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Customer Spotlight: Travis Knight

Customer Spotlight: Travis Knight

Welcome to another edition of our Customer Spotlight series. Today, we're featuring RetroSupply community member Travis Knight.

After 13-years as a graphic designer, Travis found his true calling in illustration.

“I started getting really sick of feeling like I was just making photo collages, and so I decided I'm going to draw the next poster that I do. I was always really afraid to do that on a poster because so many people are better artists than I am, but I kind of knew that whatever I was going to do just had to be mine,”

The work that Travis creates today is a nostalgic blend of weathered vintage comics, pop culture, and punk rock DIY ethics. It's no wonder that some of the world's most captivating brands call on Travis including Netflix, Target, and DC Comics.

 

Join us as we take a journey through some of Travis Knights recent illustration work.

Along the way, we've incuded three lessons for bringing the same nostaligia laced creativity to your own work.

Lesson 1. Consume Pop Culture as Creative Fuel

When you regularly immerse yourself in pop culture you tap into what is prevalent and important for people at a given time. And that means you can connect quickly with your audiences hearts and minds.

Watching popular movies, TV shows, listening to trending music, or reading bestselling books helps one understand the prevailing themes and styles within pop culture.

But there are also less passive ways of stocking your brain with pop culture like engaging with online communities, going to art shows and exhibitions, and collaborating with other creatives — just be sure to maintain a balance between consuming and creating.

Lesson 2. Infuse your work with personal passions

When you incorporate elements that you love and connect with in your work it adds authenticity and creates a connection with your audience. Embracing your passions and personal interests and turn projects into opportunities for your audience to get to know you.

Travis Knight loves The Cure. When he was tasked with creat a poster for the bands upcoming show at the United Centre in Chicago he seized the opportunity. This allowed him to channel his personal passions into his work. For example, The Cure poster cleverly hid references to things that were meaningful to him, adding layers of depth and intrigue to the piece.

Lesson 3. Combine ideas to create innovation

Explore Travis's work you'll see a blend of ideas from vintage comics, monster magazines, American folklore, and other novel places.

Creativity isn't about pulling new ideas out of thin air — it's about combining what's already out there in fresh and unique ways that makes people see things differently.

Think of yourself as an idea treasure hunters, constantly collecting little nuggets of inspiration from the world around them. These ideas can be stashed away in notebooks, sketches, or digital files. Over time, this collection becomes a rich reservoir of creative material.

A Final Note on Travis Knight's Creative Alchemy

Travis Knight's work stands as a vivid example of how art can resonate when you embraces pop culture, inject your personal passion, and hone your craft. Let Travis's journey inspire you. Take these lessons to heart and create something uniquely yours.

Want to spark ideas for your next piece? Follow Travis on Instagram for a steady dose of inspiration or check out his portfolio for a deep dive into his work.

Thanks for being a key part of the RetroSupply family, Travis. Can't wait to see what you create next!