Lakay Graphics

I was born in <b>Port-au-Prince, Haiti</b>, a few decades ago and now reside in the United States (New York area). I am a <b>Draftsman</b> and <b>Layout Artist</b> actively learning about <b>Creative Graphic Design</b>, various Graphic Software packages and Blogging. <b>Lakay Graphics</b> started as a <b>Greeting Card</b> making stunt. I was heavily into Screen Printing then. The first card I hand printed had a picture of a friend's dog named <b>Jessie</b>. I believe it was a water-based magenta ink on cream-colored textured card stock. The design is available in our Birthday Cards Sections, to all the Shepherd owners and lovers. Around that time, I was also working on some designs to be printed on <b>decorative tiles</b>. But that project never took off. There is an example of one of these early designs, next to the dog card. This was the red color separation. <img src="http://s319.photobucket.com/albums/mm444/lakay_graphics/IMGP1580.jpg" width="300" height="230" /> Later on, Lakay Productions (this was the name I had registered in the State of New York) became a banner making endeavor. Two years ago, I came back to Graphic Design itself, changed the name, and started to work on <b>T-shirts and Greeting Cards Designs</b> targeted to the <b>Haitian Diaspora</b> in North America and the Caribbean. <b>Lakay Graphics</b> has a presence both on Cafepress.com and <b>Zazzle.com</b>, at least for now. My <b>art saga</b> started, as with most people, when I was in my early teens. As a child, I loved to <b>draw</b> and <b>doodle</b>. Probably a bit more than the average kid. Most of my drawings were of well built guys showing their muscles, or cowboys and indians shooting at each other. (The popular movies of that time were either about gladiators, Hercules and other titans, or bank robbers and gunfighters in America's old West). As far as a I can remember, <b>Signs</b> always fascinated me. In these early drawings, there was always some kind of message, title or caption written in all caps. Go figure! In my strolls around town with either my father or my mother, I went absolutely gaga over the <b>blinking neon signs</b>. My <b>first drawing workbooks</b> were also a fond memory. They had a model on one page, and on the facing page there was a connect-the-dots version of the same drawing you were supposed to reproduce. As you advance through the pages, the dots would move farther and farther apart until they disappear completely. The paper would be all torn up from the constant rubbing with that tongue-wetted eraser. We believed that the moisture would wipe the mistakes clean and the result would be neater! The smears, the mess, the joy! Oh, how I long to go back! Then came real <b>art class</b>. We had a teacher who also worked as a graphic artist. Every session, we would draw either a classic shape or some kind of <b>Still Life</b> he would put together with things found in the room. He would pace around and, in his soft voice, explain the principles of Drawing and the fine points of Art HIstory. Every once in a while he would stop behind one of us to offer <b>tips and pointers</b>. That was the whole class. But that was where I really got my foundation. This is how I met <b>Degas, Ingres, Raphael</b> and the other drawing and painting masters. I learned about <b>linear perspective</b> and <b>complementary colors</b>. He was also the first one who showed me how to render any shape by first drawing a cube in perspective and putting the object inside. After this came <b>Technical Drafting</b>. One of the main advantages of this training is the resulting ability <b>to "see" through things</b>. One learns to visualize how certain objects would look behind or under certain planes or objects. This level of "clairvoyance" is invaluable when you work with "<b>layers</b>". The other advantage is the use of various drafting and design implements, pens, rulers, blades and other gadgets. Next was the <b>Screen Printing</b> and </>Banner Making</b> era, when I learned the real meaning of deadlines and fussy customers. I did everything from camera work to layout, paste up, film touch up, screen making, signs, banners, etc. Then, someone introduced me to <b>CorelDraw!</b> I fell in love with the program. I was astonished by the level of <b>control and power</b> over all elements and aspects of the design. It was the time when PageMaker ruled. <b>WYSIWYG</b> was the thing! I have never used Illustrator or Photoshop, but I don't miss them since I can do just about everything with <b>CorelDraw</b> and <b>Photopaint</b> (or Inkscape and Gimp for that matter). One thing I wish I could do, is learn Ray Tracing and 3D Drawing & Rendering, as in Autocad, Blender, Google Sketchup, etc. A lot of these programs are free, but one has to find the time to study them, and the learning curve is very steep. <img src="http://s319.photobucket.com/albums/mm444/lakay_graphics/IMGP00762.jpg" width="300" height="230" /> When I have a bit of time, I try to learn and master one more feature of the programs I use regularly. For now, I just sit at home and work on rather simple <b>Text Designs</b> to sell online, either on <b> Zazzle</b> or other <b>Print on Demand</b> companies. Above is a picture of my design station: <b>PC</b> running <b>Ubuntu Linux 9.04</b> and <b>Windows Vista</b>, two 19" monitors (when you turn multiple, you don't go back), <b>Wacom tablet</b>, Jug of water or juice, and mug of tea. I drink <b>a lot of tea</b> when I am working. On the left monitor I have those <b>eighty</b> new T-shirts designs I still have to upload. What I really would like to do is finish those Pen & Ink drawings I started 15 years ago (like this one of a house in Norton, MA), and print a few sets of Limited Edition Serigraphs of the Drawings. But I wonder if this time would ever come... <img src="http://s319.photobucket.com/albums/mm444/lakay_graphics/coolbanner000.png" width="585" height="400"/>