PAINTING HEROES: USING ILLUSTRATION TO IMPROVE THE STANDING OF BASEBALL IN THE INNER CITY

A thesis submitted to the College of Communication and Information of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science / Master of Fine Arts

by Steven E. Hughes August, 2010

Thesis written by Steven E. Hughes B.S./M.F.A., Kent State University, 2010

Approved by ___________________________, ___________________________, ___________________________, Prof. Jerry Kalback, Advisor Prof. AnnMarie LeBlanc, Director, School of Visual Communication Design Dr. Stanley T. Wearden, Dean, College of Communication and Information

Table of Contents Page TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. iii LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................1 Mythic Heroes and Role Models ................................................................2 II. RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ......................................................................6 A Brief Review of Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities ................................6 Contacting the Organizations ......................................................................7 Boys & Girls Club .........................................................................10 Communication Breakdown ..........................................................10 Why Illustration? .......................................................................................11 Illustration vs. Photography ..........................................................12 Examples of Successful Advertising Illustration...........................13 Illustration or Fine Art ...................................................................15 Knowing the Audience .............................................................................16 Appeal of Realism for Kids ..........................................................18 Teen Appeal...................................................................................19 III. AN ILLUSTRATORS PROCESS .....................................................................21 Inspiration .................................................................................................21 Materials ....................................................................................................23 Drawing Stages..........................................................................................24 Thumbnails ....................................................................................24 Roughs ...........................................................................................24 Comprehensives (comps)...............................................................25 Collage Application ...................................................................................26 Painting Process Described........................................................................27 Reference Material ....................................................................................28 Blog (www.primaryhughes.blogspot.com) ...............................................31 IV. RESULTS: FINAL PAINTINGS EXAMINED .................................................32 Carl Crawford ............................................................................................32 Design and Composition Examination ..........................................33 Critical Evaluation .........................................................................35 Torii Hunter ...............................................................................................35 Concept ..........................................................................................36

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Design and Composition Examination ..........................................37 The Cubism Solution .....................................................................38 Seeing the Conceptual Layers .......................................................39 Jimmy Rollins............................................................................................40 Design and Composition Examination ..........................................41 Critical Evaluation .........................................................................44 CC Sabathia ...............................................................................................44 Get to Know the Subject................................................................45 Design and Composition Examination ..........................................46 Models and Light...........................................................................47 Russell Martin............................................................................................48 Effect of Influence .........................................................................49 Design and Composition Examination ..........................................50 The Significance of Reference Material ........................................52 Changes in Approach.....................................................................53 Grady Sizemore In Progress Development...........................................54 Poster Treatments ......................................................................................57 Meeting the Children .................................................................................59 V. CONCLUSION....................................................................................................61 FIGURES...........................................................................................................................63 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................116

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List of Figures Figure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Page Thumbnail drawings (Carl Crawford) ...................................................................64 Linear rough and value comprehensive (Carl Crawford) ......................................65 Color comprehensive (Carl Crawford) ..................................................................66 Linear comprehensive (Carl Crawford).................................................................67 Final painting (Carl Crawford) ..............................................................................68 Thumbnail drawings (Torii Hunter) ......................................................................69 Drawing roughs (Torii Hunter)..............................................................................70 Linear comprehensive (Torii Hunter)....................................................................71 Color comprehensive (Torii Hunter) .....................................................................72 Full-size contour drawing (Torii Hunter) ..............................................................73 Final painting (Torii Hunter) .................................................................................74 Concept icons and thumbnail drawings (Jimmy Rollins)......................................75 Thumbnail drawings (Jimmy Rollins) ...................................................................76 Value comprehensive (Jimmy Rollins) .................................................................77 Color comprehensive (Jimmy Rollins)..................................................................78 Final comprehensive (Jimmy Rollins)...................................................................79 Final painting (Jimmy Rollins)..............................................................................80 Thumbnail drawings (CC Sabathia) ......................................................................81 Drawing rough (CC Sabathia) ...............................................................................82 Refined drawing rough with tracing paper overlay (CC Sabathia) .......................83

21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

Drawing roughs: Continued explorations with tracing paper (CC Sabathia) .......84 Drawing roughs and compositional explorations (CC Sabathia) ..........................85 Linear comprehensive (CC Sabathia)....................................................................86 Process photos of the CC Sabathia painting ..........................................................87 Close-up view of the collage elements (CC Sabathia) ..........................................88 Final painting (CC Sabathia) .................................................................................89

27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.

