We get asked a lot about the name. It’s not so complicated as some might make it out to be. Here’s our story about the origin of the name Wrapero and we’re sticking to it! Get it? Vinyl wrap, big sticker? Ugh nevermind.
As I wheeled her through the hospital halls to get her to a procedure. We reached the front desk and her daughter walked over to sign her in. I rolled her over to a waiting area and I sat next to her. Knowing that she’s my biggest fan, I popped out my phone and swiped to the last job I had designed. A Ferrari, vinyl wrapped with red chrome and finished off with black carbon fiber accents. The carbon fiber design was inspired by the Samoan tattoo culture or what some call, tribal design (I got to give my wife credit for this design). She looks over at the completed car; her tired green eyes and the face that I love, broke with a slight smile and told me, “It’s beautiful and amazing.” I told her that this photo was taken by Snoop Dogg and that Mike had wrapped the car. She followed with “ THE WRAPERO?” I smiled and let out a soft laugh, THE WRAPERO, sounded funny. This would be the last piece of artwork that my grandmother would see; she would pass two weeks later.
But hey, we practice what we preach here at Wrapero Magazine! Grandma’s coffin was printed, wrapped and finally installed at the mortuary! Holy Jesus!
THANK YOU NANA REST IN CHRIST BEAUTIFUL
It’s been quite a ride these past couple of years. The one thing I know for sure is that our industry experienced growth. (And our belly measurements, lol). We believe it has to do with more families being in lockdowns, having to resort to family road trips, hence the beautification of automobiles. Whatever it was, most people have a vehicle or a few that need that magic touch of a wrap design. This issue focuses on our newly launched online Automotive Wrap graphic design course on LearnGD.com. The vehicle that we used to teach the course is featured on the cover and throughout these pages. Like spreading the word of vinyl, we’re spreading the word of the “Automotive Wrap Academy” course. Most within our industries would be surprised that a lot of auto-heads don’t know of vinyl wrapping a vehicle, or taking it a cut above the rest, graphically designing a one-of-a-kind wrap for your car, whip, or ranfla! So, we decided to let the unknown know all the secrets and let them right in for a price of course. If you tapped in with us 5 years ago when we first launched Wrapero you’ll notice, we have a few reruns within these pages. But like fine wine, our articles have aged tremendously well. It’s all about learning and the riches that come from it. Learn to earn. Much blessing of wealth and health to all within our Wrap industries and for those that are about to join, let us be the first to say, welcome to the familia!
Special thanks to my carnal Mike from Elevated Auto Concepts. Thanks to the Corpus familia. I always say, “Automotive graphic designers are only as good as their installers.” This is true for all wrappers around the globe, we stand on your shoulders! Humbled.
For my wife, my one flesh, that puts up with the wannabe cowboy in me; your strength is my backbone, your love is my peace. My daughter, you have a beautiful heart; my son, you have a strong spirit… always love and respect what God has made you! To my mama, so much to say but thank you for allowing your child to dream and raising a man, that raises hell and brings down heaven!
Thanks to all those that tapped in from time to time for follow ups. I got you!
Faith, Familia, Freedom.
- Louis Armenta DeLombre
PS: Now time to get back onto the treadmill! Haha. Dang ice cream & donuts!
This Issue Is Dedicated To: My Father Mario
WRAPERO MAGAZINE was created with one thing in mind, the vinyl wrap game and the juggernaut art form that it has become. Automotive vinyl wrapping has become one of the most popular trends in vehicle customization and it’s continuing to grow. As vinyl companies create new colors, laminates; printer manufactures develop new advanced technologies for printing, with the ability to print vibrant colors, metals and white inks. Mix all this with artist that can create amazing designs. Giving vehicle owners that unique look that they greatly desire. We are not looking at a fad but at an industry that has longevity. Our vision is to showcase the automotive wrap culture to both beginners and enthusiast, to pursue this lifestyle.
