Why be bored in school? Go to a Skateboard School! This Toronto District School Board alternative school design program helps students earn high school credits and graduate by creating their own brand and running a skateboard business / professional design studio. OASIS SKATEBOARD FACTORY (OSF) "ON THE GRIND": TDSB's ART & ENTREPRENEURSHIP O.G.s since 2006!

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Indigo Ink

IndigoInk:
I'm 16 and this is my first semester at Oasis Skateboard Factory. I moved to Toronto in October 2016 from a small town called Orillia. My brand, IndigoInk. exists to thrive off our wandering minds and embrace the colours we obtain. IndigoInk's mission is to bring together the indigo children. Indigo children are a group of kids born since the 90s who have a high creative and spiritual connection with themselves and the earth. Often indigo children are labelled as trouble makers or having ADHD because they've expressed themselves outside of the social norm. IndigoInk wants to show people that indigo children have value and can improve and challenge society.

My inspiration for my art comes from the tattoo style of fine line and black ink stipple. The inspiration for my brand comes from the discovery of my indigo aura and my urge to know more. For my first skateboard I wanted to bring some of my old art into a new way of design. By combining the roses and the skulls I'm creating a juxtaposition of the beauty in life and death.

First, when creating my board I pressed the wood then designed a template. To create the graphic I used the wood burner to engrave and stipple my art into the deck. Then I used red water colour to highlight the roses. The elements of design I used in this was rhythm/ movement by the way the heads flow up the board. I also used colour slightly by using a small amount of red to balance out the heads compared to the ferns at the bottom.

For my first board I'm glad I brought some of my old work into my design. I enjoyed working with the wood burner for the first time and the texture it brought into my art. For my next step I plan to create designs to promote the existence of IndigoInk and its mission.

Image may contain: 1 person, standing