Thumbnail drawings (Russell Martin)...................................................................90 Drawing roughs on my desk (Russell Martin).......................................................91 Final linear drawing of figure (Russell Martin).....................................................92 Subway mural drawing development (Russell Martin) .........................................93 Subway perspective drawing (Russell Martin)......................................................94 Linear comprehensive (Russell Martin) ................................................................95 Photoshop assembly of the final line drawing.......................................................96 Compositional alignments (Russell Martin)..........................................................97 Final painting (Russell Martin)..............................................................................98 Thumbnail drawings (Grady Sizemore) ................................................................99 Drawing roughs (Grady Sizemore)......................................................................100 Linear comprehensive (Grady Sizemore)............................................................101 Concept icons and lists ........................................................................................102 Photo reference of scale models (CC Sabathia) ..................................................103 Photo reference (CC Sabathia and Carl Crawford) .............................................104

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42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.

Photo reference (Torii Hunter) ............................................................................105 Photo reference (Jimmy Rollins) .........................................................................106 Main photo reference (Russell Martin)................................................................107 Secondary photo reference (Russell Martin) .......................................................108 Photo reference (Grady Sizemore) ......................................................................109 Poster treatment (Carl Crawford) ........................................................................110 Poster treatment (Torii Hunter) ...........................................................................111 Poster treatment (Jimmy Rollins) ........................................................................112 Poster treatment (CC Sabathia) ...........................................................................113 Poster treatment (Russell Martin)........................................................................114 Thumbnail drawings for future paintings ............................................................115

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Acknowledgments I would like to thank the following people without whose help this thesis would not have been completed: Thanks to my parents, Sandy and Dale, who have always believed in me. Thanks to my advisor, Jerry Kalback, who shares my enthusiasm for baseball, for all the help and encouragement. Thanks to the Visual Communication Design faculty, Douglas Goldsmith, David Middleton, and Sanda Katila for their guidance, and especially to AnnMarie LeBlanc for eagerly giving her time and support. Thanks to David James and Katie Ringel from Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, John McDermott and Jack Evans from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and R. Gregory Christie, for taking the time to speak with me about this project. Finally, thanks to Kelly for the patient love and understanding she provided over this long journey.

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1 Chapter I Introduction

Imagery has the potential to transcend the ordinary. When an idea is woven into the fabric of a visual work, it can have a transformative effect on the mind and soul. Icons and images that have the power to stir emotions fill the pages of history. They separate themselves from the noise of mediocre images, by making a visual statement with their subject matter and overall aesthetic appeal. Visuals can be an impetus for change; they can bring attention to a problem that needs to be solved. Even today, in a world of instant communication, their power can inspire people to action, affecting wars, influencing elections, saving the environment and selling products. Images have long been known as persuasive, even magical creations. They allow the viewer to see from outside perspectives not otherwise possible. Some cultures believe a picture can steal the soul of the person being photographed. In the Republic, Plato (380 BC/2006, p. 339), a firm believer in the edict, art is imitation, worried that imitations of the real could, corrupt even decent people. True enough, the majority of images seen today, that portray celebrities and athletes, are snapshots, more voyeuristic than inspiring. There are photographers still creating quality portraiture, like Annie Leibovitz, Martin Schoeller, and David LaChapelle, but everything is being drowned in a sea of trashy celebrity gossip, showing people at moments of weakness or in compromising situations. Amidst the photographic tidal wave is the lonely illustrator in his studio, struggling to stay above water, trying to have his voice heard by the masses.