TO ADVERTISE IN OUR MAGAZINE EMAIL: info@ARMENX.com
424.566.2272 |
When we talk about wrapping we get the idea of solid colors. Change the appearance of the vehicle and make it stand out from the models that share the road with your vehicle. However let’s say you’ve worked your ass off and now you’ve just purchased that one exotic that only that 1% can achieve. Exotics, super cars, hypercars, apex cars, whatever the heck you want to call them come perfect for the most part. The body looks like it’s in motion as it just rests there and the paint finish just scream out, “look at me!”
Again Wrapero tailed along to meet one of the wealthiest men on the west coast, possibly the world! His rides rest their bones on what some have call the most desired piece of property in Los Angeles! You’re so high up that you possibly could bump into an angel!
His ride roll call at the time we last met: Pagani Huayra, McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder, LaFerrari Red, LaFerrari Grey, Rolls Royce Wraith, Porsche 918, Ferrari 488 Special and his children had about the same number of powered cars. This was so badass!
One thing was for sure; he not only loved his cars but also loved their paint! His request to the dealers was to paint the over the marker lights, interior pieces and other trim.
So every part of the cars had to be wrapped in clear-bra. Starting with the body, under body, lights, luggage area, interior pieces where your feet and arms would make contact. You can purchase a cut kit but these kits are missing certain parts that were requested to be wrapped. So a graphic artist had to be called in to design a trace pattern that would persily fit. Every piece of the Pagani Huayra had to be custom traced to have cut in the plotter! The process for a custom cut pattern starts with; tracing the body pieces, scanning the trace on a large format scanner, followed by tracing the scan in Illustrator and finally delivering the file to be cut by a plotter.
As we stood with the finally dressed, well spoken, polite owner of this super world. He said one thing that we’ve heard before as car lovers. But this made an impact because of the business we are in.
Photography By: Armenta Signature
Photography By: Armenta Signature
“I wrap my vehicles in clear-bra from bumper to bumper because I respect the cars paint and I respect the next person that might purchase the car,” he said.
We couldn’t of say it any better ourselves! That it, clear-bra protects your cars paint from direct impact and if road rocks tap the body the paint will remain unscathed! Clear-bra not only protects your paint but protects your investment and ultimately saving you time and money from damage. So save and protect your vehicles paint! -WM
Photography By: Armenta Signature
Sometimes I am so passionate about something I see, that I want to lock it in my memory forever. How can I do this? Simply by taking a photo. A car can have that effect on a person, male or female. Maybe it brings back a core memory or a feeling of nostalgia. By looking at a photo you can be transported to that moment in time. Maybe you hear your favorite song in the background or smell that perfume or cologne of your once or present lover. Perhaps those fun times from your youth, something you’ll never experience again, all through a photo of a car. So is it just the car, perhaps. Might be a car wrapped in a wonderful piece of artwork. I don’t think there’s a limit to artwork or design when it comes to a car wrap. A way to preserve this image of the wrap for generations to come is through a photo. Here’s to living the moment as your eyes lay on a photo of a magnificent car wrap. -Heather Armentavison DeLombre
WM: What’s your earliest memory of photography?
I was born in the 80s. The trend at the time were these rectangle colorful cameras that fit in my hand just perfect. I was like five years old when I got my first one. I took it everywhere with me as if it was my profession. It’s unfortunate that I don’t have any of those pictures; I would like to see what I was thinking and seeing at the time.
WM: How about creative concept, do you sketch or only visualize what the photo angles and backgrounds will look like?
I would say do both. I take pictures of the car first, if it’s available, or I go through the files of my mind to see what’s the best location for that specific car.
WM: What preparations did you make for this outdoor shoot?
I cruise through my mind on the location to chose. Everything happens in my mind first, I envision it as if I’m there at the location. What’s my plan, and how I feel about the location, and how it inspires me.
WM: Where was the location of the shoot?
So, somehow, I always get drawn back to my roots. I don’t purposely choose that location because that’s where I’m from, it’s where I feel inspired. I would say it has always worked for me. I’m very happy with the result.
