Brand Building With Kimberly Sherro Art

Zeus Media Merchandising/Print production/Graphic designer/Artist Rating:E-R KimberlySherro.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DarkFairyDecor?ref=shop_sugg_market

Instagram: @KimberlySherroArt

Being a part of a community can look many ways, from audience member to vendor, the promoter, the ambassadors, venue owner and staff- all the way to who designed the flyer. Kimberly Sherro plays their role in a very unique way catering to branding and visibility. Sometimes the artist that created a band logo often gets overlooked let alone their artistic style as an individual outlet. Kimberly Sherro is an artist wanting to use their talents and resources to help others while pursuing their own passions.

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I have always loved everything about media and production, from logos and icons to album art and lyric jackets on merch! My ultimate goal is to transition to balancing music videos while maintaining my merch deals with local bands.

After I graduated art school in 2016 I started taking on small commissions for album covers and stickers and noticed that merch prices were depleting my band friends. At the same time, I was beginning my drop-shipping store that I have linked to my Etsy, that allows me to make everything from shirts to magnets and mugs to shower curtains and shoes. The list really is endless. Bikinis and apple watch bands, etc. Being the owner of this little company I realized that if I found a way to make this work I could help my friends while supporting myself. And that’s sort of how this all started. 

Choosing an inspiration is so difficult, I’m often inspired by such random ideas, but overall? Why do I like metal bands and why do I have this obsession with goth art and being the girl helping you to put it on wicked merch? TOOL. I have been obsessed since the first time I heard them and their early music videos are everything. TOOL, to me, is an epic example of recognizable album art. Everyone knows TOOL when they see it. That's the whole goal. To help bands brand themselves that well with art that cool. I might not be as dope as Alex Grey, but maybe one day. My answer towards hurdles might be a weird one, I was a SHELTERED kid. Wasn't allowed to hang out around the goth crowd much, never got to go to live shows, had no friends in bands. I had to start entirely from scratch and build up my network show by show, doing giveaways and reaching out and showing up at shows to meet folks, until finally people started to know who I was which was fun anyway because I got to grow a little and support local art by going to the live shows and it's been a whole experience. The biggest learning experience has been just getting out there and meeting people who book shows often and learning from musicians who were chill enough to give me pointers. In the past year or so the amount that I’ve learned about how shows are booked and managed and paid for and who’s in charge of promotion etc. is SO FAR beyond what I knew in 2022. And that is entirely thanks to patient friends and people who booked me for flyers, logos, videos, and let me participate before I knew how anything truly worked in the local scene.  This has been a LONG ROAD. One memory?? Me doing fan art of Shawn Coss based off of art originally pitched by Gareth Botha- and having Shawn Coss retweet it and say that it was an honor to be featured/ referenced in my art. I was like”Wut?.” Also, singing live with a friend’s cover band. Once I started being more vocal about my love for music and bands, a few friends realized that I’m also obsessed with singing and not completely awful at it so I sang at my first live show in 2023 and have done several since. They introduce me as their merchandiser and then let me sing. It's weird but it's fun! In accomplishments, getting people to pay for my art. Getting ARTISTS who are also struggling find the means to commission my art for their merch has been rewarding. That’s one of the reasons I try to keep my prices as affordable as possible actually. I love being able to help new bands and entrepreneurs who don't have the highest budget for merch yet. Usually I'm able to get them items at such an effective price so they can actually SELL them at shows and invest in their projects more. To get people to actually want your art and to pay you for it in this economy requires some HUSTLE, so just having a few regular clients literally is my biggest accomplishment. With changing stigmas, I would say the use of certain images- I've been confronted about the use of pentagrams and upside down crosses or ouija imagery in some of my art, which doesn’t phase me despite being a challenge. I've never had a client complain, and typically the logos and art are usually my clients concept or suggestion, but I've had people pass my merch tables and say silly thing. My advice despite the judgements would be: Just do it. Everyone is going to tell you that things are hard, especially if they’ve tried something similar and they’ve failed themselves. If you have the passion to do something, just literally do it. No one can stop you.  I am currently making a few music videos, basic animation and motion graphics, but ultimately I would love to start logging more experience taking live footage of bands and making them music videos or social media content.

One of my FAVORITE THINGS to do is to make flyers for shows. Upcoming events lists, show flyers, announcements for whatever. I charge $25 for the graphic design and touching up your logo or whatever is necessary to make the flyer look dope and memorable. Come to me if you ever need one! I’m fast, one of the quickest turn arounds in the valley!