2 Illustration has been shouting at the rain for its share of the visual culture for years. Articles have been written declaring the end of illustration. There are fewer and fewer jobs available for illustrators, and a smaller number of publications willing to use their art. Many of the popular magazines today echo the morals of a culture obsessed with vanity. They depict objects of desire in both the consumer sense, and physical, with photographs. The heroic is too often traded in for the glamorous ideal. In an age of instant communication, in which there is little time for reflection, accuracy, balance or integritythe media creates the impression that sleaze is everywhere, that nothing is sacred, that no one is noble, and that there are no heroes. Nothing to admire. (Gibbon, 1999) Mythic Heroes and Role Models The sporting world and baseball in particular has been the source of many heroes, including the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Jackie Robinson. These larger than life figures are rare today. They are even more unlikely to be found in baseball. The sport is losing relevance in an African American culture that has proven to be one of the primary influencers on mainstream culture today (Miller & Kemp, 2006, p. 4). If songs are to be written about the exploits of an athlete today, it will be to the rhythms of a hip-hop beat, and the hero will be a basketball player. Children used to grow up listening to baseball games on the radio as if being told the exploits of great warriors over a campfire. Today, nearly every game is televised and the imagery now associated with sports and baseball is journalistic in nature. They mostly seek to document the event and record the images for the public to consume the next day over breakfast. Susan Sontag, in her book On Photography (1977, p. 24), argues that we are all obsessed with needing to have reality confirmed and experience enhanced by photographs. Industrial

3 societies turn their citizens into image-junkies; it is the most irresistible form of mental pollution. No longer is hearing the story good enough, we have to see it to believe it. Charming the new generation with the American as apple pie tradition that baseball once represented is no longer feasible. The nation is less concerned with making the people hold the same cultural values as they once were. Theodore Roosevelt writing in a letter of January 1919, shortly before his death describes the prevailing thought in America at a time when baseball captured attention: We intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, and American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house; and we have room for but one, soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people. (Mikkelson & Mikkelson, 2006) While Roosevelt was speaking about immigration specifically, the idea of suppressing ones uniqueness, for America, has been replaced with an emphasis on celebrating the diversity of every group equally. Nothing is uniquely, unifyingly American.Baseball cannot be the cultural glue it once wasthe tradition and history, so integral a part of baseball interest, are in themselves less powerful in society than they once were (Koppett, 2001, p. 221). Joseph Campbell (Campbell, Moyers, & Flowers, 1991, p. 183) tells us Myths inspire the realization of the possibility of your perfection, the fullness of your strength, and the bringing of solar light into the world. The trouble is that the mythic heroes are developed through repetition of their exploits. Like Babe Ruth calling his shot in the 1932 World Series, the limited imagery available of the event is inconclusive at best. Yet, the story has been recounted over and over until we honor it. In an age where we can replay the historic or merely great moments any time we want on the Internet or

4 television, it is difficult to find legends forming. Joshua Meyrowitz (1985) in discussing the disappearing political heroes says: Mystification and awe are supported by distance and limited access.Highly replicative media are demystifying leaders not only for their own time, but for history as well. Few leaders are universally revered in their own lifetime. But less replicative media allowed, at least, for greater idealization of leaders after they died. (pp. 271275) With too much knowledge of the subject, the heroic becomes ordinary. In the current over-saturated marketplace, mystery needs to be reintroduced into the equation in order for heroes to emerge. It is not possible to plan on making an iconic image. An alignment of the stars must play a role in capturing the publics imagination. In fact, baseball portraiture has been more documenting in nature, capturing the necessary likeness and accompanying game actions, but little else. Photographs by Charles M. Conlon and George Brace, from the early days of baseball, have garnered a bit of renown. In many ways it is by default, there were no other ways to see the great players than through their photos. Through repeated viewings, the images have attached themselves to the heroic exploits of Ruth, Robinson, and the like. However, someone viewing them could glean nothing more than, this is a baseball player. The narrative possibilities of portraiture are often absent. The photo is king. For baseball paintings, the photo reigns here as well. Little effort is placed on forming a new interpretation of the subject. They are all style and no substance. These paintings vary from their source material by what they leave out rather than what they add to the subject. There is always room for these images to be appreciated and some are quite aesthetically pleasing. There are exceptions; stories found in childrens books compel an in-depth study of the subject from different angles. Works by C.F. Payne,

