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!
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!
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.
So you’ve heard!! – Sharpie is sponsoring a Valentine’s LOVE ♥ HATE Debate Feb. 1st thru 14th)!
For a quick recap, on Monday the conversation focused around whether or not you LOVE or HATE Valentine’s Day. For the most part, I’m getting Lots O’ Love! but believe me the numbers are there in terms of Haters! *I’ll fill you in on the official L vs H count later on!* We also debuted the 1st set of severalvideos from interviews hosted on Chicago’s Maginificent Mile, featuring what people had to say about V-Day ! (You can still see Monday’s videos on Sharpie’s YouTube page, under the “Valentine’s Day -Love Hate Debate Playlist”
Now, onto Today’s topic…
Today is all about the GIFTS!!
Valentine’s Day is different from other gift-giving holidays. Let’s be honest, there is plenty of room for error here and sometimes our sweethearts hit the target right on, while other times we aren’t so fortunate and end up with a half eaten box of chocolates and a carnation.
Check out our latest and greatest videos from our Michigan Ave interviews where we asked Chicagoans about their V-DAY gift giving experiences:
So now that you’ve seen these vids., let’s get to talking! Here are some topics that could stir up some debate! - However, if you have a topic of your own, go right ahead and start up the convo!
“OMG! BGE (best gift ever)!!”
“You’ve got to be kidding…YouREALLY thought I would like this?!?”
Back in the Day Valentine: FavoriteValentine’s Day memory from when you were little.
Awkward V-Day!
“I left blatantly obvious clues, but he/she just didn’t get the hint!”
Homemade OR Store bought? Which do you prefer?
ONE-OF-A-KIND Valentine: What original Valentine’s Day gifts have you received and/or given?!*(this could go both ways, good or bad )
As a reminder, here’s how the debate works…
Share your thoughts, stories & all the in between:
Deciding on a new piece of art can be intimidating, yes, but what if I told you that you had the option to pick out EXACTLY what you wanted. You could tailor your art to fit exactly your needs. We’re talking size, shape, color, patterns… Forget about spending countless hours, days, months hunting for one specific piece, not to mention you wouldn’t have to break the bank to get this art. Sounds like a dream come true if you ask me!
Well with the new year comes new opportunity, so why not start off 2010 by hanging a one-of-a-kind “(YOUR NAME HERE)” art work on your wall that actually looks pretty spectacular! All you will need are plain white canvases (it’s up to you how many), Sharpie markers and a bit of creativity and imagination to create art that will update any space!
An option to make this DIY project a bit easier for those who may be intimidated – just do what I did - hunt around online and search for patterns that you like and can recreate. I found my pattern online and used an assortment of Sharpie permanent markers in Red, Navy Blue, Green and Yellow to draw on plain white, hard wood canvases (see pics below) to make my Sharpie wall art. The great part about this is that your options are endless – you can choose to make one giant piece, several small canvases, or collect an assortment of sizes. With so many different Sharpie colors to choose from, when it comes to color and design the choice is completely yours!
Sharpie markers used
Reverse side of canvases
…What do you think?
*Another great thing about canvas art is how free your are to arrange the pieces until you figure out what works best for you. Have fun with it!
Do you have any Sharpie art work that you’ve made? Share it with us on our Facebook Page or post it to SharpieUncapped!
Most likely, you have had your tree up and decorated for some time now, right? Yeah, me too.. but I had an idea after throwing a Sharpie DIY holiday party with some co-workers, where we customized and designed holiday gift wrap, cards, boxes, ornaments and more. Ornaments, being the biggest hit, got me thinking that this would make for a fun activity to do with friends and family on a day like Christmas!
What you’ll need:
Plain ornaments (Matte-style work best)
Asleigh-full of Sharpie permanent markers
Take this in whatever direction you feel like! If you’re a group of artists, go to town and get all artsy on the ornaments. If you all have little to no artistic talent, scribble down favorite holiday memories, funny stories or write each other’s character traits on the ornaments (hah that one could get interesting!) Whatever you decide make it fun! With Sharpie markers and your imagination, the direction you take it is completely up to you!
These are some of the ornaments that my co-workers and I made. As you can see, some are more detailed than others and they all still look great!
Ornaments made with Sharpie!
Close up!
Lookin' good Ornies! (we're on a nickname basis)
Sticking with the ornament theme, you may remember these bells from back in the day or maybe your kids are at that age now and have brought them home from school. I actually made these when I was in grade school and thought since I’m older, actually have control over my hands and have legible handwriting, I could take a second stab at this..
