Easter is right around the corner and you know what that means… It is time for dyeing eggs! While most stick to the standard “egg-plunging” technique, have you ever thought about taking a different approach to DIYing eggs?
Wingdoodle, a blog featuring some incredible how-to’s, recently colored foam eggs using Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers. Take a peak at how Wingdoodle created beautiful art on these Easter eggs.
DIYing Easter eggs with Sharpie is not just limited to foam eggs. In fact, blogger AnaCraftyOne uses Sharpie markers to color real eggs.
When moving into a new home you are more or less handed a blank slate – A lot of empty space that is just yearning for color, texture, shapes, personality. This new place gives you the opportunity to convey who you are through design. You may not see it this way, but I feel that decorating your personal space is an outward expression of your inner self through lines, colors, furniture, and art work. Think of it this way, home decor is like your wardrobe but much larger in scale, more expensive and for most, if you don’t like what your home is “wearing,” tough, you can’t simply change the outfit in a snap.
A few weeks ago, I moved into a new apartment, my first and I’m all on my own. I have free range to decorate howIwant. So now, I’ve got this blank slate in front of me and I really do not want to screw it up – I want my place to scream who I am! I have all the furniture but the walls…well, they are still bare as a bone with no art displayed upon them.
The problem is, I do not want to, nor can I, spend a hefty chunk of change on artwork. I have concert posters (Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, Flatstock) that I plan to frame and hang but that’s not exactly doing it for me. I keep coming back to what I preach every day of the week – SHARPIE. I’m sure you’ve all seen the pictures of the “Sharpie basement” and all sorts of Sharpie wall art. YES! I do love these but also YES, my landlord would have fit if I attempted them. So what else can I do to bring in that unique, urban, DIY, Sharpie-esq element?
I think I’ve found it…
Several stores I’ve bought furniture from have a similar theme going on that I can only describe as a ”paper-recession motif.” In other words, using paper, card stock, cardboard, etc… to build make inexpensive, yet tasteful art. While none of these stores necessarily have incorporated Sharpie, I do see an appropriate place for the markers & pens. Using Sharpie to add details and personalize the following examples would be a fun, easy and inexpensive way to make it your own. If these don’t necessarily fit your style, try taking the ideas and interpret them to fit your personality.
Here, pictures from magazines and books and pieces of card stock were cut out and hung with clothes pins on a long piece of twine to add some color to a pretty neutral corner . Another idea would be to hang actual post cards and greeting cards that you’ve either collected or bought for this purpose. On new cards use a Sharpie to write inspirational quotes, music lyrics, anything you’d like. Or keep a Sharpie and Polaroid camera nearby, next to bowl of clothes pins for when you have company. Take pictures with friends and family, write a little note and hang the pictures up.
Using corrugated strips of cardboard, this store built HUGE murals shaped into daisies. These pictures do not even do justice, this honestly was amazing and I stood in awe for a good five minutes. Imagine building these to fit your wall(s) and adding little touches with Sharpie markers - rain drops, lady bugs, veins on leaves, details on petals… Oh the possibilities.
Use patterned paper or gift wrap to cover old books and bring new light to a book shelf. Use the same paper in similar patterns and colors to make flowers (or in any shape for that matter) and hang in place of a framed picture.
Tear out pictures from magazines, books, newspapers, or trace new drawings with a Sharpie onto paper to make your own wallpaper collage. Don’t be afraid to overlap, we’re going for a sloppy, yet put-together feel here. Hanging plates as shown here, is a great way to pull everything together.
This wall was really interesting… Sheets upon sheets upon sheets of white paper were stacked to cover the entire wall. To add a pop of color, flowers were made using wired twine and rolled up colored pieces of paper. Add any details you want with Sharpie to achieve your unique vision.
It just goes to show how creative you can get using inexpensive materials, a creative eye and your own individual style to make unique pieces that will easily brighten up any room. I’ll send an update once my apartment is all set up to show you what I’ve done with the place.
What unique ways have you decorated your home, bedroom, locker, or office?
Try some of these things out and let me know how it goes!
We recently had the opportunity to meet with Woman’s Day magazine to talk all things Sharpie. You probably think we went to push product in their faces, but that’s not entirely true. I’m not going to lie to you – Yes, there was some product in there but truly that was not the focus. The purpose was to showcase the amazing things that people are creating with our little ol’ markers, pens and highlighters. We brought in pictures of drawings and designs by both professional and amateur artists as proof and received an incredible response! Woman’s Day eagerly asked to reach out to some of the “masterminds” behind such great work and we were more than happy to help.
