A Brief History of the Humbles™ Illustration Style

The illustration style used at Humbles™ didn’t begin as a brand decision.
It began as a way of working.

Before it ever lived on garments, it lived in tattoo shops. Years spent working as a tattoo artist shaped how drawings were made and how they needed to function once they left the page. Tattooing teaches clarity early. A drawing has to read quickly. It has to hold its shape. It has to make sense on a moving body.

That way of thinking never left.

Drawing With the Body in Mind

A lot of our communication skills were shaped long before this work lived on garments.
They were developed at the counter of a tattoo shop.

Someone would come in with an idea. Sometimes it was clear. Sometimes it wasn’t. A chef wanting a knife tattoo. A musician asking for a single note. A feeling that needed to be turned into a picture. The conversation usually ended the same way: just draw the thing.

Tattooing teaches you how to listen, simplify, and translate quickly. You learn how to take an idea and turn it into a symbol that reads instantly and lives comfortably on the body. No over explaining. No excess. Just a clear image that does its job.

That way of working carried over naturally. The same drawings that worked on skin began to make sense on fabric. Placement still mattered. Scale still mattered. A sleeve became an arm. A chest print became a torso. The body was still there, just interpreted differently.

From Paper to Fabric

Painting on paper and painting on clothing require different decisions. Fabric moves. Ink behaves differently. Lines soften. Corners round out. Brush strokes show themselves more honestly.

Instead of fighting those qualities, the work leaned into them.

Curved edges. Slightly blown-out corners. Confident, flat fills. What began as a limitation became part of the identity. The drawings grew bolder and clearer, designed to be read instantly and recognized from a distance.

This is where application and function meet.

Done Is the Goal

In tattooing, you learn when something is finished. Overworking shows. Hesitation shows. Knowing when to stop is part of the craft.

That idea followed the work into the studio.

Around here, it became a running line that stuck: done is what we strive for.

Not rushed. Not careless. Just resolved.

The goal is artwork that works. Artwork that translates cleanly to screen printing. Artwork that holds together whether it’s one symbol or a full collection. Artwork that can be applied across tees, hoodies, and long sleeves without losing its voice.

A Style You Can Return To

As Humbles™ grew, this illustration approach became the foundation of the studio’s visual language. A shop style clients could rely on. A way of drawing that was proven, worn, and familiar.

The drawings didn’t need to change drastically to stay relevant. They needed to stay clear, adaptable, and honest to the surface they were made for.

That history still shows up in the work today. Every new drawing carries the same priorities it always has. Clarity. Placement. Respect for the material.

Where It Lives Now

Today, the Humbles™ illustration style lives across garments, studio projects, and hosted work. It continues to evolve through use, repetition, and time in the studio, refined through years of application.

It isn’t about chasing new styles. It’s about continuing a way of working that’s already been tested, worn, and lived in.

That’s the history behind the drawings you see now.
And it’s the same place every new piece begins.

This piece is part of an ongoing set of studio notes from Humbles™, shared as the work takes shape.

Illustration Style FAQ

Where did the Humbles™ illustration style come from?
It developed through years of working as a tattoo artist, where drawings needed to read clearly, hold their shape, and work on a moving body.

Why is clarity so important in the drawings?
Clarity ensures the artwork reads instantly and translates cleanly across skin, fabric, and print. It’s about function as much as appearance.

Does the illustration style change over time?
It evolves through use and repetition, not trend shifts. The priorities remain the same: clarity, placement, and respect for the material.

How does tattooing influence garment design?
Concepts like scale, placement, and readability carry directly from skin to fabric. A chest becomes a torso. An arm becomes a sleeve.

Why is “done” emphasized so strongly?
Knowing when to stop is part of the craft. Overworking weakens clarity. Finished work should feel resolved, not forced.

Where can I see these illustrations applied?
Across tees, hoodies, long sleeves, and hosted collections throughout the studio.