Custom Corner: Ryan Atianzar of Twitch Customs | NiceKicks.com

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Custom Corner: Ryan Atianzar of Twitch CustomsBack in the spring, Ryan Atianzar of Twitch Customs won the hearts of many with The Great Wave off Kanagawa-inspired Nike Toki. Not only were the graphics on point (and a dope way to incorporate the Swoosh), but it also served a greater <a href="http://www.ecigs-store.com/egot-001-p-9.html"><strong>electric cigarette</strong></a> cause as all proceeds benefitted earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan. In catching up with Ryan, we discovered that his good work didn't stop there. A deep portfolio features strong themes with even stronger execution. Find out what we're talking about and how Ryan got his start in this week's Custom Corner.What got you into sneakers?The first thing that ever got me interested in sneakers and the whole subculture surrounding it was the fact that I played basketball all throughout my childhood. Naturally, everybody’s inclination is to have the freshest pair of kicks to rock during the games and season. Basketball and fresh kicks go together like peas in a pod, and there was nothing like wearing that one pair of shoes that brought your swagger level up to make you feel you had a bit of edge over the next guy.How did you get started making customs?It first started back in elementary school for me when one of my friends wrote the word “Grandpa” on his shoes in pen. I don’t know why but it was like the coolest thing to me that he personalized his shoes. From then on I started drawing and writing stuff on my skate and basketball shoes in pen. That continued until High School when I discovered three guys named bLue, Methamphibian and SBTG back in 2004 and 2005 doing some amazing custom paintwork on Sole Collector’s ISS Forums in the Custom Shoes section. I was already drawing and painting in high school at the time so it blew my mind the level of detailed paintwork they were executing on Nike Dunks and AF1′s back then. They really showed me that you could take an ordinary general release shoe and transform it into something amazing. I'd never thought about using sneakers as a canvas for my art until then, so I read the tutorials and guides they had on those forums, started experimenting, and the rest is history from then on.Which creation is your personal favorite?My personal favorite has to be a pair I did in 2009 based on the character Venom from Spiderman. Something about the colors popped really well, <a href="http://www.ecigs-store.com/egot-005-p-13.html"><strong>what is an electronic cigarette</strong></a> and I feel like the overall concept was spot on. I think that’s probably the best integration of using the Swoosh as a part of the design since I used it as a tongue coming out of Venom’s mouth. I just really liked the outcome of that particular pair and it’s still my most requested custom to recreate today.Who have you done work for?Unfortunately, I still have yet to do a pair of customs for anybody famous or significantly known. All my work up to this point has either been for my friends, family, or various online orders, but landing a commission from a celebrity is definitely a big hope of mine!Are your designs meant to be wearable or as a display piece?My designs are made to be 100% wearable to withstand everyday wear and tear. Not to say you should go hiking or skateboarding in them because they will scuff like any other factory shoe, but under normal wearing conditions, the paint is made to flex and bend without cracking, and is water proof as well. I personally never understood those sneakerheads who buy shoes and put them in a glass display case. In my opinion, shoes are meant to be worn and beat to death until you can’t wear them anymore. I like to think of my designs as wearable works of art. What’s the use in buying a shoe if its not functional and you can’t <a href="http://www.ecigs-store.com/egob-002-p-8.html"><strong>ego electronic cigarette</strong></a> wear them or show them off?What's your general design process?Once I come up with a general concept, I tend to write down a list of things I want to incorporate into the shoe. I like to tell a bit of a story with each pair if I can. Once I have that I’ll sketch it out on paper first and experiment with the composition and color blocking. After I’m satisfied with that I take the sketches and do more polished Photoshop renderings. Then I print those out as reference before I put the paintbrush to the shoe. I’m a big believer in solid design. Design comes first in my book. You can paint all the details you want onto the shoe, but if your design layout and composition doesn’t flow well, it’s still not work out well in the end. Like they say, “You can’t polish a turd.”How much time does a project typically take?Each project usually takes about 2-3 weeks to complete from initial concept, sketches, renderings, and final execution and shipping out to the customer.Where do you find your inspiration?A large majority of my inspiration comes from hip-hop culture, basketball, and the Los Angeles art scene. I live and work in LA and tend to hangout a lot in the Melrose area. Being around that whole artsy, bohemian visual culture that Melrose embodies helps a lot when I’m struggling with a lack of concepts. Plus we have tons of art ################## here, which I tend to visit when I get creative blocks.