Updated 02/06/12 - 'Werk' T-shirt designs added
Updated 27/05/12 - 'Trespassing Beat' and 'Queenbert' designs added
Updated 05/05/12 - 'Pop My Lock', 'Uncuff' and 'Proud' designs added
Updated 21/04/11 - 'Superhero' designs added
Updated 18/11/10 - 'Rabbit Hole' design added
Updated 06/11/10 - 'Paparazzi' and 'Rock God' designs added
Updated 25/10/10 - New design added
It was way back when I did the
Glam Nation posters that bluedogs (thanks!) suggested the idea of putting the designs onto a T-shirt. This is where it all started, and while I was away on my break doing outdoorsy activities and far from all things Glam Nation, my mind was still ticking away, nurturing ideas. A little tired of organising playlists on my return, I decided to turn them into something real. I've dabbled in all sorts of new things thanks to Adam, constantly learning new skills and growing so I thought I'd give this a go.
The official merchandise may be pretty to look at, but I don't find the clothing very wearable so my aim was to do something that is. I wanted to create designs that are instantly recognisable by fans as having a connection with Adam while retaining a subtlety that doesn't require them being plastered with his name and face. All the images here are made from scratch so as not to breach any copyrights. It's been a steep learning curve, and at times very frustrating figuring out how to do vector graphics for the first time. Here are my first ever T-shirt designs, I hope you like them.
The first design took forever and is based on the image of Adam's fist which I think is really powerful, but I think it needed to represent something that Adam believes in, so I added the text as a call for unity, especially after
Adam's latest twitter rant. I decided to go for a retro propaganda style. Not very glittery, but we are a varied lot and it's almost a street style that works on T-shirts for either gender, hence wearability.
The second is a parody of the Rolling Stones logo. I seem to remember Adam wearing a stripy T-shirt with the logo on at some point, and the birth of this fandom for many will always be associated with the Rolling Stones cover, '
Satisfaction'. This was the performance in which we first saw that famously long tongue snake out during those glory notes.
The third is simply a design inspired by Glam Nation. It was meant to be the top of a Voodoo staff like a mini Adam but in the end, I decided not to include the rest of the stick. I don't think the feel of the Glam Nation Voodoo is very dark, more kooky and for some reason, I find kooky things like Tim Burton's work quite cute so that's what I went for.
I have more designs to come in various styles so I'll post them when they're done. If you'd like to have them on a T-shirt or acessories, I've set up a shop for you at
http://lambosessed.spreadshirt.com so please take a look. If you can't see the design or colours on the exact item you want, feel free to request from
this list of clothing. They even have dog T-shirts! I'll place a link in the sidebar for easy access in future. I'm new to this so I'd appreciate any feedback you have. Let me know if you decide to buy anything, I'll be curious as to how they turn out. Thank you!
This is my latest T-shirt design and it's an illustration of Adam's silhouette mid-belt. I've always thought that the pose he strikes while he sings is a powerfully iconic one. When he goes for those huge notes, he turns his head to the side, usually to his right, and as the note becomes bigger and more powerful, he tilts his head back, palms the air with his heft hand and moves the mic further away from his mouth and his tongue reaches out. Anyway, I just wanted to capture this in a single image. I've designed it so that it works in a single colour so you can get really sparkly glitter prints on the T-shirts.
Here's my latest design, which is a little on the snarky side. It's an illustration of Adam in his '
tacky lifeguard hat' giving the finger with a smile. The hat is infamous, still accessorising many fans' twitter avatars as a show of support and was a cause for much hilarity and piss-taking. He wore it while relaxing on a beach only to be
hounded by the paps and ended up in a minor scuffle.
The quote used is from a separate occasion during
SFW at the Washington DC concert where he wanted security to get out of the way to allow fans to take pictures. I think it fits quite well with the illustration even though his wishes during either event couldn't be more different. When he's performing, he wants to be photographed and wants us to get as much out of him as possible. But when he's on his own personal time, it's a different story. The design is meant to show support for Adam when he's doing battle against both paps and overly-demanding entitled fans. I wonder if Neil would see the funny side if someone were to wear it to a VIP greet...
