Adding Feet to the Snake — Tee

Description

画蛇添足. “Drawing a snake and adding feet.” From a story more than two thousand years old: men race to draw a snake, and the fastest, bored while waiting, decides to improve his by giving it legs. He loses.

Every designer, writer and engineer has lost that competition at least once. The work was done. It just could not be left alone.

Chinese ink painting: wet brush, dry brush, a lot of empty paper. The feet are the only wrong thing in the composition, and they are deliberate.

For perfectionists in recovery, and for anyone who has ever sent version 14.

Two versions, one page

Choose Artwork only for the illustration on its own, or With saying to get “画蛇添足” drawn into the composition in its original language. Same garment either way — pick your version above.

The shirt

• Bella+Canvas 3001 · 100% airlume combed and ring-spun cotton · 4.2 oz/yd² (heather shades include a small amount of polyester)
• Unisex retail fit · side-seamed · pre-shrunk · tear-away label
• Sizes S–3XL · choose your colourway above

Printed on demand, shipped worldwide

Nothing is made until you order it. Your design is printed in the fulfilment centre closest to your address — usually within 2–5 business days — and then shipped. Flat-rate shipping: $7.95 in the US, $12.95 everywhere else. Shipping & returns.

More from the same place: browse the collection by country, or read 15 sayings that don’t survive translation.