Custom Hunting Apparel Design for BlackOvis & Total Archery Challenge
BlackOvis approached us with a fun challenge: create a shirt for Total Archery Challenge that combined two things their audience knows extremely well, bowhunting and heavy metal.
The project was developed alongside Isaac Aleman and Isaac Jr. and centered around creating an apparel graphic that felt authentic to both worlds. The goal was not to make a generic hunting shirt. It needed to feel like something you would find at a rock concert while still being rooted in real bowhunting.
Services included custom illustration, made-from-scratch typography, creative direction, color direction, print-ready vector artwork, and a decal version of the custom BlackOvis lettering.
The final shirt launched at Total Archery Challenge and quickly became one of those pieces that people instantly understood and wanted.
The Brand Direction
The strongest hunting apparel graphics usually connect with the audience beyond the hunt itself.
A lot of bowhunters grew up listening to heavy metal, rock, and punk music. At the same time, younger hunters are wearing vintage band tees and gravitating toward apparel that feels less corporate and more expressive.
This project lived right in the middle of those two.
Rather than creating a traditional hunting illustration, we looked at classic album covers, vintage concert merchandise, and iconic heavy metal graphics. The goal was to create something aggressive, recognizable, and fun without losing the hunting story behind it.
One of the biggest decisions was developing completely custom typography instead of relying on an existing font.
The BlackOvis wordmark needed to capture the sharp angles and energy associated with heavy metal logos while remaining readable from a distance. That balance is harder than it sounds. Many heavy metal logos prioritize style over legibility. For this project, readability still mattered because BlackOvis is a recognizable brand within the hunting industry.
The final lettering feels inspired by the genre without becoming impossible to read.
Design Details
The illustration tells a story that bowhunters immediately recognize.
At the center is a bow hunter loaded down with a huge mule deer while packing out. Rather than using generic hunting imagery, we intentionally included details that feel authentic.
The hunter carries a modern carbon bow, wears a hunting pack, and moves through a mountain landscape that feels familiar to western hunters.
The composition was designed with a classic concert tee structure in mind.
The custom BlackOvis typography anchors the top of the design while the illustration creates a strong vertical flow through the center. The red flag introduces a secondary focal point while helping break up the muted earth tones throughout the artwork.
One detail that ties everything together is the BlackOvis logo integrated into the flag itself. It creates another brand touchpoint without feeling forced.
Texture played a huge role in the final look.
Instead of clean vector fills, distressed textures were layered throughout the typography, illustration, mountains, and flag. This helped create the worn-in appearance associated with vintage concert merchandise while adding depth to the artwork.
The limited color palette was intentional as well.
Muted greens, off-whites, charcoal grays, and deep reds created strong contrast on a black garment while maintaining the rugged outdoor feel the audience expects.
Because the entire graphic was built in vector format, it remains scalable across apparel applications, decals, promotional graphics, and future merchandise.
Deliverables
This project included:
Custom hunting apparel graphic
Original bowhunter illustration
Made-from-scratch BlackOvis typography
Creative direction
Color direction
Print-ready vector artwork
Decal version of the custom typography
Apparel-ready graphic for production
Why This Project Worked
This design worked because it was built around the audience rather than a trend.
Hunters attending Total Archery Challenge are not just interested in archery. Many of them identify with broader outdoor, music, and lifestyle cultures as well.
The artwork connected with longtime bowhunters who grew up around heavy metal while also appealing to younger hunters who already wear vintage-inspired graphics.
Visually, it stands apart from much of the hunting apparel market.
Instead of relying on a large animal portrait or a simple logo placement, the shirt feels like a collectible graphic. It has personality, storytelling, and enough detail to reward a closer look.
Most importantly, it still feels believable within the hunting space.
Every design choice, from the gear being carried to the mule deer antlers and mountain environment, was rooted in things real bowhunters recognize.
That authenticity is what makes apparel graphics resonate.
Related Questions:
How do you make a hunting t-shirt stand out?
The strongest hunting shirts go beyond animal artwork and logos. Storytelling, illustration style, typography, and audience-specific references help create something more memorable.
Why use custom typography instead of a font?
Custom typography allows the lettering to become part of the graphic itself. It creates a more distinctive look and helps establish a unique visual identity.
Why are vintage concert tee influences becoming popular in hunting apparel?
Many hunters grew up around rock and heavy metal culture. Vintage-inspired graphics feel familiar, collectible, and different from traditional outdoor apparel.
Who designs logos and tshirts for hunting brands?
Dristy Design specializes in hunting logo design, hunting apparel graphics, custom typography, and illustration for real-world production applications.
If you're a hunting brand, bowhunting company, or archery event looking for custom apparel graphics that feel authentic to your audience, we would love to hear about the project.
Whether you're launching a new shirt line, creating event merchandise, or looking for artwork that stands apart from typical hunting apparel, get in touch and tell us what you're working on.