Students gathered to participate in a workshop hosted by the American Institute for Graphic Arts, where Matt Tullis, professor of graphic design, spoke about his accomplishments and tips and tricks for design on March 6. 

Tullis has worked closely with many household names such as ACDC, Rob Zombie, Joan Jett, local musicians and many more, on producing graphic-designed posters for their personal use. 

“To me, design is everything,” Tullis said. “I like to bring that sense of culture and the things that I’m inspired by into the classroom from time to time.”

Tullis shared many of his interests with the group including motorcycles, tattoos, rock music and skateboarding. He even mentioned that in one of his classes, he allows students to design their own skateboards. 

Tullis shared many tips and tricks with students including to enjoy the process of design, enjoy the research aspect of planning and to not be afraid of your limitations and learn to work within them. 

Anna Storms, senior visual arts major, is co-president of AIGA at WKU and brought Tullis to present the workshop. 

“I think me and a lot of other students share a sentiment that Matt is just a phenomenal person, not even just a great professor,” Storms said. “For lack of a better term he [Tullis], is a spunky, punch, really cool person. He is super unique.” 

Ray Mendoza, freshman visual design major, attended the event and explained they thoroughly enjoyed it. 

“I loved it. It’s wild. It’s weird. It’s outside of what I’m not traditionally comfortable with but what I know,” Mendoza said.

“My favorite part of the event I would have to say has to be his presentation. Just because it tells a story of his background, his influences, where he started, where he’s been, and where he’s going or what he’s doing,” Mendoza said. 

At the end of the event, Tullis explained to students that he had experienced a severe car accident where he suffered substantial injuries compromising his health. 

After planning what he wanted to get tattooed on his knuckles, Tullis experienced this car accident setting him back on the idea. 

Now, he has plans to get “Half Done” tattooed on his knuckles to represent how his life is not over and did not end after that car accident.

He then passed students a paper with knuckles so that they could design their very own knuckle tattoos to close out the workshop.

News reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at [email protected].