SPRY,SPRY,SPRY

A few more designs I sent to SPRY for the contest they had.

New SPRY Design

SPRY Wrestling is a great upstart wrestling company who opened up when UWA closed their doors. I have only been to one of the SPRY shows to date but was greatly impressed. They combine a mix of UWA regulars and Ontario's premiere Indy talent. I look forward to big things from SPRY in the new year.

They recently had a contest on the Ontario Indy Wrestling forum site so I thought I would give it a shot. I'm happy to say I won that contest and here is the design.

For My MAME Project

a little instruction card I'm going to have printed for my MAME project.
For info on that project check out my other blog :
www.mymissiontomame.blogspot.com

New Posters for Ontario All Pro

Here is a poster I did for Ontario All Pro. Not sure if its going to get used as of yet, but I thought I would post the work. You can see how the poster changed as I went along. Sometimes I have a hard time getting all the info onto the poster. I think its not bad, all always its hard because you often cant find good hi-res pics of the wrestlers.

Tribute To Sneakers

I have a real problem with sneakers ! In the remix for "Rehab" by Amy Whinehouse Jay-Z raps " six pair of kicks is my definition of twelve steps." As a sneaker head I wanted a poster done that would showcase that. So this was one of four concepts I was working on.

Suave

I was asked to help design a shirt for Sebastian Suave. He was looking for a varsity style t-shirt. Something like you would find on any school campus. Something simple and easy. The t-shirt itself did start off that way, but later evolved. Some more fancy elements were introduced and in the end I think the final product is really well done. Sebastian's color selections were also very good, they help to pop the gold text.

T-Shirt Design

Never Used DVD Covers

I'm a big fan of Indy wrestling, in fact its the only wrestling I watch. WWE and TNA don't really have anyplace in my life. Indy wrestling is perhaps the greatest entertainment value out there. For $10-20 you get to sit 10 feet away from some great athletes. These guys work hard to make sure all us fans have a great time.

One of the things I liked doing best was making my own custom DVD covers. So I was thrilled to begin doing designs for CWR. I would often (when I had time) work on concepts that could be later adapted for any company. Here are two designs that were never used.

* the wrestlers featured could obviously be switched out with a wrestler on the card *

House Of Virtue

The 1st t-shirt I ever designed. Simple concept, it consists of a stylaized V and some script at the bottom. I submitted about nine different V's and nine different fonts. It gave them (the House of Virtue) a chance to pick the two elemtns they liked best.
Sometimes simple is best !

EWLS Tag Team Belts

I was asked to see if I could design a tag team belt for the EWLS. It was a real challenge. They wanted to have a sticker printed out that would be applied to a metal plate. I looked at tons of belts online, and it was really hard to take these beautiful 3D belts and make it into a simple sticker. In the end this is what I came up with.
They were said to be happy with the design.

Dan Payson

In the last while Ive been to a good amount of Indy shows. Ive noticed that guys like "Canadian Crazyhorse" Michael Elgin and Dan Payson are over huge! Yet i've never seen them pushing any merch. I thought to myself those two guys need a t-shirt....so I started a ruff (very ruff) concept for Dan Payson. I saw Dan at the last UWA show and he did have a new shirt oddly enuff. This is what I had come up with for him. Its a direct take on what WWE is doing for Santino.

CWR Event Poster

Here is one of the posters I did while CWR was running. Something simple and last minute to help promote a show.

CWR Logo Concepts

The first time I saw a CWR show I became an instant fan. They put on a great show despite the fact that the "headlining" talent was unable to get across the border into Canada. With some last minute reshuffling of the cards an tremendous event took place. I was sold ! I went home and joined the form and contacted Frank "the Tank" to see if I could help out in anyway. I started to make DVD covers, did some logo work, and even tried some t-shirt concepts. In the end CWR is no longer, but I still enjoyed what I did see. Here is some of the work that I doubt will ever get used.

Flatliners Design.............

A design I was working on for wrestling tag team the "FLATLINERS."
However It wont be getting used as a t-shirt at this time.
I always like to do a few variants so people can see what might look good. I find that be giving options the customer is usually very happy with the outcome. Often going in a direction that he/she had never thought of prior.
Feedback welcome as always

Completed CWR cover & posters

CWR Completed Designs

When I had gone to my first CWR show I was hooked ! It was something new, something fresh, something exciting. I wanted to (try and) contribute what I could to this product. I had often made up my own custom DVD covers for shows I attended. I thought I would ask CWR if they were interested in using one of my covers. They were, and I designed the cover (posted on this blog) for "BACK IN BUSINESS." I think the cover turned out well and was happy with the end product. I had begun doing other covers for CWR, trying to create ruff covers for upcoming shows. I had spoken quickly to Frank "the tank" @ CWR and he said he was happy with the cover. However since that time I haven't spoken to Frank, and have no idea if they are interested in using my designs.
These designs take time, some hours to complete. I don't mind, I do it because I enjoy it and feel it helps the product. Its nice to be shown a little gratitude for the hard work, be it a copy of a DVD, some free tickets, etc. In reality its easier for me to simply be a fan, pay my $10 and take my seat. As is these are designs I had started that I doubt will get used. Please ignore the "void" and low resolution.
Thanks

Not Much Design Work

Been busy as of late, and haven't really done much on the design front. I have entered into a silent partnership (of sorts) and I'm really hoping to get a ton of exposure. I'm trying to get my work out there in the local wrestling community, shirts, belts, DVDs, etc. I'm trying to provide "quick quality" work.
Similar to what UWA did I'm trying to develop shirts that aren't like your traditional wrestling t-shirts. Here is a recent concept for you to look at.

