WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT
DIGITIZING?
I enjoy embroidery digitizing for the
mechanical aspect, as for every action
there is a reaction. Stitches push and
pull, and materials will do the same. It
requires a digitizer to try and stay one
step ahead while inputting shapes
that the final overall art will be a close
rendering of the original art.
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WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES
OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I purchased my first Porsche at 19 years
old and still have it today tucked away in
my shop. I have road raced Porsches and
open wheel cars since I was 18 years old
across the southeast.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE
WHEN YOU GREW UP?
A road racing sports car driver.
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN
YOU STARTED DIGITIZING?
I started in November 1978 at 19 years old.
HOW DID YOU LEARN TO
DIGITIZE EMBROIDERY?
I was hired by the North American
Barudan machine disturber in Greensboro
NC where I continued my commercial
art degree at CPCC. I was trained by
Japanese digitizers as well as Industry
leaders in the US who opened sales
offices in North America.
WHAT DOES AN EMBROIDERY
DIGITIZER DO ON A DAILY BASIS
FOR AGD?
Interpret hand drawn artwork from paper
to be a close representation with thread.
HOW DID YOU BECOME
INVOLVED WITH AGD?
I owned a contract embroidery company
for 18 years, then I spent the next 13 years
contract digitizing from home. When
the textile industry moved off shore, I
searched for a local opportunity which led
me here to AGD.
HOW DOES YOUR SKILL AS
AN ARTIST INFLUENCE YOUR
DIGITIZED DESIGNS?
I believe my art skill with Adobe Illustrator
has encouraged me to be very accurate
with my digitizing. When I was rendering
race car style guides, I had to be very
accurate in the digitizing of shapes
and icons and that skill carried over to
embroidery digitizing.
“Ron is an extremely skilled digitizer who
embraces every new challenge with an
artist’s perspective, marrying the aesthetic
and technical aspects of digitizing to create
thoughtful and highly-detailed designs. He
has a vast knowledge of digitizing techniques
and stitch theory, and a particular talent
for realism which allows him to easily take
on our most ambitious collections. He has a
remarkable way of imagining the artwork in
stitches and selecting the best techniques to
truly showcase the art.
- HANNAH, DIGITIZER