This piece was for the sports section a few days ago. I'm not usually keen on the sports illustrations for several reasons. One of which is that I'm not actually a big sports fan. The other is that most of the guys in the sports department (bless their little hearts) aren't exactly what I'd call "thinkers outside the box" and do most of their thinking on the literal side. You know the kind of people I'm talking about. They work in Photoshop elements and think it's the same thing as actually working in photoshop. Their idea of being creative is to take some text and get crazy-go-nuts with it by...wait for it...wait...wait for it...making it diagonal. Now, I'm not saying the world doesn't need people like that. It does. They're called accountants.
Ok...enough sports department bashing. They're actually trying harder these days to get creative (for reals) and we've had a couple of productive brainstorming sessions. Enough of my jibber jabber, though. I'll tell you a little bit about the illustration. The column was about the Memphis Tigers basketball team and the challenges they face as...apparently...the rest of the sports world hates them and thinks they're thugs and whatnot. They wanted to go with a "Memphis vs. the World" kind of vibe so of all my sketches they liked the Atlas reference and that's what we went with. I couldn't be more delighted that I didn't have to draw an anthropomorphic tiger...again. This was a pencil drawing that I scanned and worked my secret magic on in Photoship...or as lamen and experts at typing like to call it...photoshop.
Enjoy.
Ok...enough sports department bashing. They're actually trying harder these days to get creative (for reals) and we've had a couple of productive brainstorming sessions. Enough of my jibber jabber, though. I'll tell you a little bit about the illustration. The column was about the Memphis Tigers basketball team and the challenges they face as...apparently...the rest of the sports world hates them and thinks they're thugs and whatnot. They wanted to go with a "Memphis vs. the World" kind of vibe so of all my sketches they liked the Atlas reference and that's what we went with. I couldn't be more delighted that I didn't have to draw an anthropomorphic tiger...again. This was a pencil drawing that I scanned and worked my secret magic on in Photoship...or as lamen and experts at typing like to call it...photoshop.
Enjoy.
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10 comments:
Poor Tigers, for real. This looks great, though! I didn't even need to read the entry to get what it was saying.
Thanks, April! Thanks for both understanding the illustration and for being the first to comment on my blog since my return!
This kinda like when Superman gave up his powers in the Fortress, but then he got beat up in the diner and had that weird bright red blood on his lip, so he went back to the Fortress and begged Jor El to give him back his powers and he did! And he was Superman again.
I quite like the texture on the basketball by the way, makes me want to touch it. Generally speaking all the texture work (and coloring is quite nice). I think the top half of the drawing, from his torso up, is the strongest part.
Awesome.
Both on the picture and for two posts in a row.
You should continue this trend of not only posting, but of putting up your stuff from the paper.. I mean, if they'll allow it.
Oh, also, I showed this to a guy I work with that's a Tigers super-fan, and he goes, "That's awesome, man! (pause...) He's wearing the wrong shoes."
I told him I'd let you know.
Shobo,
Ah yes...Superman II...I think the only reason they took his powers away was for the few minutes they could show Lois and Clark on that giant, silver bean-bag bed...which was clearly where most of the budget went.
Chris,
Tell your friend I searched and searched for information on which shoes they wore...I sent emails and everything, but got no replies so I had to just fudge a generic white shoe from the photos I saw. Next time I'll consult you so you can consult him so I can get it right!
Hey Shane, I hate to break it to you man, but the shoes are all wrong. Get your head in the game, what are you doing?
I suck. I know. Where were you to correct me when I needed you?
I wanted to tell you, but then I didn't want to sound condesending, which means to talk down to someone.
Thanks for clearing that up. Frankly, I get a little confused when you start throwing around big words like that.
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