WM: You’ve photographed entertainers and automobile’s, who’s easier to work with? (Inside joke).
I would say a little bit of A and a little bit of B.
WM: What equipment did you use for this shoot vs others? I used an iPhone 13 Pro Max. For others I run and gun with Canon’s.
WM: So, you have other professional cameras, why use an iPhone for this shoot? I wanted to show that you can make it happen with only the camera you carry within your pocket! No excuses.
WM: Tell us about post graphic design from this shoot?
We try to keep color and retouching to a minimum. Go more with the raw photo, but like a editorial models shoot needing touch-up’s, so do vehicles and locations.
Photos on this spread were taken for Wrapero Magazine’s issue covering Giovanna Wheels. Photos By: Heather Armentavison DeLombreWM: We’ve seen tremendous growth in the wrap world, especially here in Los Angeles. How important are photos to promoting your company and brand on social media? It’s vital. Free advertisement. 20 years ago you would have to pay to get this kind of exposure to do what we’re doing today and getting it for free.
WM: You spent a lot of time riding with your father as a child, on his Harley-Davidson bike and 57 Chevy. How has this experience influenced your love of photography?
I can say for one instance that I was taking a picture of my dad in his 1957 Chevy and after looking at the pictures he said, “Wow Heather you’re a good photographer.” Instantly I thought, well maybe I can do this as profession. With my dad being a motorcycle rider, along with cruising in his classic car, I got to see lots of places that would inspire me. We spent a lot of time in Malibu, California. This and many locations gave me time to dream and imagine what life could be. As a kid, you think these adventures will last forever, me riding on the back of his Harley, or cruising beside him in his classic car. However, it does last forever in your mind and through photos.
WM: Would you like to add anything else?
I would say take pictures given any opportunity you have; they serve as time capsules.
Heather’s iPhone settings for our cover shoot can be found within this issue on page 65.
They say that a Leopard cannot change its spots and that a Tiger cannot change its stripes. What if you have a million dollar Apex car and you not only want to change it’s stripes but you know if doing so will mean that your prize possession will have to go under the knife of a razor blade. Too much hand pressure and your paint is done, not enough and the blade just skates on top of the vinyl and you now have to go in for a second pass! This might be what’s on the mind of the super cars owner. There’s apex cars and then there’s this one, the McLaren P1 GTR, the first ever street legal vehicle of it’s kind to hit the cement of the good oh U.S. of A!
The owners known for purchasing Michael Jackson’s costume that he wore on the music video for Thriller. Now finds the bravery to trust someone with his unicorn of a car. He decides to call the Arbramyan brother’s, owners of Innovative Auto Craft located in Beverly Hills, CA. The brother’s do the smartest thing, instead of trying to find an installer that might be able to do the work and possibly leave the P1 GTR looking as if it woke up from a nightmare encounter with Freddy Krueger. The brother’s Emil and Nelson decide to contract an experience wrapper and cutter Michael Corpus from Elevated Auto Concepts. With Armenta Signature called in for all the graphic recreations of the sticker badges.
Wrapero was able to ride along with Michael and met with Emil and Nelson. They talked about a game plan and how was it going to be executed. Once they agreed on the direction Michael went to work. The race lines that were straight through with no tucking were not so difficult. Once he reached the hood, this is where experience and technique is needed.
Mike would pull each piece of the preinstalled vinyl and save it on the side. Once all the pieces were removed and numbered for the layer order of stacking. He heated the pieces to try and bring them back to there original flat form. The next move was to place each original piece onto the new vinyl and use it as a template. Removing the plastic backing of the 3M and the installation of the vinyl begun. Piece upon piece was placed onto the P1, that we named “Big Bird.” She would trade in her green lines for burgundy ones and before you knew it she was ready to hit the scene to be seen. And boy! Did she make a hit!
