Q: Who is “YAWN” and where did that name come from?
YAWN means YEAH AWESOME WOW NICE! We both really like to draw type but never really knew what to write except for song lyrics of songs that had been haunting us. So we usually wrote something like “YEAH” or “WOW” – this kind of lead to writing those words over and over again until we found YAWN!
We also think a shirt just saying YEAH AWESOME WOW NICE would be a great shirt and try to get one printed on our own someday!
YAWN is Annika and Sandra. Annika is currently working as a freelancer doing graphic design and illustration, Sandra is working on her final thesis at college right now doing illustrative fonts.
We’re kids of the 80s, we like illustrator, feltpens, pop, handmade type, 80s surf and skate design, friends (& the sitcom!), high school & brat pack movies, Nintendo, Hedi Slimane’s photography, vampires, wolves, geometric forms, fastfood, SNEAKERS!!
Q: When did you start designing t-shirts and how did you get started?
We’ve been illustrating all our lives but we both only got into designing shirts and trying to win some contest around May this year.
Sandra had uploaded a few designs to threadless a few years ago with an old account and without much success. In spring this year a friend emailed her saying she should participate in the Kings of Leon contest at designbyhumans, we never got around to do this though. We then participated in the Lil Wayne contest and found out about shirtfight and teefury (and later RIPT of course!) and all those other sites and tried to participate regularly.
We haven’t won any big contest so far, maybe you could help us doing so by voting for us everywhere you see us ;)
Q: What are your favorite programs to use when designing?
We both own a wacom and use it mostly in illustrator. Sometimes we use photoshop for collages or final touchups. We also love to doodle around with feltpens, markers and watercolors.
Q: Do you prefer hand sketching or going straight to the computer to draw?
We actually do both. Usually when we do some type related stuff we draw it first on paper. And also most of the handdrawn stuff just stays handdrawn and isnt traced anymore in illustrator.
Q: Where do you find inspiration from?
Mainly from our childhood and music. Working/drawing seems to be the best though when you forget everything else around you!
Q: Do you have any advice you can give to aspiring designers?
Probably, it’s for the best not to watch too many art&design blogs in the internet. And don’t think too much!
Q: When did you first know you had a talent for art and design?
As a kid.
We want to thank YAWN for taking the time to do this interview. Please visit their website and view all their fantastic work.
Previous YAWN RIPT t-shirts:
Epic Rock Paper Scissors Battle shirt
Matchbox 13 shirt
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