5 Kadir Nelson, James Bennett, Mark Ulriksen, and the great Norman Rockwell offer unique visions of the baseball source material. This project intends to promote baseball to inner city kids, with illustrated portraits of current African American players, stimulating interest in an audience that has abandoned the game for other activities. Used in a series of poster advertisements, the images strengthen the heroic and iconic qualities of the game, revealing a personal narrative of the player depicted.

6 Chapter II Researching the Problem

A Brief Review of Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Baseball has seen a dramatic decline in the number of African American players over the past few decades. In 1975, they accounted for 27% of the Major League Baseball (MLB) population. According to the 2010 Racial and Gender Report Card, put together by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, the number of African Americans on the 2010 opening day rosters was only 9.1% (Lapchick, Kaiser, Caudy, & Wang, 2010). Facing competition from faster-paced sports like basketball and football, baseball is seen as a slow and boring game by the majority of inner city kids. Economic factors including the greater cost of equipment and coaching for baseball development puts unbearable strain on lower income families compared to the hoop and single ball needed for basketball. The burgeoning market for foreign players and economic benefits of establishing baseball academies in Latin American countries has shifted resources outside of the country. With the decline of Black talent in MLB, fewer role models exist to drive interest and teach kids about baseball. With a much higher percentage of black athletes and stars, basketball and football have filled the void and captured the attention of young children. Contract money, scholarships, and the immediate impact at the next level in the other sports all look like more realistic opportunities to escape the inner cities (Verducci, 2003). The problem has many causes, 30+ years in the making, and will not find a quick solution today. One group that is trying to combat the issue is a program called Reviving

7 Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), started in 1989 by John Young, a former MLB player and scout. He witnessed the gradual abandonment of the game by urban youth during his many scouting trips. RBI, seeking to further interest in the sport, offers disadvantaged boys and girls of all races, aged 618, opportunities in baseball and softball. In the course of educating children on baseball skills, the values of teamwork, integrity, self-esteem and ethics are imparted. The result being, participants have a higher graduation rate and far likelier chance of earning scholarships to college. Even given the success, more needs to be done. Since the program has started, African American participation has still declined nearly 8%. The appeal must be made to this possible next generation of players and fans to make baseball relevant once again for the African American community (History of RBI, n.d.).

Contacting the Organizations During the research portion of this thesis, I made contact with a number of people directly involved with RBI and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) regarding the work. The RBI program operates in a fashion similar to a franchise and, as a result, is often connected to a local chapter of BGCA. The director of RBI, David James, was generous enough to speak with me for half an hour regarding the decline being witnessed in baseball. He conveyed a great passion for the program and was very forthcoming with his opinions on what efforts are working and where more help is needed. During the conversation, he kept circling back to the main reason that he believes baseball has lost relevance in the African American community: Unfortunately, baseball has evolved, that in order to play, its expensive. Its expensive in some instances for some kids to even sign up to play in a program.