After talking with Emil and Nelson, they said that the owner was extremely happy with the finish of the line swap. Wrapero Magazine was grateful to be able to be present to witness first hand to such a beautifully designed piece of art. Only to be enhanced by the hands of the Wrapero’s. So here it is, a Tiger can change it’s stripes, well at least this one! -WM
Broker:
Innovative Auto Craft
Wrap Shop:
Elevated Auto Concepts
Decal Recreations:
Armenta Styling
Vinyl: 3M
STEP 1:
All factory vinyl was carefully removed and used as a template for the new color vinyl. Creating a perfect factory style installation.
STEP 2:
After installing each piece of vinyl you begin to trim off all the excess parts of vinyl. Tape is used to give clean and even cuts.
STEP 3:
Once the three under pieces were installed, the largest piece and the one that holds it all togther was placed on top.
STEP 4:
Once all pieces of vinyl are installed, it’s heated to give it the strongest grab possible. This process was repeated for all pieces. Decals were also recreated.
How do I get a car for free Louis? Good thing you asked. Wrap it! Look man, it’s this easy, I always go back to my own personal financial method of becoming a “Rich Graphic Designer,” what design service can I sell for $1,600.00? With that cost and pushing out 625 jobs, I’ve made a million dollars. So, I personally know that a single wrap job, whether I’m charging a graphic design service fee or installing the wrap can generate that kind of wealth.
I like free things of quality, just like every other man. So, when my wife and I set out to purchase a new (used) vehicle for cash, I wanted it FREE! Our car cost was $24,500.00, cash. I knew that whatever we chose to wrap our vehicle in, had to produce a minimum project price of $1,600.00. Now to get me that FREE car I would have to sell 16 jobs. You read that correctly, only 16 jobs! As an automotive wrap graphic designer this is by far an easy task.
So, I decided to spread the word and create and teach the course Automotive Wrap Academy and teach others, with the hope that they too can become a “Rich Graphic Designer,” by learning the craft of automotive graphic design at LearnGD.com.
We started with the idea for the “Automotive Wrap Academy” around five years ago, however we began teaching and recording the complete lessons a little over three years ago. We knew we had to build trust for those that never met us, so we purchased a vehicle, designed the artwork, and wrapped the car. Along with our main lesson “Automotive Wrap Academy” we went ahead and created over 30 other lessons on different body types to design on and different art styles to offer potential customers.
“Welcome to Learn GD an online digital art school founded by myself, Louis Armenta DeLombre.
As one of the top automobile wrap designers in the world, I’m honored to be teaching you the skills and tools to master our craft.” -LAD
Graphic designers fail daily because they are only taught to be designers but never becoming businesspeople. With learning the craft of automotive wrap design, we knew we had to empower our students with knowledge and wisdom to earn them a large steady in-come. Always having your artwork work hard for you!
By practicing what we preached, we purchased a vehicle, laid out an outline and began designing and recording. Our wrap course had to be an original design, meaning it must begin with a hand drawn sketch, traditional but moving and finishing digitally. By showing our step-by-step process we would empower our students to become professionals in automotive wrap graphic design and create a successful business by finding and completing head turning designs.
With gas prices so high, it can really hurt the pockets! However, with a wrap that can generate money by sells of a product or service, that would not be an issue. Now when you’re about your money, this would make a lot of sense!
Here in Los Angeles, it’s said, “You are what you drive.” So let me introduce you to “The LearnGD Money Maker!”
Most Bachelor degrees require four years of full-time study, with an average yearly tuition of $11,000$20,000 a year. By the time you graduate you could be in debt $44,000 to $80,000. Once you graduate, you might land a job and expect to make on average $50,000 a year, now include the cost of living. With that degree you just placed your dreams on hold for many years.
Do you still want to attend a prestige’s design school and graduate with a diploma? Ok, let me paint a picture for you: behind closed doors you will find yourself owing a high debt, years of your life have passed you by, you’ll find yourself owing more than you own, having produced no family, because you’ve traded these precious timed gifts for learning software tools and art mediums that are dated or not needed. Once you’ve graduated, you’ll find yourself searching the mysterious words of the non-working professionals that taught you the regurgitation of repetition that has you drowning in this crowded industry that we call graphic design.
