To get the timeline correct lets imagine its around September time.
So the Logo is complete! My brother has done a cracking job. Its clean, symmetrical and like all good logos contains some hidden/clever stuff!
The first graphic is all good too - a line drawing image I've done of Aberdeen's Annie Lennox - strap line, Street Dreams. A wee play on the Sweet Dreams song referring to the street element of skating.
Down to Peacocks and off i go emulsioning my screens (freshly purchased online) and exposing them to burn the images on ready for screening onto my decks.
Prior to this i've been squirrelling away in our loft - or Studio as i like to call it when i feel a bit pretentious. I've taken some scrap wood and bought some screen hinges and am setting about making a rig that will hold a deck in place and allow me to place the screen over the top and then go about printing. I've even got some old carpet to help make it safe for the precious decks.
So, screens are done (James has shadowed me thankfully!) and now i have a rig to place a deck and hold the screen.
I have ink. I have squeegees. What could go wrong?
Well to be honest, nothing dramatic on the first go. I get the logo on the topside (albeit a wee bit squint) and then set about getting the main graphic on.
On it goes.
Looks ok.
Add some colour.
Still looks ok, hey this is easy!
Add some more colour.
Not too sure that works but its ok. This is just a test. Although in my naivety i haven't considered that i would be using up decks as practice. My ignorance told me that i would print it first time bang on.
How wrong i was.
So the next night i pick up Deck no.2 and set about printing.
Nothing goes right. And i mean nothing.
Ink smudges, or doesn't come through the screen. The deck moves around on the jig making it impossible to print on.
Its at this moment that i have a minor panic attack/meltdown and realise that if the loft, sorry Studio, had a window then there is a good chance that a large amount of skateboards and printing stuff would have been launched out of it. Might not have even opened the window.
So its around then that i am coming to terms with the idea that you can' be afraid to make mistakes. Its ok to do that. Its how you learn. I'm not a perfectionist by any means but i needed to rid myself of the idea that i would be knocking out decks for sale by November.
So now its back to the drawing (skate) boards.
Join me for Part 4 - Re-design & Breathe, next week!