On WomansDay.com, 10 Sharpie artists are showcased in Awesome Artwork Made with Sharpies, with a message to “Get inspired to draw outside the lines with these 10 marker masterpieces.” You can check out the full post HERE.
Wait a minute….Featured on Woman’s Day!? How great is that! Sure, sure…”Sharpie on Woman’s Day” is cool and all, but I’m actually referring to how awesome an opportunity this is for the artists! The fact that these are real people like you and me is what makes this so special. You see, all of the artists showcased have been featured right here on the Sharpie blog or simply have submitted their own work to the Sharpie Uncapped gallery. Who knew an opportunity like this could rise from posting a picture of something cool that you drew?
Sharpie is all about Self-Expression - Uncapping what’s inside of you and making your mark on anything and everything, in whatever way you feel. Sharpie has become what it is because of the people who use it. Do you really think that the inventor of Sharpie thought to himself, ”I’m going to come up with a marker that I can use to label my underwear, design a clothing line, get Will Ferrell’s autograph, and most importantly to customize my $250,000.00 car – I don’t think so… But YOU did! You did come up with the “Who, What, Where, How, Why, & When” that is Sharpie.
So, I tip my hat to you, Sharpie Aficionado and I thank you for getting Sharpie onto Woman’sDay.com.
Sharpie teamed up with Woman's Day to brag about YOU!
I wanted to post this yesterday but just didn’t get the chance to, so I apologize for my tardiness. Today’s post aligns with a previous post where I wrote about doodling. I wasn’t just saying that to fill up blog space and yes, we actually do use our own productsover here too! Here’s one of my latest…
Pretend like today is March 15th, The Ides of March…March MADNESSthat is!! Who’s psyched for NCAA BBALL?!!?
Which reminds me.. I've got to finish my bracket!
You can find more doodles on Facebook and post your own too!
Thank goodness! A New Jersey native who puts Snooki to shame (if she hasn’t achieved this on her own yet..) and lays “The Situation” to rest. He’s not orange and I’m almost positive his hair isn’t styled to resemble Sonic the Hedgehog…
Who is this god sent, you ask?
Why he is none other than Matthew Langille, an amazing graphic artist and designer whose work you most likely already know, own and love! Langille’s comical, yet simplistic artistic style is leading him in a direction that, though he may not have originally set out for, is definitely leading him toward some pretty amazing places! In fact, you’ll learn from Matthew himself, how his eye for style (or the ladies) steered him toward the path he’s on today!
Having already designed for several fashion houses & design firms, featured in numerous publications, working globally and owning designs adored by A-listers, you may wonder how someone can build such notoriety and achieve great success. Well this artist has the answer…and I think that you will come to find that a lot of Langille’s success has to do with being comfortable & having confidence in his own talent and personal style.
Tell me all about you! I was born and raised in New Jersey. Growing up, my mother was an amazing art teacher and today is a recognized fiber artist, well received all over the country. My grandfather, Harold Krisel was an brilliant architect and abstract painter. His work can be found in museums across the country, including the MoMa, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Guggenheim, Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Chicago Institute, to name a few. Finally, my brother, Jesse Langille, is a wonderful painter, living in Brooklyn. As you can see, I grew up in a very artistic family, always around art and have been able to see some of the most amazing museums around the world.
At age 11, I began glassblowing and continued with this medium until my early college years – the whole time not drawing too much. I was a sophomore in college when I noticed that all of the cute girls were in the printmaking and design department. So, I swiftly changed gears and began studying these mediums…where all the cute girls were! haha (Right Matthew, I’m sure you got a lot of “studying” done )
I also love to watch movies, listen to my vinyl records, enjoy a beer or glass of wine and eating well. And of course, create artwork.
Jock Jams Vol. 97 album cover?
Smart woman, your wife
Especially downtown, during rush hour
...Maybe it's the glasses?
Have you always wanted to work in fashion, or did you just sort of find yourself in it? I really had no intentions of working in the fashion industry - I kind of stumbled into it! I did drawings for magazines and some amazing fashion designers, such as Marc by Marc Jacobs and the amazing Norma Kamali. Quickly, it all sort of snowballed from there. It’s been a nice surprise and I do love my work so much!
A lot of your work is unlike that I’ve ever seen! Where do you draw inspiration from? Thanks! I get inspiration from everyday things – people, animals, art, music, etc. Most of all though, I think a large aspect of my work has to do with how early I embraced the fact that my drawing technique wasn’t perfect and that it was unlike all of the other “typical illustration work” out there. I think embracing my style was what has made me successful today.