Every time a bell rings...
What you’ll need:
Small terra-cotta flowerpots (found at any craft store)
Tiny bells (also at craft stores)
Ribbon
A slew of Sharpie markers (I used a combo of Sharpie Water-Based Paint markers and good ol’ fashioned Sharpie Permanent Markers(not pictured))
Materials
Color the pots any color you’d like – and be sure to color a little on the inside too so that you don’t see any clay from an outside view (I had a ton of silver, red, blue and black, hence the color scheme – even Sharpie employees run low own product from time to time). After coloring, embellish however you’d like! When finished, thread the ribbon through the drainage hole to make a loop for hanging, then loop another ribbon inside the pot and attach a bell. Now, start obnoxiously ringing your bells (heehee)!
These are the ones that I made…
O Christmas Tree
Draw your fav mascot or go with a college theme like this! (Rock Chalk)
Anchors away!
Lights. CAMERA. Action.
Now, just for fun I wanted to include this… When I was out to lunch the other day with a coworker, the restaurant we went to decorated their tree with Sharpie-made ornaments! In a timeless and classic style, employees names were handwritten on ornaments in metallic gold Sharpie. Take a look..
Don't mind my brown gloves!
Oo I like the lighting in this one!
Sideways stocking
The Tree! Can you spot the ornaments?!
So what do you think?
How did you decorate for the holidays? Post your pictures at www.Facebook.com/Sharpie, leave your name, favorite holiday memory, as well as how you used Sharpie markers this year! I’d like to write up a blog post and feature your Sharpie creations! Can’t wait to see the pictures and hear how you celebrated!
Bored with your plain old laptop cover? Well, not anymore! You can design one just like this using Sharpie markers. Susan Wassel (Sharpie PR/Social Media) has come up with a creative and inexpensive way to design interchangeable laptop art with packing tape and Sharpie markers! Susan uses her favorite snowflake stencil, provided by the one and only Stencil 1, to give her personal computer a seasonal touch! Watch as she takes you through the quick and easy step-by-step process!
Share your thoughts and all the ways you use your Sharpie markers to make your everyday objects stand out!
Vist SharpieUncapped.com to get more seasonal tips to make your holiday one to remember!
UNWRAP What’s Inside This Holiday Season With Sharpie!!
Embarrassing as it may be, I took a wonderful piece of wisdom away from one of “the Girls Next Door,” Bridget Marquardt. While it has nothing to do with romping around the Playboy mansion with Hef, it does relate to taking pride in your work. You see, in one episode, Bridget explained that when giving a present, she finds the importance in not only the present itself but the overall presentation as well (aka the wrapping)!
As a victim of receiving unappealing gift-wrap, (ie: a brown paper bag with “Happy Birthday” written boldly in green Sharpie over the grocery store name) I fully believe in this concept. You should always take pride in anything and everything that you associate yourself with and put your name on. “Lazy” gift wrapping doesn’t send the message you want (unless you plan to leave it on someone’s front door step in flames - wink, wink) nor does it reflect positively on you, the gifter! Something like grocer gift-wrap tells me, you either A) Forgot B) Did this in the car C) Don’t care all too much about me or D) All of the above. It may seem to be asking a lot but it really isn’t difficult to put a little creativity, personality, at least some ♥into wrapping a present!
Before you scoff at me, here is a perfect example of simple and thoughtful wrapping that has been created by a veteran to the Sharpie Blog, Brian Graves. Brian was previously featured for his Sharpie art work at the J Bar in Chicago in a post entitled, “BIG Sharpie Art.” Today, however Brian shares his take on gift wrapping…
Attending a benefit this month, Champagne Wrap-ture 2009, this BIG artist designed his own wrapping on faux alligator paper from a local paper store with just 2 Sharpie Chisel Tip Permanent Markers! Overlapping different quotes about France, champagne and style, Graves created this beautiful presentation to house a bottle of champagne. (Thank you for sharing Brian!) Take a closer look..
What you need to recreate this beautiful gift-wrap:
Assorted Sharpies (black plus another color works well)
Plain paper
Ribbon
Literacy (you’ve made it this far so guess what…)
With these same materials here are a few other inspirations created by our very own Phil Ginnodo (Associate Creative Director). Thanks Phil!
And so, if I may ask one thing of you, my Sharpie enthusiasts, this holiday season pleeease don’t be THAT person gifting poorly wrapped presents. After all the hard work you put into choosing the perfect present why stop short? Wrap that baby up and let it stand out as the envy of all the other gifts!
How are you adding a personal touch to gift wrap this season?
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.
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