8 Its expensive to buy a glove, to buy balls, to buy bats in order to play the game. Its expensive for the owner to take care of the field to upkeep it. So, as a result, kids dont get the opportunity to play, or even if they do want to play, theyre playing at a subpar facility and their interest wanes from it. (D. James, personal communication, November 16, 2009) Another issue that he feels needs more attention is the lack of volunteers for the youth leagues, stating that: For a variety of reasons, and its more of a social issue than anything else, is that in suburban affluent communities you will find that they have more volunteers than they know what to do with. Unfortunately, in some of these under-served communities for these under-served kids, that is not the issue. And in many cases, especially on the baseball side we run into a lot of instances where these kids are coming from single mother homes. They need that male interaction to teach them how to play catch. (D. James, personal communication, November 16, 2009) While James contends that the pace of the game is not an issue for the kids, it is a factor mentioned quite frequently by those inside and outside of baseball, including Adam Jones, outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles, and the only African American player on the team. Jones, while expressing his love for the game, contends that, If you look at it on TV, it is among the least interesting sports. Its a standstill sport. Its boring, its long (Ginsburg, 2010). The one fact James and Jones definitely agree on is the skill needed to play the game. It develops through practice and repetition. Young children get better by playing the game. Without strong coaches in place, repeated failures on the diamond will convince a child to abandon the game. It is not the goal of this project to convince the reader that the decline of African Americans in baseball is a serious issue. There are certainly arguments to be made that the percentage of African Americans in baseball is on par with their percentage of the US population. The fact that athletes in this country have more opportunities to choose other

9 sports is a good thing. Frequently, the online reports of the decline of African Americans in baseball that are featured on sites like ESPN.com and SportsIllustrated.com have reader comments at the conclusion of an article. In many cases, the users are crying foul because there is never any media attention on the lack of White and Hispanic players in the NBA or Hispanics in the NFL. The main reason, as I see it, for so much focus to be paid to the dwindling number of African Americans is that baseball has played such a large role in the race relations of this country. Jackie Robinson's breakthrough and trailblazing path through baseball was incalculably important to the nation as a whole. More than any other game, baseball is a game obsessed with its past. Players from the days gone by are compared to current stars, and the achievements of today are weighed against performances of the past (Kurkjian, 2007). In the history of baseball, African Americans have played an enormous part. The game relies on these stories being passed down from fathers and sons. Now that older guy likes basketball, baseball lost those pied pipers, John Young says (Verducci, 2003). David James also knows the importance: I grew up playing baseball because of my father, playing catch with my dad was more than playing catch, we talked about the day, we talked about life, while we were doing the simple act of throwing a ball back and forth. (personal communication, November 16, 2009) This underscores the importance of reaching out to the youth with this poster series. If children do not learn at a young age, about the nuances of the game, they will turn to something easier to understand and pick up, like basketball.

10 Boys & Girls Club. My contact within the Boys & Girls Club of Lorain County, Athletic Director John McDermott, was also eager to discuss the situation with me. For him, the main reason young African Americans are losing interest in baseball is probably the number one answer in all my research, basketball. Being located near LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers aside, everything is basketball (J. McDermott, personal communication, November 13, 2010). Pointing once again to the affordability of basketball, he also references the hip-hop attitude and music exhibited on the court and during games that attracts the youth market, noting that influential hip-hop artist Jay-Z is wearing LeBrons shoes, not Derek Jeters. McDermott (personal communication, November 13, 2010) does bring back the point that accessibility is key. If given the opportunity, the kids in his neighborhood are up at 8:30 in the morning, no arm pulling necessary, to play the game. Unfortunately, sometimes getting kids to the field presents problems. Parents are not always around to drop them off, so a van has to pick them up. This requires more time, money, and volunteers to get games started.

