When it comes to skate graphics, there are few artists with a style as recognizable as Jimbo Phillips. Son of the legendary Jim Phillips–creator of the Santa Cruz screaming hand–he has been drawing graphics since he was a kid, inspired by California skate culture in the 80’s. There’s no doubt he took notes from his dad’s work with his first big project being with Santa Cruz Skateboards helping Jim Sr. with manual graphics. His classic slime has been stretched long and lean after teaming up with Never Summer on a limited Llama board, you’ve likely seen around. We caught up with Jimbo on life as an artist, his process, and style.

Coming from the family legacy that you have, how did you get started as an artist? 

I’ve been drawing my whole life, I wasn’t planning on doing it for a living but I didn’t have any other big plans. My dad made a living doing it so in the back of my mind I wanted to. He always said I should go to college and be a lawyer or something and make money. I was a surfer and a skate kid so I didn’t do well in school. When I graduated there was an opportunity to work with him on some graphics and I was a junior in college so I took advantage of that. After that I went off on my own and did some local stuff. 

What was the project your dad first brought you in on?

It was for Santa Cruz Skateboards. He did all the stuff for them since the beginning of the company pretty much. It started with simple checkers and stripes and when the 80’s came in, graphics started to ramp up. Santa Cruz started letting my dad go nuts on graphics. That was the Rob Roskop era, and I was still in highschool. I graduated in ‘87 and my dad hired me and some other people to relieve the load of the art. It was a learning experience, and I got paid to learn how to do graphics professionally. You had the art on a board and had to have all the layers representing a different color that had to be cut out of each little piece. It was very meticulous and time consuming. Then computers came in and all that went down the toilet. The computers didn’t have much memory and you would save one poster and it would crash the computer. You had to put in a floppy disc and get it to the printers, it was actually kind of sketchy. I’m still not great at computers but I know how to do my art stuff pretty well and now you can just send the files. You don’t have to rush and drive it over to the building when it’s due. 

Yeah, the amount of time things take is so different. 

I really appreciate the old ways when everything was manual. 

What are some early lessons that you still use in your work?

Basically the pen and ink style on paper. I still use that. I always draw my drawings with ink pens because I’m used to it. It gets me off the computer and on the paper. I utilize a lot of the techniques my dad taught me as far as composition and things. 

So, what’s your process like?

I start real loose with a sketch on paper to get the composition and concept nailed down without worrying about accuracy or detail. Then I go over it and draw all the lines a little more refined and again with ink. Once it’s inked, I scan it in and do the colors and stuff on the computer. From there I send it to whoever needs it to take a look.

Pretty standard. So you worked with Never Summer on a graphic, how did that collaboration start?

I’ve been working with this company Grassroots that does hats and apparel. I’ve done a few collabs with them and over the years we have done little collections and they had one with Never Summer. They’re based in Colorado so they brought me in and we were off to the races. 

How did you approach that design?

I tried to give it a skate influence but also just wanted that slime pattern to go through it all. I like when the design can flow through the board, so I added little elements into it to break up the flow and create some eye candy with the skull and the different elements stuck in the slime. I like to come up with things to pepper in there. 

I love all the little graphic elements in the slime. It gives you something to look at. 

Yeah, and this one you can look at from any which way. It still works whatever way you’re aiming. I like the vertical style but when you flip it horizontal style, it’s cool. 

What other collabs have you been working on?

Lots of concert posters, I did the art for Vans Warped Tour this year and I did a Sublime and an Offspring poster. It’s always fun to work with bands that you like and it gets the creative juices flowing. I always listen to music when I’m working. I usually start my morning with chill reggae music and then it gets more gnarly by the time night time comes with some death metal to keep me awake. 

Where do you look for inspiration while maintaining such a distinct style?

Travelling is always good, getting out and seeing the world, also going to see a cool movie can get the juices flowing. Music really inspires me, and just going down to the ocean and staring at the water to clear your head.