odd guy art

new Smart Car design takes off

oddguyart — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:39:10 +0000

Talk about hitting the ground running! Before we could feature our new Smart Car shirt on the web, sales took off like a balloon. Thanks to local Smart Car enthusiasts and friends, our latest design was forwarded to various Smart Car forums and groups, and is already breaking sales records.

Shaun and Cory Brachmann of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, pulled a Myth Busters-type test on our T-shirt design. Looks like more balloons next time.

Marie fell in love the with Smart Car on a trip to Europe several years ago (before they were heard of in America). The German autobahn was streaming with them. She snapped many photos of the little tyke during her stay, and then – just before departing from the airport – she spotted a large car top carrier loaded with them! It was nirvana.

So whether you’re a Smart Car owner or simply a Smart Car enthusiast, you may enjoy wearing our latest design. Thanks for reading!

Marie and Graham

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win a FREE shirt

oddguyart — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:14:19 +0000

Guess what, shirt-wearing public! We have some new designs!

With these, however, we are doing an experiment – of which YOU can be part! If you can help set up “odd guy art” with a shop in your area, we’ll send you a FREE shirt.

Sound like a lot of work?

Not really. Think of all the little gift shops, boutiques, and coffee houses in your locale. Just send us their contact information, we’ll wow them with our goods, and if they order from us, YOU get a FREE Shirt (a $28 retail value).

If you can help us find a home for our new designs – or ANY of our designs – we’ll order them in larger quantities so that we can sell them on our website as well.

Cheers!
Marie and Graham

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beyond banal

oddguyart — Thu, 26 May 2011 01:47:36 +0000

BEYOND (Bee-YOND): Outside the physical limits or range of.
BANAL (Bih-NAHL): So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

At “odd guy art,” we’re bored by banality, crushed by clichés, terrified of trite. There is no place in a quirky new business for mediocrity, and so we wrack our brains continuously for new ideas. In the immortal words of the legendary Steve Martin, “Comedy is not pretty.”

Our newest shirt design features that very thought: “Beyond Banal.” When you wear this design (which we know you’ll do with pride), you are telling the world, “I’m so far from dull I’m practically maniacal.” No flashy colors or design elements necessary; you are BEYOND BANAL.

This new design is available for purchase next week at our website. Take a look, you.

Marie
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odd guy’s index

oddguyart — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:45:30 +0000

As our one year anniversary approaches, let’s take a look at what we’ve accomplished, shall we?
• Hours spent defining and researching our target audience: 84
• Number of logo fonts considered before deciding on “Hasty Pudding:” 23
• Number of hours logged on Skype: 328
• Miles from Lake Michigan our OGA studio is located: .2
• Hours spent hand-drawing much of website: 42

• T-shirt designs created: 16
• Miles walked/ran for mobile business meetings: 124
• Ranking of “raspberry” among best-selling OGA cap colors: 1
• Hours spent ironing tote bags: 35
• Number of T-shirt-shaped OGA brochure designs created: 2
• OGA YouTube videos launched: 6
• Number of foreign cameo appearances in videos: 1
• Number of cameo appearances by Walmart employees: 1
• Number of small fires accidentally set during filming: 2
• Penalty points assigned for finger quotes during filming: 10
• Hours spent editing footage: 853
• Size of OGA festival canopy: 10′ X 10′
• Ratio of Diet Cokes consumed to ounces of water: 245 to 1
• Miles biked round-trip to printer, per trip: 26
• Ranking of EnMart among most-active OGA Facebook friends: 1
• Number of celebrities named Yoko Ono who follow OGA on Twitter: 1
• Number of national magazines that featured OGA on the cover: 3
• Number of stores in which OGA shirts are currently sold: 3

Thank you for joining us in this, our first year of business. If you have any questions, or if we can help you in any way, just let us know!

Marie and Graham

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spandex-free cycle chic

oddguyart — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:47:10 +0000

Are you familiar with the cycle-chic movement? It’s part of the whole wonderful spectrum that is urban cycling; looking good on your bicycle and having a good-looking bicycle under you. It can mean wearing anything from a T-shirt to a tweed suit. What it isn’t, is Spandex.

Cycle-chic started on the city streets of Europe and has eagerly spread to the cities of Australia and here in the USA. Blogs have been key in driving this stylish movement forward. They feature photo galleries that capture the spirit and the imagination of urban cyclists.

A great place to start the exploration is at the home of cycle chic, Copenhagen. http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

Then maybe venture over to London where my fellow Brits are showing fine form on those familiar streets. http://london-cycle-chic.blogspot.com/

Closer to home, in New York City you’ll find some very cool images from this chilly spring we are all enjoying. http://nycyclechic.blogspot.com/

It’s all about simply dressing practical with a touch of style and going about your busy day on your bicycle. What could be better? Why not dust off your old, beautiful bike and show your very own cycle chic.

Graham

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here comes the sun

oddguyart — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 03:58:11 +0000

“Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.”
(“Here Comes The Sun,” Lennon-McCartney)

Even spring's first robin is frozen.

