Ddjvigo is two brothers from Galicia, Spain: Denís Orio Ibáñez and his brother Alfonso Ibáñez (or perhaps Alfonso Orio Ibáñez, I’m not sure about Spanish naming conventions). As of this interview, ddjvigo have the highest number of t-shirts in the Shirt List after Arinesart, another Spanish artist.
358 ddjvigo t-shirts on the Shirt List.
They live in a small city called Vigo where there is no electricity or Internet so they have to carve their designs into wood and then make daguerreotypes, which they then send by the Vigo Pony Express to various t-shirt companies around the world. Not buying it? OK, Vigo is probably as modern as any other small European city when it comes to electricity and communication. Denís and Alfonso create most of their designs in PhotoShop and are influenced greatly by pop culture. Read on.
Ddjvigo Interview
Until recently I thought ddjvigo was one person and that person’s name was Denís Orio Ibáñez. But this is not the case. Can you tell us where the name ddjvigo came from and about the two brothers behind it?
Hi! At first I made some designs to enter into this world. After one year I contacted my brother -his name is Alfonso- to make some collaborations and today we collaborate on every design that we make. ddjvigo was my artistic DJ name here in the city when I worked for 11 years in pubs and clubs. I know we need a new artistic name for the team!
Where in Spain do you live?
Galicia! In a little city called Vigo, a magical place with a beautiful view of the sea.
What do you love about where you live?
The sea, the nature and the people. It’s a perfect place to work!
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like going to the cinema or theater.
Do you work full-time in art and design?
Actually we are working hard in this. We love the design world and need more hours to make every design that we have in mind!
About the Artists
Have you had any formal art training?
Not really but we’ve been reading comics since we were little kids. My brother has studied more traditional techniques than me.
Apart from t-shirts, are you involved in other art/design projects?
Only t-shirts at the moment! We don’t have time for more, but we’ll try to open new doors in the near future!
Where do you usually get your inspiration?
From movies, comics, anime, and video games. We have too many options for choosing the next theme.
Could you describe your typical design process from concept to completion?
The first step is the imagination, and when we have the idea in mind, we make some sketches until getting the final one. After this, we go ahead with the inking process before colors and textures. This is the best part! I hate the post-production vectorizing and halftoning because I want to start with the next design!
About the T-Shirts
How did you first hear about daily t-shirt sites like TeeFury and RIPT?
I found this world when I was searching for cool t-shirts three years ago!
Do you remember your first print? If so, what was it and how did you feel?
I remember it! It was Reservoir Warriors on Qwertee and I went crazy!
You have had t-shirts printed by TeeFury, RIPT, and ShirtPunch. Who do you usually submit to first? Why?
Actually we submit first to Qwertee. If the design gets good votes the first week we´ll be waiting until the end of voting. We love TeeFury but is very sad for us to receive a lot of rejections. We´ll only send our best works to them. The same with Ript Apparel. Our latest print with them was awesome! Usually, we try to send at the same time to Qwertee/TeeFury/Ript/Othertees/ShirtPunch/TeeTee.
You sell your designs on TeePublic, RedBubble, Design by Humans, NeatoShop, and Society6.
Which performs best for you?
DesignByHumans and TeePublic.
Sell your designs on TeePublic
Which is easiest to work with?
TeePublic because is a bit faster than the others.
Of the t-shirts that you designed, which is your favorite?
Speak Friend and Enter is my fave! My brother prefers Dark Lord of Middle Earth 😀
Do you wear the t-shirts that you have designed?
I have a lot of t-shirts with our designs and more t-shirts with awesome designs from other designers!
Have you seen somebody wearing one of your t-shirts in the real world?
Yes! Reservoir Warriors and Splatted Helmet 😀
Photoshop or Illustrator?
PS! I need to work more with AI.
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About the World
What is the most exotic location you have been to?
Ibiza! I was born in Ibiza and I love the white island!
Where would you most like to visit? Why?
Japan! I like their culture and I would like to learn more about it.
About Other Designers
Which t-shirt designer(s) do you admire the most?
Naolito! He is a very talented designer and he can combine great ideas with a sense humor and an excellent technique. Medusa the Dollmaker is an awesome artist, Saqman, Harantula, The Art of Rocky Davies, CoryFreemanDesign… There are too many fiercely talented designers. I can’t choose only one!
Read: Medusa Dollmaker Interview + Cory Freeman Interview
Have you done any collaborations for t-shirts? If so, who and what did you design? If not, who would you like to collaborate with?
Yes, we have three collabs with the awesome Dr. Monekers! His style is awesome 😀
Who would you like to see interviewed on the Shirt List next?
Naolito, no doubt
Any advice for new designers/artists?
If you really love designing, at the beginning you’ll need a lot of patience, never be discouraged and always search for your own style while enjoying the job!
Extra
What are you watching on TV at the moment?
Now I’m watching Rurouni Kenshin and Vampire Diaries. Waiting for the new seasons for The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.
What’s the last movie you saw in the cinema/movie theater?
Terminator Genisys. I´m a huge fan of the original from James Cameron, especially The Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I don’t like Genisys because the essence is missing.
