(BALTIMORE – May 11, 2023) – Who is Donald Wooten? Since he is an illustrator, we’ll let him answer for himself ….
In his own words
I was born in East Orange, NJ. The 2nd of 3 boys. Middle child. I grew up drawing. I went from comic books to graffiti. I put down the pencil and picked up the pen when the pictures started to deserve more than 1000 words. At the same time, I taught myself how to make beats on whatever tech I could find. All of that is present in my current style. I am a traditional Illustrator that uses the basic fundamentals to get the most soul out of software and inject them into whatever it is that I am designing for the ppl.
I am Donald Wooten. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are my sword and shield. Stolen Outfitters or Stout or Stoutfitters is the brand.
Mission Statement:
My work is Hip Hop culture (not rap music) crystallized. It is an intersection of traditional illustration and graffiti, pop culture, technology and reactions to oppression…and expressions of freedom…even if that freedom is acquired in death.
[ In short, I draw Black people being black regardless of what that costs them…or me…b/c I am them, as they are me and we are one. ]
I also embellish apparel via screenprinting, sublimation, DTF, and embroidery.