Selling T-shirts during one of the snowiest Midwest cold spells has been nothing if not challenging. BUT… we’ve kept our scarf-covered chins up, and fully anticipate getting our line of T-shirts into more and more stores as the weather warms.

Being our first winter in the T-shirt world, we did what we thought most seasonal businesspeople do: We worked inside. There were many cups of hot tea consumed as we designed new shirts, made new contacts, and pursued new ideas. We researched the T-shirt forums and read about the successes and failures of those brave souls who’ve ventured into this business before us.

And now it’s March – halfway to April, actually – and we’re looking forward to flooding the market with “odd guy art” T-shirts. We hope you’ll see something you like!

Cheers,
Marie
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things that catch my eye… Arc touch mice

oddguyart — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:54:47 +0000

I cannot resist bringing this item to your notice. This sleek device is Microsoft’s new “Arc Touch Mouse.” With a press on the top of the arc it straightens out to easily fit in a pocket or case. Squeeze the ends and it pops back up into a comfortable arc. I love the look.

Graham

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how to sell T-shirts in winter

oddguyart — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:21:19 +0000

Our first winter in the T-shirt business finds us eager to solve the age-old question, “How do you sell short-sleeved shirts to frozen people in sub-zero temperatures?” Through trial and error (mostly error, like the failed “T-Snuggie®”), we’ve come up with several solutions to keep you fashionable AND warm.

Our patented Microwavable Shirt®

First up, the Microwavable T-Shirt®. Made from a foil polymer fabric patented by NASA, this “odd guy art” shirt is nothing short of extraordinary. Pop it in the microwave, nuke it on high for 45 seconds, and voila! – your torso stays toasty for up to 10 hours. (For arm warmth, accessorize with our patented Microwavable Long Gloves®).

The infamous OGA Electrishirt®

Next, the Electrishirt®. Simply plug this “odd guy art” T-shirt into any outlet, and rubber-coated wires within the fabric provide endless hours of heat. Our 500,000-foot extension cord (sold separately) allows you to roam about freely and snugly.

And finally, our series of warm and fuzzy Furshirts®. Stay cozy the way our animal friends do: With a thick layer of natural fur! The pelts for these PETA-friendly shirts were all acquired through non-violent means; most died naturally on our nation’s highways.

Cozy Bear

Toasty Zebra

Cuddly Cat

Snugly Cow

Sultry Leopard

Woolly Mammoth

Balmy Baby Seal

We look forward to serving you no matter what climate you live in. Check out our website!

Cheers!
Marie
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a fresh look at faces

oddguyart — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:44:03 +0000

Today a friend of mine posted a photo of her mother on Facebook, and I commented on how much they looked alike. Faces, like all 3-dimensional objects, contain geometric shapes, and when those shapes are positioned at similar angles and have similar proportions, you get similar faces.

This is usually the result of familial biology, but sometimes two unrelated strangers are mistaken as twins or siblings. (This happens to me frequently, as I live in a city wherein another woman my age has similar coloring and facial structure. We’ve been mistaken for each other for decades).

As a portrait artist, I’m fascinated with faces. When I’m out people-watching (a favorite activity), I see the ovals and cones and spheres in every face. I weigh the angles and proportions of the underlying bone and muscle structure that gives each face its unique appearance, and imagine how I’d draw each one.

The most common mistake made by beginning artists when attempting to render the human face is to draw what they think they see instead of what they really see. For example, we all consciously know that there are two tiny facial holes called “nostrils,” yet those holes are often drawn by beginners as black circles, giving the face a porcine-like appearance.

BEFORE: Disproportionate Features

In reality, nostrils are neither circular nor on a vertical plane. Look again. Nostrils are typically an asymmetrical oval (though the shape varies widely) and, when looking straight on, lie on a nearly horizontal plane (depending on the nose shape). From a straight-on perspective, nostrils are hidden almost entirely, and might only be rendered as subtle curves or indentations along the bottom edge of the nose.

AFTER: Proportionate Features

But that is just one example. Each part of the face requires a great deal of observation before putting graphite or paint to canvas. I urge each of you – especially those who say “I can’t draw faces!” – to spend some time really looking at the human face. What a fascinating and diverse subject.

Cheers!

Marie
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poll: how do YOU overcome designer’s block?

oddguyart — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:36:26 +0000

Many of you in the T-shirt design world find yourselves looking for that one perfect concept – a design with that special something that catches on globally and launches you into extravagant T-shirt-selling wealth.

For those of you who’ve watched “The Making of ‘odd guy art’ Part 2: The Designing,” you already know what a mentally-challenging and physically-taxing process T-shirt design can be. Sure, it’s fun; but sometimes “fun” can be fleeting when you’re faced with mounting bills and, in Graham’s case, an ongoing tea addiction.

Plus, there are as many potential T-shirt options as there are people on the planet (6,894,185,175 as of press time). When faced with a blank computer screen or canvas, where does your inspiration typically come from?

Take a second to click below and add your voice to this universal question!

Thanks!
Marie and Graham

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