Communication Breakdown. The people I have spoken with for the most part have been very excited to hear about this project and answer any questions I have. Communicating over the phone is a significantly better tool than e-mail. Simply emailing my brief summary of the project was rarely enough to evoke a response. A follow-up call definitely helps to show a genuine interest in speaking with them and starts the ball rolling. Unfortunately, my contact at the BGCA left his chapter during the process of painting the images. He was eager to have me come visit the club and show the work to the children for my benefit and theirs. For whatever reason, the new athletic director was

11 very cold and distant when we spoke. It was only after weeks of leaving messages and emails that I was able to catch him on the phone. I was basically given the runaround answer, of needing to check with his boss. The whole situation caught me off guard. After having cultivated a relationship at the club, I was not prepared to go searching for a new place to get feedback from children. Eventually, I made contact with a club in Akron that could make some time available for the kids to speak with me. While searching for biographical information, I also attempted contacting four of the players and their agents (if I could find them) through their personal websites. The remaining two do not have websites or contact information publicly available. I can understand that with the sheer number of fans that these players have it is easy to lose a more scholarly question amongst all the others. I persisted, and continued submitting questions and emails to their listed information, but still received no response. This was not a trait singular to the ballplayers. At various points during the project, I attempted to contact the beat reporters covering the players and heard nothing back.

Why Illustration? To put the work here in a historical context, like the chosen subject baseball, illustration is in a state of flux. The field has been said to be declining for many years. As a young illustrator, I must believe that it is merely changing with the times, or the outlook might appear too bleak. Undoubtedly, the poor economy has had an immense impact on the commissioning of art, and so illustrators must innovate and find new places for their work to appear. In many ways this was my motivation for the project. Where is there a need for illustration? Where can it solve a problem more effectively than the current

12 solutions? I found my answer in something that had been in front of me all along, my interest in baseball.

Illustration vs. Photography. DJ Stout (2008), partner at Pentagram, describes the purveying attitude in the marketplace today, Editors and publishers prefer photography over illustration because they see it as somehow being more realistic or more honest, even though photography has become increasingly more unreal. The majority of sports images presented to the public are photographic in nature, straight photojournalism, or televised video of the sporting events. There is an opportunity to introduce a contrasting viewpoint, drawing attention for both the sport and the field of illustration. Many paintings have managed to illustrate or even tell stories. Photographs are more likely to subvert stories. The odd moments they representso often awkward, even goofyseem to insist that our narratives and explanations have stopped. It is possible to look stylish or sexy in a photograph, easy to look silly. It is more difficult to show integrity. (Stephens, 1998, p. 81) Since I am endeavoring to build mythic figures from athletes, potentially overexposed with photography and the accessibility of instant knowledge, I need to convey more than a glimpse of time. Intangible qualities like dignity and self-confidence not often found in the action shots of sports figures are possible in a piece of art. Really, how noble can someone look with a face warped by physical exertion? The marketing, or lack of marketing of its players, as Jimmy Rollins suggests (Costas, 2010), has not worked over the long haul. Images of players are everywhere, on TV, the Internet, magazines, newspapers; and it has done little to change baseballs position in the inner city. It is time to try something different. Charles Hively, former art

13 director and current publisher of 3x3 magazine asks: What gives this idea the most impact? Who can we get to make our product more noticeable? It all comes down to branding. Thats why, to me, the most important movement will come in advertising. This is where we can see illustration in a different context with measurable results, proving that illustration can work in the mass market. Illustration is relegated to editorial now, moving it back into the advertising world will make it more accessible for everyone. (Heller, 2006) Accordingly, using illustration on posters offers an opportunity to present a new vision of the subjects that cannot be reproduced by every photographer credentialed to cover the game, or every fan in the stands with a decent telephoto lens. It makes the posters unique and transcends the ordinary sports photograph that only captures a fleeting moment of the action. A quick trip to a few websites that offer sports posters, like Amazon.com and Allposters.com, shows the need for creating a poster that stands out from the crowd. The vast majority of existing wall posters are single action photos or the odd collage of player images. An artistic rendering of a player may be available occasionally, but it is completely dependent on the photo source to do all the heavy lifting. There is an opportunity to create a unique interpretation of the players and surprise the audience with something new and interesting.