New CWR DVD covers below

Some changes to this weekends CWR show meant the cover would need to re-worked. Keven Steen wont be on the card so I've replaced him with Rip Impact.
Check it out ! post a comment, let me know what you think

Brand New Ethan Page tshirt design (FINAL)

I was contacted by Ethan Page (seen here with my nephews hat on) to work on his new t-shirt design. More pictures can be found at www.ontarioindywrestling.com . Ethan had showed me something he was working on and we took it from there. The final design is seen here !

Ethan Page t-shirt Designs

I was asked to help design a t-shirt for local Indy wrestler "the motion picture" Ethan Page. Mr. Page much to the thrill of my friends thoroughly embarrassed me @ the last CWR show. He decided I would like a "Val Venus" like grind show and finished by knocking my hat of my head. As I said my friends were thrilled, and the fact that I was so embarrassed only added to their satisfaction. None the less here are the designs I have come up with.

Best Of Samoa Joe In TNA

I got a copy (is that bad to say ?) of the Samoa Joe DVD that TNA put out. As always I wanted to do a custom cover for it, this is old but I thought id post it.

If I have some time over the weekend ill post some older designs and some new stuff I'm working on.

More Work For CWR

It feels good to be doing some graphic work again. The last few months have been very busy for me, and free time a rarity. When I first sat down to use photo shop for the first time in a long time I was rusty. It took me about three times longer to complete a project.

I had joined the CWR forum after attending one of the shows they had in Toronto. I was blown away by the product. I saw there they were looking for T-shirt designs,etc. I sent along some of my work (seen in my blog) and it was well received.

The intention now is to try and do the DVD covers for CWR and whatever else I can. Be it posters,flyer's,t-shirts,etc.....if I have time I will try.

My first cover was for "Back In Business." That was the first CWR show I had seen.
Ive begun work on "The Inaugural Canada Cup of Wrestling" which is coming up on June 8th,2008. That cover is for the most part complete, event photos and match listing will added after the event. I've also started work on the July 13th show which at this point remains unnamed.

Here are the lo-res samples of the work.

Back In Business Now Available for Pre-Order

Was just checking out www.canadianwrestlingrevolution.com and noticed that "Back in Business" is available for pre order.
You can pre order @ this link : http://www.canadianwrestlingrevolution.com/shop/
its real cool to see my cover in use !

This Is The Poster . . .

This is the poster idea I'm working with. All info can be entered into the "box" & a selected wrestler would be showcased for each show.

I'm waiting on a response from CWR now, but you can see its very much like the DVD cover.

Concepts & Templates

One of the hardest things about design (for me) is the development of a concept.
Once I have a concept in mind, which can be as simple as saying "OK this is going to be a very clean image" I can map out a path. Not having that concept has me void of direction, and something that would take an hour can take several.

That's part of the reason I like to get is much info as I can from clients. Its very easy to have no idea! Then see something and say "change this" & "change that." Its OK when its edits that are being paid for, but when your doing something as a favor or for free it can be a real pain.

I don't really do any work based off of templates. But I do realize that they can save me a ton of time. I'm in the process of creating a few templates that will allow me to take apart my design and place elements where needed. This will give me an overall desirable look, and save me a ton of time.

This is the case for CWR (Canadian Wrestling Revolution).
After the first CWR show I had ever seen I was a fan ! it was new, it was fresh, it was exciting.
I went home joined the forum & took an extensive look at the website. Checking out the merchandise etc. I noticed on the forum they were looking for T-Shirt designs.
I sat down at the computer and came up with a DVD cover. They liked it,and said they would use it for the new release. I also took what limited information was available and began to make covers for two other shows.

I was asked if I could develop posters to help promote the shoes. I found this to be a challenge, more so because my time can be very limited. I decided I wouldn't come up with an original concept per poster, but would take the DVD cover and use its elements.
By creating a template I could take apart my cover, place items where needed, enter text (provided to me by CWR) and bang out a poster in 30 minutes.

More work for CWR

Here are a few DVD covers for upcoming releases , as well as a poster concept being developed.

Just something easy where a picture of someone on the roster can be added, and all required info placed in the "box."

Streamlining the process of making promotional posters would save me a ton of time !

Back In Business......The Final

Here it is folks ! It was a couple of text issues that needed to be corrected. Over and above that its pretty much the same as below. None the less its the "official" finished product.

Post comments, let me know what you think ! thanks