Starting now, I'll be giving this blog more attention as I try to organize some thoughts and materials for classwork.

Poster Treatments

Grady Sizemore

Russell Martin

^Final Painting

^Detail from the final image

Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers:

The Dodger catcher grew up in many different cities, splitting time between his mother and father. For awhile he lived with his Mom and Stepfather in Paris. In Montreal, where a good deal of his youth was spent with his father, he played hockey and baseball. While staying there, he learned the importance of baseball and life. They played games of pepper and Russell learned about the fundamentals. When he went off to school for the day, his dad went to work in the Montreal Subway playing saxophone for the waiting train passengers.

The mural above Russell Martin's head is a reinterpretation of an actual painting in one of the Montreal subway stations. Within the new mural are snippets of the ballplayer's life, including from left to right: John Coltrane (his middle namesake and his father's favorite musician), Paris, Montreal (NDG) buildings / subway entrance, little league players, park & trees, logo (sun) for his AAA team (Jacksonville Suns), Dodger Stadium, and finally, his parents. I've put Martin on the tracks and literally in the path of the subway trains. He faces all that life can throw at him, head on. The positioning also alludes to the baseball role of a catcher, to block the plate when a runner is trying to score. This was referred to by the character Rube Baker in the Major League movie series this way, "You're standing on the tracks, and the train's coming through..."

^The figures above were drawn separately and then composed in Photoshop below.

^This image shows how I was thinking about alignments when composing the layout


^These are in-progress photos of the painting


^Final Comprehensive Line Drawing

^Mural Explorations

^Subway Perspective

^Final Line Drawing of the figure

CC Sabathia

^Sabathia Final Image

^ Sabathia Painting Process & Step-by-step

CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees:

The image shows Sabathia joyfully catching a ball tossed back to him by an infielder with his pitching hand, as he does on occasion. His larger than life figure is surrounded by New York buildings. This is an exaggeration of both his physical size as well as his joyful personality. Along the tops of the buildings, water tanks can be seen occupying the positions of his teammates on the playing field. The NY pinstripes help identify the tanks as players. Grass patterns and the rich color of the baseball dirt are bounced around the rooftop, continuing the comparison of city/field.

Compositional variations to the figure and background:

Jimmy Rollins

Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies:

This image captures Rollins turning a double play. The concept plays on the fact that he owns a music label and has been involved in the music industry. The lighting effects and simplified color palette convey a club & concert like atmosphere. Eventually, I will have flashbulbs that are popping in the stands to lend weight to the moment as an event (like the Super Bowl) and to provide more sparkle to the scene. The viewer is positioned in a lower vantage point, conveying importance to the figure rising up and over them. The decision to angle the scene adds to this positive upward movement and creates more dynamic paths through the image.

^ Final line drawing & rough value application

^ Digital color study

^ Value Study

^ Compositional studies

Torii Hunter

Torii Hunter of the Los Angeles Angels:

The image shows a strong and stable Hunter rising from a bad neighborhood with boarded up houses. Angel Stadium is seen flanking both sides of Hunter as if forming wings. Symbolically, the wings represent his ability to rise above the challenge of his childhood dealing with drugs, guns, and gangs. He is seen holding the ball and taking control of the situation by focusing on baseball and leading a good life. The baseball field diagram is seen as an additional layer of information weaving the image and color together. Home plate is located in the house from which Hunter springs. Second base is located on his nose and the baseball represents the pitcher's mound. First and Third base can be found on the facing of the stands where advertisements and info is displayed during the games.