One of Milwaukee’s Most Sought Out Cover Art Designers, Also Tributes Victims of Gun Violence
Practice makes perfect. It’s the phrase everybody loves to say, but nobody wants to do. Picking up a skill and being perfect is rather slim for most of the population. While practicing anything can be tedious and frustrating, passion and a little discipline can go a long way. Tre Smith knew this all too well.
He caught on to digital design late in his high school career. After researching software for a month, it didn’t take long for him to get to work.
It started with shading over outlines, and eventually graduated into more detailed designs.
“When I first started, I would do 20 to 30 cartoons a day. Just making cartoons of random people and tagging them, and making a network,” he said.
He attended Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) for the graphic design program. After six months, he knew school wasn’t for him, but he continued practicing on his own.
Mari Boy Mula Mar taps in with his younger brother to capture his zany aesthetic. (Picture by Tre Smith)
“It wasn’t something that I was all the way interested in, so I just continued to self-teach myself. I’d watch tutorials online and I met people on Instagram that mentored me,” said Smith. “I’d follow certain people specifically to keep up with their updates and to see what they were working on.”
Along with practice, sometimes it’s about who you know. Smith just so happened to be Mari Boy Mula Mar’s younger brother. The witty, autotuned rapper saw the progress his brother was making and asked him do his mixtape cover art.
“He started me off with his cover art and then he tapped me in with everybody else,” he said. “He’s got a big fan base and it kind of just went from there and he started connecting me with other people in the scene.”
Big Wan’s breakout mixtape cover art is all Tre Smith’s design. (Picture by Tre Smith)
Whether it was Big Wan’s “Dog Slayers” or Dre Pedro’s “Willwaukee,” his vibrant illustrations captured some of Milwaukee’s most animated rappers.
From local rappers and entertainers, to political and neighborhood leaders, Smith flooded social media with famous faces. Though he always considered it “practice,” he was also helping people heal.
When Milwaukee lost two-year-old Noelani Robinson in a tragic domestic violence incident in March 2019, her shining smile graced social media. From the glimmer on her earrings to the wrinkles in her Minnie Mouse t-shirt, Smith captured her childhood innocence.
Tay Jackson. (Picture by Tre Smith)
Several months later, 20-year-old violence prevention advocate, Quanita “Tay” Jackson was killed in a shooting incident in Moody Park.
During the sadness that surrounded another life lost to gun violence, an angel appeared on social media. It was Jackson sitting at Heaven’s gates surrounded by different shades of her favorite color—purple.
“Memorials are a big thing that I do,” Smith said.
Smith recently traveled to Chicago to give a family a portrait of their daughter Aaliyah, who had died from cancer. He said it was a big step in his career.
“It was a real crazy moment,” he said. “They were so surprised.”
Noelani Robinson. (Picture by Tre Smith)
Smith said he was always trying to learn something new. After digital illustration, he added animation to his list of skills to work on. He has also grown his network and has done national and international work.
“I got work with a club promoter in New Zealand,” he said. “He found me on Instagram and had me do a flyer for an event.”
As for the future, Smith’s family has plans to move to Las Vegas. He said after building clientele in Milwaukee, he’s ready for the opportunity to move out West.
“I feel like Milwaukee is limiting me on what I can do. There’s a lot of people here that aren’t really about business that try to get over on certain situations, not personally but the business aspect,” he said.
“Hopefully, I can expand into design or a shop, maybe even get a spot on Fremont St.,” he said.
Check out Tre Smith’s designs on social media on Facebook and Instagram.