Here's one more design and it's an illustration of Adam in one of my favourite poses, epitomising his electric performances which leave us buzzing for long afterwards. I call it a rock god pose. We've seen this back-bending pose during Glam Nation, most notably at
Hampton. It's when he's at the height of his performance, completely immersed, wild, uninhibited, and at his most powerful. It happens when we've gone way past listening and watching him perform and we
feel it. We feel the energy emanating from him via the rushing, the tingling, and the goosebumps. Every time I watch it, I'm in awe over his superhuman ability to hold and control his amazing high note perfectly as he leans all the way back. And also at how far he can lean back!
My latest design is inspired by my favourite song on the album and it also has a certain significance for me because going '
Down the Rabbit Hole' were the exact words I used in
my review of the AI performance that tipped me over the edge all that time ago. I decided on an illustration that was cute but slightly trippy so it features a rabbit in Adam's Willy Wonka/ringmaster hat with a knowing expression and a half-smile, pointing with an ear and beckoning you to follow it down the rabbit hole. I gave it a mini voodoo staff, which you'll recognise as one of my other designs, to make it clear who's in charge. I initially wanted to make the design much more psychedelic with a warped burrow and tripping spirals for eyes, but I'm restricted by the printing methods. I settled with a slightly kaleidoscopic entrance to the dark unknown rabbit hole and star-shaped pupils in the eyes. Hope you like it!
Ever since hearing that first preview snippet of Sleepwalker, I have always associated it with a powerful visual cinematic element. The staging from Glam Nation is consistent with that and I think he built upon what we saw for the
top two performance of MW. For Sleepwalker, he cuts a solitary world-weary figure, wearing an outfit that's part Matrix, part Final Fantasy or anime. The lonely tortured fantasy comic book superhero. That is what I wanted to capture with this design — Adam represented as a character who is regrettably too familiar with sacrifice but stays strong and resiliently optimistic in the face of adversity, continuing to fight. The results aren't quite as stylised or dynamic as I would have liked but I couldn't carry on tweaking forever!
I usually do these T-shirt designs with a maximum three colours so they can use the most durable printing method, giving the most vibrant colours. But it was impossible to create the effect I wanted so as a result, these 'Superhero' designs use a different printing method which give it a slightly vintage feel. Unfortunately it isn't quite as durable, so please take care when washing!
I have used this same 'Superhero' illustration on a charity Japan design that I would like to dedicate to my Japanese friends.
$5 (£3) from each shirt sold featuring this red design will go to the Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Tsunami appeal. Alternatively, you can donate directly to the
UK Red Cross or
US Red Cross sites. I decided to make this version because that's where the inspiration behind the style originated. I feel that my description of the character could also represent the qualities shown by the Japanese people in light of recent events. With the blossoms and warmer colours I hoped it would have an uplifting and positive feel.
The two new lock designs below are based on Adam's recent key tattoo and the type of lock that I think it would open, inviting him to place his key in and unlock it (I see your dirty minds at work). I tried to keep it in the same style by using elements from the tattoo. The lock is heart-shaped to complement the curves of the skull and to represent the effect Adam that has had on us. I believe he has unlocked something in us all, not necessarily our hearts but the ability to feel passionate and alive again. Click on the image to see all the T-Shirts using that design:
I created the single colour design so it can be printed using special glitter material. Unfortunately it doesn't display accurately in the shop illustrations but you can see an example of how the material looks
here. If you like it, look out for 'Glitter' in the titles. The 3D-look design isn't available in the glitter material but I have used shiny metallic gold or silver. If you don't see the exact colour combo you'd like, please let me know and I'll set it up for you.
There's a lot of symbolism that can be attached to keys. Where the previous design of the heart lock was meant to represent the emotional side of the Adam Lambert Effect, the handcuffs aren't just something a bit kinky but represent the physical side. How many of us have cast aside our shackles of convention and felt free to try something we'd never dreamed of because of Adam? How many of us have travelled, embraced random strangers, found that extra bit of bravery and enriched our lives with new experiences? How many of us have unleashed our creativity and have gone on to make something, to learn new skills, to share something and in turn, unlock something in others? I think you get the picture. If any of you get an offer from Adam to stick his key in while wearing these designs, I will die happy. Click the pic! The print I've chosen for the T-shirts uses shiny metallic material.
The next set of designs are based around Adam's growing role in sociopolitical activism. After realising he's in a position to make a difference, he's trying to use it in the fight for equality. We've seen this via the Trevor Project through the "It Gets Better" campaign and the Aftermath Remix. Although he still seems uncomfortable getting up on his soap-box to speak up about issues, I think he's in his element when expressing it through music — not on a political level where he isn't yet at ease but on a personal, emotional level as a consequence of those policies — in
Outlaws of Love. For the full article, please visit the
original post.
