Awesome Socks Club’s August 2026 Artist: Stephanie Rizo

This month's Awesome Socks and Undies artist is a Mexican-American character designer and story artist with a love for all kinds of animals and creatures. Stephanie Rizo (she/her) took August's design and crafted a pattern fit for a foul feline (or anyone else who's good at being a little bad)!

An Interview With Awesome Socks Club's August Artist

In a sentence, how would you describe your work?
When I am creating my work I am aiming for it to be charming, character driven and thoughtful. 

Do you have any favorite themes you enjoy working with?
My go-tos are usually animals and creatures that are doing everyday things. Like having a cup of coffee, walking around town, skateboarding, reading, etc.

What mediums do you like to work in? 
I like to work both traditionally and digitally. I really love watercolor/ink and colored pencils. Digitally, I mostly work with Procreate and Photoshop.

As an artist, are there any tools that you would perish if you left the house without them? 
Yes! My sketchbook and at least a pen or pencil. I am always taking my sketchbook with me and drawing anytime I get a chance to!

If you were an environmental storytelling skeleton, how do you think you'd be found?
My skeleton would be found sitting at an abandoned coffee shop, coffee cup stuck to my hand and sketchbook open. Plants have grown around me, keeping me happy til the very end. 

Can you talk a little about your design process?
Sure! I truly love a pop of color in my work. I sketch out an idea of how I would wear these socks. I'm also a fan of textile patterns, so I wanted to create something that had a fun pattern with this design's characters. I am also a sucker for baggy Hoodies, there is something so comfy about them, so then I incorporated that into the character design. 

Where do you draw your inspiration from, and how do you workshop your design from draft to final? 
Inspired by the pop of color/patterns, I start off traditionally by sketching and thumbnailing my ideas on pen and paper. I then scan those and work on Procreate/Photoshop. That is where I clean up my work and create the pattern for this design.

Do you have a favorite feature of the sock design? 
Yes! I really do like how the pattern came out! It's just so fun to look at!

Ankle or crew socks for preference?
Crew socks are so fun to wear. I like to be able to wear them all the way up and let my pants give a little peek at what socks I'm wearing that day.

Sign up for the Awesome Socks Club and Awesome Undies Club in August 2026, and your first pair will be designed by Stephanie Rizzo!