Examples of Successful Advertising Illustration. Baseball is a perfect fit for illustration to shine. The poster series herein, showcases paintings that have an aura of tradition or even folklore, something very important to baseball. At times, this has been a criticism levied at baseball by those seeking to understand the reasons for declining African American interest (Boyd, 2003, p. 9). The paintings seek to bridge the divide and build new mythic figures that will inspire movement in a disinterested generation.

14 Recently, there have been notable ad campaigns that were successful, partially due to their use of illustration. The marketing strategy put together by Fallon Worldwide for United Airlines, following the events of September 11, launched, Its Time to Fly. Animations and illustrations that are, High-end, whimsical fantasy, friendly and accessible, were used to calm passengers nerves and separate themselves from the typical airline ads (Shapiro, 2009, p. 58). The draw was more an emotional one for an audience familiar with the common airline industry ads touting similar features and services with images that over time blend into a blur of photographs of planes on tarmacs or flying over the clouds (p. 56). In the design field, it is a shared joke how bad the majority of movie posters are. All across the Internet, posters are frequently dissected on websites like photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com. Issues with anatomy and the group shots assembled from many individual photos are traits of the poor Photoshop construction in many posters. With so much money at stake on a given film, the studios are hesitant to risk a movies success with advertisements that are not proven. Charles Hively recounts, No client wants his company to have a bad image or a misunderstood image, so clients naturally gravitate to what they know, what they can see and understandphotography. Clients own cameras, clients rarely own an easel (Heller, 2006). That makes the success of Robert Neubeckers illustration, in the Christian Struzen designed poster, for the movie Sideways, all the more impressive. It was eventually named as the 2004 Key Art Award winner for best comedy poster (Neubecker, 2010). The energetic black line drawing perfectly captured the spirit of the movie. Not speaking for anyone involved, but the smaller independent studio, director, and lack of big movie stars in the production

15 may have allowed this unique approach to make it to the theaters. If Brad Pitt and George Clooney were in the movie, is there any doubt what would be featured on the poster? Finally, during the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obamas campaign received a great deal of praise for the branding associated with the candidate. Wrapped up in the grassroots movement that captured the youth market, was Shepard Faireys Hope poster. The street artists influential image drew inspiration from Soviet Constructivists, pop art, and the underground graffiti culture to which he is most often connected. Obama recognized the impact Faireys work, in a note to the artist he writes, The political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans to believe that they can help change the status-quo. Your images have a profound effect on people, whether seen in a gallery or on a stop sign (McCormick, 2009, p. 51). That message of hopefulness spread all over the world through the viral dissemination of the iconic image, true evidence of the impact a visual can have when paired with the right idea for the times.

Illustration or Fine Art. Serving as posters, the paintings created for this project have potential staying power. Kids could hang them on their walls, thus keeping the messages conveyed in front of their audience for extended time. In a certain respect, these posters should convey a fine art aspect to them. Traditional fine art cultivates an ongoing relationship with the viewer, while at the same time the posters must satisfy the role of illustration. In most instances, illustration has a finite impact. The viewer sees it, comprehends it, and moves on, or turns the page. Communication must be quick, because there is not much time to reach the viewer before interest wanes, or they conclude their time in front of the image. The best posters display a simplicity that conveys their

16 meaning and purpose from a greater distance than a printed magazine or book. The opposite is generally true for fine art. An ongoing relationship with the viewer is a factor in creating lasting art. To produce work that can straddle the divide between fine art and illustration, I have incorporated multiple layers of information in the imagery. There are many interpretations working together to tell a larger narrative and concept. In addition, the style of realism does not fall out of fashion like other trendy illustration techniques. In order to accomplish the illustrative purposes, a clear formation of value contrast, and focus on shape making is essential. Thankfully, this approach does not hinder a fine art reading of the paintings.

