BE INSPIRED: SANDWICH BAG ART

Usually on Wondermint, kids teach you how to create, cook, & explore. But this week, a dad (a really big kid at heart) shares  tips on how to make really awesome sandwich bag art.  Inspired by his two sons, David Laferriere (the sandwich bag artist) draws the greatest cartoons, from worms to robots to even burping blue jays on his kids’ sandwich bags every day.  He’s been doing it since 2008 and will keep doing it until they finish high school.  Enjoy my interview with David below for some interesting facts & helpful tips for drawing fun Ziploc art!

What inspired you to start doodling on sandwich bags?

I wanted to have some fun with my kids. Basically I combined making sandwiches and doodling. I tried drawing directly on the bread with food coloring, that took to much time and the surface of the bread tough to draw on. I saw a Sharpie marker on the kitchen counter and tried drawing directly on the sandwich bag.

Do you have one favorite design that stands out over the years?

I like the trompe l’oeil** ones, hole through the sandwich and worms especially. After that are the creatures/monsters, fish and robots.

Do your kids have a favorite bag design?

They are too kind and say they like them all. Although at one time they liked the worms.

An example of the Trompe l’oeil** style of art. The worm looks real w/ a 3-d effect

**Dictionary definition of Tromp l’oeil: Style of representation in which a painted object is intended to deceive the viewer into believing it is the object itself. First employed by the ancient Greeks, trompe l’oeil was also popular with Roman muralists. Since the early Renaissance, European painters have used trompe l’oeil to create false frames from which the contents of still lifes or portraits seemed to spill and to paint windowlike images that appeared to be actual openings in a wall or ceiling.

How long will you keep doing the designs?

My youngest son just started high school so I figure another 3 years.

How long does it take you each morning to design a bag?

Each drawing takes a minute or two.

What kinds of pens do you use?

I use Sharpie Markers. They dry quick and don’t smudge when dry.

Here are a few more of my favorite designs by David.

Check out how the lettuce looks like it is part of the rocket’s exhaust.

Love how the artist uses the shape of the bread to look like the top of a dog’s head

FEEL INSPIRED? We would love to see any of your sandwich bag or lunch bag art. Email it to us at Wondermint Kids. We’ll share it with some bags that my family will make on our Wondermint Facebook Page.

To learn more about designer/illustrator David Laferriere and his art, please visit his website.