As technology quickly advances, the way information of communication changes, every year, most of these degrees will expire and become obsolete. Now you have a pretty diploma hanging on your wall, you’re still drowning in high debt, and lonely. Unless you take a well calculated risk, that diploma will be hung there well after your end arrives.
Now ask yourself these questions…
How much will you lose if you don’t buy now?
How much is unlearned knowledge costing you?
How many people are passing you up career wise?
How can I not get lost in the sea of noise?
How many opportunities am I missing by wasting my time in traditional school?
Do I want a successful and debt free life?
Will that diploma make my loved one’s happy or should I focus inward, at my happiness?
As someone that was not happy with the answers to these questions in my young years; I created LearnGD an online digital art school that teaches accelerated learning to get you learning and earning. Our single goal is to make millionaire graphic designers. Now allow me to guide you and highly recommend that you buy this course now from LearnGD and learn the creative craft that will generate a large steady income from the knowledge you’ve acquired from LearnGD.com.
My step-by-step system will teach you how to find and create these projects. Graphic Designers are artist that create visuals of information to communicate a message. A message to sell or message to tell around the globe. After you take our course, you will be confident and have skills in layout, color, and typography. We know that the graphic design industry is versatile, with many branches you can enter. From automotive wraps, to entertainment, to fashion, to publication, and much more!
Our hearts break when we see struggling graphic artist. With this course you’ll learn how to generate your first million dollars within your first year. Listen, if you set your minimum project price at $1,600.00 dollars, this means you would only need to land 625 jobs to earn you your first million.! One more time for the people in the back… “Our goal is simple, receive 625 jobs that pay $1,600.00 and you’ve made a million dollars. And our mission is to make every graphic designer that completes this course a millionaire.”
I created LearnGD.com to earn you a large steady income without any artistic knowledge. If you have an artistic passion to learn graphic design then, you’re in the right place to earn a financial freedom from a traditional job. Your artist ability is not in your hands but within your mind. Everyone born into this world is an artist. Only reason we can call ourselves Graphic Designers is because we’ve made that art our profession.
THE MURAL DESIGN...
So, for this wrap design I’ve borrowed from the Chicanoa and Mexican style of West Coast urban culture. From American Mexican influence of lettering, tattooing, both lowrider and hot rod mixes, all forms this cultural exchange. My art is alive, I create, and I breathe life into it by the printed wraps that cover the steel & painted bodies and the engines that move the automobiles of my many design styles. I’ll teach you what will work and what will fail. You’ll learn how to accentuate the design and styling of the vehicle that we are wrapping.
TAKE THE COURSE AT: www.LEARNGD.com
LESSONS WE TEACH FOR AUTOMOTIVE WRAP ACADEMY
- Business x Money
- Concept Design: Digital Table
- Concept Design: Pencil & Inking
- Delivering Print Files
- Fundamentals 101
- Filling In The Blanks
- Final Inspection
- Document Setup
- Final Touches
- Graphic Design With Adobe Illustrator
- Inspections: Design & Layout
- Illustrating: Installation Key
- Layout Design: With Adobe Photoshop
- Light Table
- Mural Collage: Tracing
- Mural Collage: Coloring
- Original Lettering
- Paneling: Adobe Illustrator
- Paneling: Adobe Photoshop
- Placing Designs Into Templates
- Preparation For Presentation
- Print Preparation: Adobe Illustrator
- Print Preparation: Adobe Photoshop
- Scanning Artwork vs Photographing
- Software & Hardware
- Tagging Panels
- Taking Photos
- Taking Videos
- Templates: The Foundation
- Templates: Paneling Body Design