Who/what brands have you worked for? Any favorites? I have worked for over 75 fashion, design and magazine companies across the globe. Some of these include: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Little Marc Jacobs, Swatch, Adidas, Havaianas and SIGG. You can see them all on my website and these brands are found just about everywhere. (Pardon the interuption…Matthew, feel free to send any and all Marc Jacobs to my home address)
Langille signing autographs in NYC
Matthew's John Hancock
“I use Sharpies like a painter uses a brush.”
What is your creation & design process like? I start with a huge stack of computer paper and I draw with pens and Sharpie markers. Using these tool doesn’t allow me to erase, so I feel I get a much more unique and gestural line. I go through A LOT of Sharpies and A LOT of paper (which is all recycled of course : ) haha). Then I scan the work into the computer, color the designs in and clean them up if need be.
Favorite Sharpie? I go for the original, Fine Point Sharpie… and if I stray from that I’ll either go smaller or larger… but really, most often just the normal Sharpie does good by me. I use Sharpies like a painter uses a brush. I wouldn’t have any lines if I didn’t have Sharpie markers. I’ve tried other markers out there, so I’m not kissing up….haha….but nothing works for me the way Sharpie does.
So, I’ve spotted several celebrities in your designs! Who is the one celeb you want to be seen in a “Matthew Langille original”? Well there are many of course…. All of them! haha. Jay Z would be a trip! I think he’d rock one of my designs well. On the other end of the spectrum, I’d love to see some of my Hollywood crushes wearing my stuff too. Like Drew Barrymore, Anne Hathaway, and Natalie Portman, to name only a few haha!
Paris Hilton in a Matthew Langille Print Dress for Amanda Uprichard
Proudest accomplishment to date? My proudest accomplishment to date was designing 3 Swatch watches for the CreArt Artist collection, released July ‘09. I was humbled to be chosen to do work for Swatch’s artist collection. A few others who have created designs for the Swatch artist collections include: Keith Haring, Vivienne Westwood, Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, Spike Lee, Yoko Ono, Kiki Picasso, Christian Lacroix, and many many other amazing artists. It was an honor and still is, to be in such great company.
Are you currently working on anything that you can tell us about?! Sure! I have recently released three wall decals for Surface Graphics and I am designing a collection of women’s and men’s jeans for Reco Jeans, a denim line that is eco-conscious and uses recycled denim. I also have created two designs for wallets for JFold which will be out soon. So stay tuned to my website and blog!
Maxim Magazine, Mexico
Numero Tokyo Magazine
Do you have any advice for other young artists? Of course… Follow your instincts with your art.Don’t change to be like someone else.Network, network, network…..No one says that people are going to come to you and become interested in your work. So I suggest that young artists need to market themselves and never take no for an answer.
What do you hope for in 2010? I hope for moregreatprojects and fun collaborations to come my way. And of course health and happiness.
Matthew Langille, ladies and gentlemen!
Isn’t he great!? Langille is all over the place these days, not only can you wear his designs and buy them just about everywhere, he is also right at your fingers tips! Check out his sites and chat with him directly!
I came across this blast from the past while cleaning up my computer desktop this morning…
Created by Jon Burgerman, this custom helmet derives from aaaall the way back to 2007 and made with a Metallic Sharpie Marker for The Vader Project for the ’07 Star Wars Celebration Europe exhibition held in London at Excel.
"Armed with a silver Sharpie, I scrawled and colored my way over the helmet, dropping in little Star Wars references as I went…." - Jon Burgerman
Recently, Jon has been traveling the world creating murals for AOL. Here’s a time-lapse video of him creating a mural at the AOL headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Check out Jon’s London agents, Debut Art for more of his designs and photos from his “mural travels.”
(That is one awesome sweater! The fact that he turns it around so that we can see it’s awesomeness, wow…what a guy!)
Be sure to take a tour of Jon’s work at on his own website: www.jonburgerman.com !!
I was doodling with my Sharpie Pen during a call this morning when I realized that this happens more frequently than not. Usually I don’t even notice I’m doing it when BAM! a tidal wave of ink has crashed upon my notebook!
So what can I do with these drawings?…
They are not necessarily frame worthy and FOR SURE no one wants to buy these – I don’t even have 1,000 followers on Twitter yet! (so lame..I know)
I know for a fact that I’m not the only person who does this (that’s right VP, I saw your Moleskin!)
Later on at a meeting - I’m going to move my notebook over juuust a tad so you can see my doodle. I’m not going to actually show it to you; you’re going to ”happen” to glance at it freely, uninhibited. “Yeah, that’s right dude look at it.. we both know that’s a pretty good doodle.”
