Athlete Series
Sports have been an essential factor in my life for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a young child, playing and watching sports with my family has been a constant. I've had the pleasure of growing up watching generational talents such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and the late, great Kobe Bryant to name a few. To me, these people have been the equivalent of real-life superheroes not just for their work on the court, but equally for their work within their communities and throughout the world. Because of this, the impact that these athletes have on my life has resulted in sports being one of my most consistent inspirations. In order to represent this, I wanted to pay homage and produce a series of designs inspired by basketball players that I have drawn inspiration from.
Sketches
Basketball is one of the few professional sports where the athlete's face is not hidden in any way by helmets or masks. This makes them easier to recognize. Because of this, it is important to highlight key shapes and features that will make the final design resemble its athlete as well as possible. Features such as hairstyle, head shape, facial hair, accessories, and eye shape are key to capturing one's likeness.
Final Designs
For the final designs, going with the color scheme of each athlete's respective team felt like an ideal way of providing context in a way that relies on familiarity. In addition to that, including each athlete's number plays a similar role while also implementing an element other than just facial features.
Top row: Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers),Young Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Older Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers).
Bottom row: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Andre Iguodala (Miami Heat), D'Angelo Russell (Minnesota Timberwolves), D'Angelo Russell (Golden State Warriors, before being traded).