- Templates: 11x17 Prints
- Test Prints
- The Reveal
- Tire Decals
- The Masters Machine: Recap
VEHICLES BODY, STYLES, AND GRAPHICS (CONTINUED IN THE NEXT COLUMN)
- Exotic Sports Car:
50/50 Design, Rally Stripes, Decal Placement
- Full Size SUV:
Animal Pattern, Tiger Photo, Tracing, Style
Choice, Print
VEHICLES BODY, STYLES, AND GRAPHICS
- Truck | Pick-Up:
Predesigned Art Templates
- Full Size Cargo Van:
Model & Beauty Creation
- Small Cargo Van:
Beverage/Drink Partial Design
- Business Passenger Cargo Van:
Photo Manipulation, Colors, Uniformity
- 2-Door Truck:
Pixels vs Vector, Character Design
- Classic Car:
Air-Brush Effect, Illustrating, Clip-Art, Outlines
- Offroad SUV:
Commissioned, From Canvas To Full Wrap
- Cargo Van:
Corporate Branding Style Guide
- X-Large Truck:
Pencil, Colors, Photos, Tracing, Print
- Luxury Wagon: Entertainment Pattern
- Food Truck:
Textured Background, Food Photography, Logo
- Future Truck:
Design For A Concept Vehicle
- Sports Car:
Gradient Wrap, Fade Full-Turnaround
- Luxury SUV:
Graffiti Style, OG Lettering, Color Scheme
- Sports Car:
Weathered Grunge Realistic Design
- Sports Car:
Weathered Patina Realistic Design
- Sports Car:
Weathered Rust Realistic Design
- Electric Car / Luxury EV:
Marble Stone Design
- Sports Car: Pace Car Rally Stripes
- Passenger Car:
Realtor Structural Design
- Exotic Sports Car:
Rally Stripes, Marker Trace To Digital
- Mini-Tour Bus:
Music Publicity Photos, Album Covers
- Luxury Sports Car:
Tribal Design, Cut-Contour
YOU’LL LEARN THESE ADOBE PHOTOSHOP TOOLS + SHORTCUTS
- Align
- Arrow Keys (Moving Objects & Points)
- Brush
- Colors
- Swatches
- Pantone
- Color Balance
- Copy & Paste
- Command D
- Crop
- Curves
- Cut Contour
- Document (New)
- Size
- Rotation
- Eraser
- Eye Dropper
- Fonts / Type
- Rasterize
- Free Transform + Keyboard Options
- Gradient Tool
- Hand Tool
- Marquee
- Pathfinder
- Lasso Tools
- Layer Options
- Layer Styles (Copy, Pasting, etc)
- Color Labels
- Folders
- Renaming Layers
- Levels (Ps)
- Lines (Illustrator)
- Expand Appearance
- Magic Wand
- Pen Tool (Ps and Ai)
- Anchor Points
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Shapes (Illustrator)
- Stroke (Illustrator)
- Transparency
- Zoom Tool
YOU’LL LEARN THESE ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR TOOLS + SHORTCUTS
- Align
- Arrow Keys (Moving Objects & Points)
- Arrows
- Selection / Direct Selection
- Arrange Items
- Anchor Points
- Brush
- Colors
- Swatches
- Pantone
- Copy & Paste
- Command D
- Crop
- Curves
- Cut Contour
- Document (New)
- New
- Rotation
- Eraser / Cut
- Eye Dropper
- Fonts / Type
- Create Outlines
- Expand Appearance
- Free Transform + Keyboard Options
- Gradient Tool
- Hand Tool
- Marquee
- Pathfinder
- Lasso Tools
- Layer Options
- Layer Styles (Copy, Pasting, etc)
- Color Labels
- Folders
- Renaming Layers
- Levels (Ps)
- Magic Wand
- Pen Tool (Ps and Ai)
- Anchor Points
- Ruler
- Shapes (Illustrator)
- Stroke (Illustrator)
- Expand Appearance
- Weathered Look
- Zoom Tool
Here are a few benefits in taking this course…
- Learn Graphic Design from working professionals
- Learn money making secrets by working professionals
- Immediate accesses to our introductory course Automotive Wrap Academy
- Lifetime access to all future upcoming lessons
- Accelerated learning to get you earning
- Learn the tools you will need within Adobe® (Apps depend on courses)
- Reduce the financial risk of higher institutional learning
- Quality of life equals quality of learned knowledge
- Avoid the hassle of traditional education
- Help yourself simplify learning by studying at home
- Receive a predesigned website with our premium design
- 1-year membership to Wrapero’s Wraplaza (AWA Pro - Only)
- Start building a successful brand by the knowledge learned
I teach you the knowledge you don’t get in college, saving you money and time. I will show you how to turn what you’ve learned within this course into a generating money machine. Have your business running within a month of completing this course. Time waits on no one. Now become a rich Graphic Designer by enrolling in one of our courses today!
