Meet Andi Jürivete – Estonia's disc design wizard. We've got a bunch of his creations in our store, and they are just gorgeous! Wondering what makes Andi tick in the design department? Keep on reading to find out!
You are known in the disc golf landscape primarily as a disc designer and artist. How did you get into this, and how many years have you been involved in it?
I have been painting discs for 8 years. The idea of painting discs arose at a time when all available plastic was dull and quite boring. I got some information from Janno Kaur about what and how, and the rest seemed natural.
What design styles/techniques do you consider characteristic to yourself, and what styles can one order from you?
I don't really have limitations, but I do prefer to avoid glues, creams, pots, and pans. Spindyed, stencildyed, and freehand drawings are my stronger suits.
Briefly describe these different techniques.
Let's start with the simpler ones. Spin dyed: colorful rings spun on a vinyl record player. Foam dye: color sprinkled on shaving foam, spreading in the foam and transferring to the disc. Lotion dye: color pigment sprinkled on a lotion base. Glue bed: color solution poured on top of transparent glue. Stencil: Creating an image using stencils. Toothpicking: using a toothpick and freehand drawing by dipping it into an ink pot like a quill.
How long does the result last, and is it PDGA legal?
Dyed designs are generally permanent, like tattoos, but over time, they may fade as UV light bleaches darker pigments. Dyed discs are all PDGA legal because there is no physical layer on the disc; it's all soaked into the disc.
Which of these techniques are the most popular, and how has the trend changed over time?
To this day, spindyed is probably the most popular. It's a minimalist way to make your disc stand out. The trend itself hasn't changed, but there has been a decrease in demand. This is due to manufacturers melting together various colored plastics, creating a unique disc as a whole.
What techniques would you like to learn in the future?
Perhaps explore a new direction. I already have all the techniques, not much that I haven't tried. However, alongside all of this, I offer a printing service for family photos and the like on discs, complying with PDGA requirements.
Which jobs have been the most memorable?
Generally, the most memorable was an order from the USA where they sent me a very rare disc that likely couldn't be obtained from anywhere else in the world and allowed me to draw on it. The disc traveled back and forth 14,000 km.
Most famous disc golfers/people you have designed discs for?
I have made discs for many people. From that list, you'll definitely find Ricky Wysocki, Paul McBeth, Nate Sexton, Jeremy Koling, Will Schusterik, Jakub Semerad, and others. People from Latitude 64 like Emil Burstrand, Teemu Nissinen from Discmania discs, Seppo and Lasse Paju from Prodigy Discs. I guided "the dark horse" Brodie Smith online on how to dye at home.
Your all-time favorite design?
Jared Mirabile, aka "sweyda," designed an Egyptian-style pharaoh. The colors played nicely, and all the details were correct.
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