Before I start any design, I like to surf the internetz and my reference library for imagery. I find http://ffffound.com/ a great place to get inspired. While surfing, I found an image of a western cowboy that resembled Wild Bill or a similar defiant character, then I got the idea for my design.

Play on words:

Re-Fuse the Ordinary Life. (verb: to ignite again)
Refuse the Ordinary Life.(verb: to decline)
Refuse, the Ordinary Life. (noun: trash)

I had originally had the idea of the 'Ordinary life' from a sketch I doodled earlier in the year. After a couple people suggested I make a shirt from the idea, I thought I would oblige.

I have a tendency to gravitate towards themes that encourage living or thinking outside the box. Carpe diem, live life to the fullest, etc. I suppose it comes from my decision to try to make it as a freelance artist, instead of going the corporate route. Or maybe it comes from listening to too much Rage against the Machine when I was a teenager.

Collaging some images Ive found on the internet, I create a preliminary comp for layout purposes and to flesh out the concept. I don't always go through with this part. I think its important and I should practice it the process more often.

Without at least a slight idea of what you want the final product to resemble and the message you want to convey, you may waste time trying to collage elements together during the whole process to TRY to birth an idea or concept.

While working as a Nascar shirt designer, I found most of the time, I would waste time rendering the cars, or some elements that would eventually go into the design. So after a day, I would have several highly rendered elements, but still no cool concept or layout for the final image which is what sells the image. Eye candy will catch a minimal amount of attention. Eye candy with a story will catch a longer span of attention, which is what you want for your image to have longevity and sellability.

It seems the concept is much more difficult to birth than just the grunt work of rendering and good craft.

Using the collage as a reference, I begin sketching major parts of the image with a paper and pencil. I could use the photographs and trace directly, but for the elements to mesh, and for me to feel good about myself as an 'artist', I draw most elements out by hand, then trace my own drawings.