LESSONS IN HARWARE X SOFTWARE
- Computers
- Cameras
- Audio x Video
- External Hard Drives
- Software: Adobe Photoshop
- Software: Adobe Illustrator
ADDITIONAL LESSONS WE TEACH FOR AUTOMOTIVE WRAP ACADEMY
- Rally Stripes Recreation: Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator
- Color Matching
- Freestyle Camo
- How To Create A Line-Art Template: Adobe Illustrator
- How To Create A Realistic Template: Adobe Photoshop
- Logo Recreation: Adobe Illustrator
- Perforated Vinyl
- PPF Paint Protection Film Cut-Contour
- Tire Decals
- Window Banner
- Templates: Photorealistic vs Line-Art
Learn GD is an online digital art school founded by myself, Louis Armenta DeLombre. Throughout the years my studio has specialized in graphic design, both offset and large format printing, and multimedia. After years of working with clients like, GMs Cadillac, Nissan, Infinity, Giovanna Wheels, Yellow Dude, Elevated AC, and Road-starr Motorsports, I decided to launch Learn GD to the world.
Look I know what it feels like to be a struggling graphic artist. For a lot of us it’s not that we’re not talented artist, but some may struggle to navigate in the art world, being taken advantage of by businesses, or in my case being diagnosed with a chronic disease. Even through the pain and suffering, the weekly shots, the pills and sprays my art was my financial salvation. I know your pain, that’s why we spent the last few years putting together LearnGD.com and the courses and lessons featured within.
See my greatest graphic artist moments and business achievements did not come from the school I graduated from, nor the awards I received. It would have taken more time and money, which I did not have. So, I had to move fast, and I made the easy decision to form my own business and take that risk. I’ve never looked back since!
Here’s where the saying preparation meets opportunity manifested for my business. I had designed business cards for a classic car shop and the next job I’m working on is a corporate brochure for Cadillac. I was in my early 20s and thought I had just found gold! But there was still a lot of learning that I had to do and the roads where never easy nor were they paved in gold.
I learned quicky that I had to discover and travel those roads, I had to build my own bridges that led to wells of prosperity. I was blessed in my teens to have two amazing teachers, Mr. Hursey Fortenberry that was a beacon-of-light, showed and taught me the ways of a businessman and not only as a graphic artist and Mr. Ron Wenderoff who told me,” Louis it is better to work your ass off when you’re young and party when you’re old, than to party when you’re young and work your ass off when you’re old.” I took these nuggets and ran with them.
By my early 20s I started my own graphic design and printing business. I kept pushing, I was able to design and launch my own magazine, create an automotive reality show, have sit-downs and interview celebrities from both film and television, even religious leaders, develop children’s books, start my own online print company, and continue to work in what I love, automotive wrap design, with my virtual wrap shop and custom designs. Hey, I even got love from a West Coast living legend for a wrap design.
Was it always easy? No but I’ve been in the trenches of art, suffered the mental and physical stress of not knowing what tomorrow holds. I’ve learned you have two choices in life, you can fall on the wayside where there is no soil and produce no fruit or you can fall on good soil and produce much fruit. With this course I can teach you how to avoid much of the struggle! Let me guide you into the land of prosperity. Get you learning and earning. Here’s the plan…