*3 really has no relevance, I just wanted to know if anyone else has ever done this
Take a look at the edge of your note pad, planner, books, sticky notes, printed out power point slides, maybe even your hands or shoes. (go! look!) It’s something that just happens – something comes over you and you just draw! There are probably hundreds of little doodles all over the place and what do you do with those doodles? Nothing! There aren’t enough homes to share these one of a kind drawings, so why not show them some more love..
I’ve made a ”Doodle” album on Facebook ( maybe down the road a better name will hit me). Here we can share our random doodles that typically don’t get much recognition- sometimes they are really dumb, inspirational, silly, random, pretty, whatever, but let’s show them off! This is a “no sliding the notebook” towards someone, this is a full out “Check out what I drew while you were yammering on about the new printer policy.” I’ve posted some of my doodles and will continue to Post your doodles too!
Here are a couple of mine you will find on Facebook:
These are a few of my favorite (Sharpie) doodlers:
Need a chance to let loose & have a little fun? Looking to give back in a postiive way?
… the opportunity is right here!
Literacy Chicago invites you to attend their annual fundraising event, The Well-Read Affair, in support of adult literacy programs taking place on February 25th! Join L.C. in the penthouse ballroom of Hotel 71 for an evening of music, cocktails and hors d’oeurves, accompanied by a silent auction in which attendees will bid on a host of custom bookmarks hand designed with Sharpie markers by artists and celebrities!
Here’s a sneak peak of some of the bookmarks that will be up for bid:
6 words made famous by the great James Earl Jones (another noteworthy performance as Mr. Mertle in "The Sandlot")
Marc Brown's fav book (side 1)
Your everyday Aardvarks (Marc Brown, side 2)
Webster put the actress' picture under "H-O-T"
What's Scarlett Jo.'s fav? The Pokey Little Puppy! (side 2)
Bookmark created by Zac Efron. Mick Jagger anyone?
Literacy Chicago is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the literacy skills of Chicago-area adults and families. Their programs and services range from free classes in reading and math, to GED prep, one-on-one tutoring in Adult Basic Literacy and English as a Second Language and more.
Visit Literacy Chicago online for more information about The Well-Read Affair, to purchase your tickets, and learn about all of their programs, as well as other events and volunteer opportunities.
The Well-Read Affair
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Hotel 71 Penthouse
71 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Cost: $75 per person
It’s Monday, you may not be in the brightest of moods… You stayed up late last night celebrating the most popular non-national holiday of the year, your belt is a little tighter after eating endless amounts of seven-layer dip, on the way to the coffee machine people think you are talking to yourself, when you’re actually just reminding your feet “right, left, right, left…” Frankly, your mind just isn’t quite working in full-force yet – which probably won’t kick in until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Just to make your day a little bit more difficult to get through, here’s a reminder: V-Day (or should I say D-Day) is right around the corner! The pressure is really on to get your that quality gift. So what does this mean? Are you excited or aggravated by this fact? Maybe last week you were all for the lovey dovey holiday but as the pressure mounts are you beginning to change your mind? Or maybe you absolutely hated the thought of hearts and candy last week and now that you have a date, you’re all for it! Hey, I don’t know what your thoughts are…but that’s why I’m asking:
Valentine’s Day: Love it or Leave it?
Check out these brand new videos from our on-street Chicago interviews and see what people had to say:
Join the debate onFacebook ! Upload your videos, pictures & comments all before Sunday – VALENTINE’S DAY!
We’ve got love. We’ve got hate. We’ve got the good, the bad & the ugly presents. What’s the next hot topic for the debate?! How about
Valentine’s Day Memories!
Memories are like pictures for your soul. When you think back to that moment, you can see every detail, hear every sound, smell every scent, taste every last morsel — it all comes rushing back to you in an instant just with one thought. Valentine’s Day is tough though. There is a lot of pressure to make this one day memorable, a day that will be remembered and cherished forever. Do we achieve that every year? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way a memory is made and we add yet another snapshot to our internal photo album.
So what’s the best or worst memory you have of Valentine’s Day? Every one has some story to tell, what’s yours? Maybe you had that perfect Valentine’s Day that you will never forget. Maybe you had a magical night with your sweetheart and to this day it was the best night of your life! Did you get a bad rash from the “roses” your lover bought you? Did you bloat like a blowfish post-VDay chocolates? Tell us about your VDay memory – we want to know!
When we were downtown we got a few people chatting about their VDay memories - here are new videos from the on-street interviews:
Join the conversation on Facebook where you can comment and upload your own videos and pics! We will be posting more videos through the 14th so check back to see fi you or any of your friends are posted!
Don’t forget, all the videos are uploaded on Youtube.
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