Artist’s Corner: An Interview With Pro Wrestling Graphic Designer Ringside Designs (Photos)

Artist’s Corner returns with an all-new interview with pro wrestling graphic designer Ringside Designs!

Artist’s Corner was created to highlight artists in the professional wrestling community whom contribute some of the most unique work around!

Ringside Designs was founded by Seth F. where he recreates original artwork of professional wrestlers from over the years! He’s super talented and has such a unique eye for capturing wrestling digitally. He’s produced work for many professional wrestlers as well, which is a huge highlight of his artistic career! He also designs work for Black Label Pro when he’s not creating work for himself or others.

We got a chance to talk to Seth and hear all about how Ringside Designs came about in the community!

Interview with Ringside Designs

What inspired you to pursue your work? How did you get started doing it?

I’ve always been a self-motivated person and wanted to draw anything that interested me from a very young age. With that said, I’d have to say I got started by trying to be quiet while my mom was teaching piano because drawing would keep me occupied. As far as taking commissions and really pursuing making things for others, that insulation (or encouragement) would come from my best friend, James Anderson. James encouraged me to start posting my stuff on social media and it really took off from there.

How did you discover your style/ability?

I’d say those two elements (style and ability) are two very different answers. When it comes to ability, I would say that I discovered I could draw things I saw (and that they’d actually look like I enter them to) when I was probably 6-7. Now these were elementary drawings but I started getting motivated to keep drawing more and more around that time. In terms of style, a lot of that credit goes to my high school art teacher, Mrs. Dietrich. I’m a creature of habit but Mrs. Dietrich would always force me to go beyond what I was comfortable with and learn that it’s ok to make mistakes along the way. I guess the best way to accurately describe my style is a crossroads of personal interest and “happy accidents,” to quote Bob Ross.

https://twitter.com/RingsideArt/status/1364742257413419008

What do you do to improve your craft the more you do it?

There are three things that I would attribute to my improvement. 1) I make mistakes and see what I like or don’t like in a piece and pivot in order to make it better. As I mentioned earlier, Mrs. Dietrich taught me to be comfortable in making mistakes as long is I took something away from the experience that made me better. 2) I really love having someone see what I’m working on mid-process and getting honest feedback. One of the best friends I have is named, Ty Boilanger, and he’s an incredibly talented artist who I always share my progress with and see what his feedback/response is. Someone who is willing to take a look at something I’m working on, with fresh eyes, and provide honest feedback is invaluable to improving. 3) I like to watch tutorials on YouTube. It sounds simple and self-explanatory but watching others draw and seeing a technique that I hadn’t thought of has helped the “light bulb,” go off more than once. Take the three elements above and put them in a blender and you have the main source(s) of my improvement.

How long have you been doing this and what keeps you going?

I’ve been drawing for 30 years, essentially. As far as taking commissions and doing things as a side business, it’s been about 5 years. The motivator to keep going is very simple. Making fun things for people never gets old. Now, my hand and head my hurt from time to time but the excitement of being able to take someone’s idea and making it a reality is what keeps me going.

What are your typical subjects? Is it normally wrestling or other stuff, too?

My “typical,” subject matter currently is without a doubt wrestling. However, there are other things I love to work on. I enjoy creating logos, I love working on sports related images, and basically anything my kids want me to work on…I try to make it happen!

https://twitter.com/RingsideArt/status/1382062003863306242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1382062003863306242%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrestlezone.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1233455action%3Dedit

Have you worked with any wrestlers or produced work for any wrestlers or promotions?

Yes, I actually got my opportunity to live my dream in working for a promotion with Mikey at Black Label Pro. He took a chance on me to create some t shirt designs and the designs have been able to come to life and it’s such a cool experience to see people wearing the merch. BLP and Mikey have a special place in my heart for allowing me the opportunity to work in wrestling. As far as wrestlers, I have done some designing for wrestlers but I’ll say one in particular is my favorite. I got the chance to do a design for a shirt AJ Gray that’s a “Cadillac,” design that’s just simple and clean.

What’s your biggest aspirations with your craft?

The biggest aspiration I have is to be a true designer for wrestling promotions. I’d love to be able to sit with talent/wrestlers and create merch designs that encompass their character and connect with fans like me. This aspiration became a driver for me when I had the opportunity to work with Doing The Favor Podcast. I had an opportunity early on to work with Eric, Barry, and The Marketing Director Rachel and it was such a fun experience. I’ve been able to work with them and other podcasts, companies, and folks that have allowed me to live that aspiration of designing merch.

https://twitter.com/RingsideArt/status/1372609010147426307

Where can people see/find your work?

Currently, you can find me and the projects I’m working on via Twitter. However, I am working on a website that will hopefully be done soon, so stay tuned!

Are you currently taking orders, requests, etc.?

Yes. I am open to commissions (should they fit the schedule) and requests when I have some free time. I love hearing what people want to see, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

You can find Seth currently over on Twitter at @RingsideArt! I got some awesome artwork done by Seth and recommend you do, too, if you need him for any graphic design needs! He’s super easy to work with as well as is super professional. Check out his artwork!