitarist Shana Cleveland
La Luz guitarist Shana Cleveland's "Luzer" design. (Image via facebookcom)
It's been almost two years since Seattle surf-tinged doo-wop act La Luz debuted and quickly sold out of their "Luzer" T-shirts, but my regret of having not purchased one is as fresh as ever. The simple yet clever design was drawn by guitarist Shana Cleveland and screenprinted by the band as an homage to a vintage Sub Pop Records style. Fingers crossed for another batch in the near future!
3. Up-and-coming creepy: Javier Alfonso
Javier Alfonso's design for San Juan punk band Los Pepiniyoz. (Photo courtesy of Javier Alfonso)
San Juan's punk scene is regularly animated by local artist Javier Alfonso's designs, from Las Ardillas to AJ Davila y Terror/Amor to his latest work for Los Pepiniyoz's new LP, Alta Tension. Like Dirty Donny, he's got a penchant for monsters and also creates plenty of works beyond his music-related projects. And while Alfonso's commissions aren't as expansive as Dirty Donny's, he's certainly got the talent to get there in time.
4. Modern hip: Nick Van Hofwegen of Young & Sick
Nick Van Hofwegen's design for Foster the People. (Image via store.fosterthepeople.com)
This Dutch renaissance dude designs both tunes and images under the same moniker. As Young & Sick, he blends the two; for Van Hofwegen, one cannot exist without the other. Additionally, however, he designs posters for the New Orleans Buku Music and Art Project, as well as merch for other artists. Last year, he was tapped by Foster the People for all of the art corresponding to their sophomore LP, Supermodel, from the T-shirt above to a 148-by-126-foot mural in downtown LA. And he's designed his own underwear, too.
5. Personal kitsch: The Coathangers
Image via squareup.com
There's no shortage of cool designs in the Atlanta punk band's online shop, but this fast food-themed style is extra special: it was designed by bassist Minnie Coathanger's nephew, Noel! Cute, right?
Learn more about making your own T-shirts:
- Tutorial: How to Screen Print Your Own DIY Band T-Shirts
- How to Get Band T-Shirts Made
- How to Design an Effective, Impactful Band T-Shirt
Jhoni Jackson is an Atlanta-bred music journalist currently based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she juggles owning a venue called Club 77, freelance writing and, of course, going to the beach as often as possible.