There are four designs here, which I created to reflect the role Adam has adopted. I wanted my illustration to parody a political propaganda poster with him as a stoic revolutionary, regal and exuding power. I went for a slightly ironic and humorous take (depending on how you see him), depicting him as the Gay Messiah / poster boy that some people have demanded of him. Who knows, history could well remove the irony.
The first design is of Adam against the backdrop of the rainbow flag with a simple word: "Proud". It could mean many things; Adam being out and proud and gay enough, thankyouverymuch; his support and contribution towards LGBT rights; pride in him for being publicly out and leading by example; pride for his working hard towards a dream inspiring millions along the way; pride for just being uncompromisingly himself. There was also something in the Advocate article about people being reluctant to admit to liking him as he sees himself as uncool:
“I pick up this kind of energy among young people that it might not be the coolest thing to say you like Adam Lambert’s music. People don’t think that I’m cool.”
Well the design is also a response to that. It's a way of showing that you are an out and proud Glambert, proud to be uncool (and therefore post-cool?) if that's what liking him makes you.
I've used a lyric from Strut as the slogan for the other designs, retaining the informal spelling to keep it light-hearted. The second one has a subtle rainbow flag in Adam's hair for those of you who aren't fond of wearing too much colour, and the last two are variations; one with a vertical flag, the other without any rainbows. It could well be that Adam will grow into a revolutionary figure for equal rights but for now, the revolution is closer to home. How many of us have changed, feel braver, stronger, happier within ourselves? In how many of us has Adam effected a personal revolution? I hope these are designs you'd be proud to wear in support of Adam, whether for counter-protests or as a constant reminder from him that the power for change is in each and every one of us.
This design is 'Trespassing Beat'. It uses the Trespassing tape that's become synonymous with this era as a base. I've included silhouettes of Adam clapping, so along with the time axis (t for Trespassing as well) at the bottom, it's like a diagram to show the clapping rhythm of Trespassing. The size of the spaces between the claps is directly proportional to the amount of time between them. The pedants amongst you may point out that the first clap isn't actually a clap but more of a stamp. I decided to include it not just for aesthetic purposes but I think I'd personally want to clap on the big beat at the start of the bar. I hope you find it to be a fun, wearable and possibly geeky design for this era.
The second design Queenbert 2012 is a commemorative one for the special concerts Adam has lined up with Queen. I went for a classic design using a modified typeface similar to that of their logo. I designed the crown to incorporate elements linked with both Adam and Queen, wanting to keep it elegant and queen-like. When you look at it I hope it just says Queenbert to you. I included two infinity signs from Adam's tattoo to symbolise not only the energy exchange between performer and audience that Adam has talked about, but the beauty of the full-circle moments that made these events come together. Adam's first song with which he got introduced to the world on AI was a Bohemian Rhapsody. His final performance on AI was with Queen. The first full circle. Then we had the EMAs and now this with the full circles going round again. I included diamond shapes as a reference to Freddie Mercury's infamous harlequin outfit, five points in the crown to represent the members of Queen and Adam, and the letters A and Q. Finally, I thought I should include the year, seeing as these are special concerts that may become the stuff of legend in years to come. The designs come in either silver or gold glitter, or silver and gold metallic print. Hope you find it a classy one you'd be happy to wear.
Here are a couple more designs for you on the theme of "Werk", a word found in the lyrics and a word to describe the response to the album's funk side:
The first one here is "Werk Bitch!". I thought about using the Trespassing stripes but decided against it because I have feeling we're going to be sick of it before long. To keep with the Trespassing visual theme, I used a danger sign as a base with a "High Voltage" warning symbol because I relate it to Adam's electrifying performances, plus I like the way it looks. It also points downwards, like it's an order for you to get down and shake your booty. Those with dirty minds can find another meaning as it points crotchwards. I modified a loose heavy typeface to give it an informal look that has movement and attitude, and you have the option to choose neon colours as well as the standard yellow.
There's another "Werk" design for those who aren't comfortable with wearing the word "bitch". It's just "Werk" against a "High Voltage" symbol background. I decided to dispense with the exclamation mark here because I think the full stop gives lends a cool, laid back angle as a definitive statement. The print is available in neon colours as well as the standard yellow and shiny metallic gold.