Knowing the Audience Simply put, illustration should capture the attention of a desired audience and help communicate the clients message. Knowing the intended audience helps the illustrator determine the appropriate, style, concept, subject matter, and a host of other creative decisions that would connect with them. Usually, the client will have a particular demographic in mind that they want to reach. RBI is no different in this respect, reaching out to children and young adults, of any race and gender, participating in youth baseball and ranging from ages 618. Considering the problem at hand, I have chosen to specifically target young African Americans. Furthermore, John Young has identified the 13-to-16-year range as an area of concern. It is the most frequent age for a child to quit playing ball (History of RBI, n.d.). David James, Director of RBI, offers a strong reason for the drop off at this point. The 12-year-olds play on 60-foot diamonds. When you get to 13, youre playing on a 90-foot diamond, the same thing that the pros do (David

17 James, personal communication, November 16, 2009). With a very specific audience in mind, I have tried to account for this during the planning stages. If baseball is to become relevant once again in the Black community, it will have to give them more reason to care. The young generation of African Americans is not celebrating past Black achievements. Using Negro League Players and baseball old timers to appeal to them is not going to have the same effect that young, successful, savvy Black achievers who are making it on their own terms will (Miller & Kemp, 2006, p. 34). Today they are finding those role models in hip-hop and basketball. The number of viable choices for the youth in this country has increased significantly. They see basketball, football, and video games as more fun. These activities can be played alone or with minimal participants. While tossing a football around with a friend and playing catch with a baseball appear similar, football does not require both parties to own a glove. Finding 18 kids to play a game of baseball becomes increasingly difficult in this age. Some have cited the popularity of baseball in Latin American countries and how kids will play with homemade cardboard gloves if they have to. The difference is a cultural one. Having the real gear, the cool clothes, the new, and the hot item is important to young African Americans. According to someone studying youth and African American style, Holly Alford, fashion design professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, They feel like their society looks down on them. Sometimes some of these status symbols are just a way of saying, Hey, look! Here I am. See who I am (Gross, 2009)? With this knowledge, it is easy to understand why a cardboard glove would be unacceptable. The other side is that if baseball can regain popularity, these same kids could make having a nice glove a priority.

18 Appeal of Realism for Kids. I consider my work realistic with surrealist overtones. This style will inevitably evolve over time, and perhaps with the subject matter that confronts me. Guided by the knowledge that art directors seek out the appropriate illustrator for the job at hand, it was important that the style, or personal viewpoint of my work, would complement the concept. For that reason, my audience needed to appreciate realistic art. I found that children, in general, are able to comprehend and see the value in realism with greater ease, than the challenges presented by an abstracted representation. According to R. Gregory Christie, a successful childrens book illustrator: When I showed students my current work, elongated necks and small hands, they tended to laugh, say ewwww or gasp in adulation or repulsion. I realized that they needed the crash course in art history and to acquire an appreciation for a painter that paints what he feels over what he sees, in order to have the strongest understanding of my artwork. Most of these children, with an affinity for realism grow into adults with the same attitude. Unconventional proportions and colors become wrong over refreshing, twisted compositions, and reconstructed picture planes become damaged rather than interesting....Whats interesting to me is that Ive never heard a child say they dont like abstract art because its ugly while on the other hand nice or pretty is commonplace. This makes me think that people just dont understand abstraction or are simply afraid to deviate from the group because they might be considered as strange as the object they are viewing....I have seen that with a room full of young people learning our traditions in order to prepare for adulthood, they were naturally inclined to respect realism. (personal communication, June 18, 2010) Some of Christies points involve educating children and adults on the merits of abstraction, and cannot be feasibly addressed through these posters. Within the limited timeframe a poster is viewed, it is more important that the overall message is understood first. The work needs to be seen, accepted, and not dismissed as too strange. Confusing the audience with work that is nontraditional runs the risk of alienating them even more. With these images, I am seeking to include people in the game of baseball. That is not to

19 say that abstraction is a divisive force, just that realism offers a better likelihood of connecting with the children in my audience. This appreciation for art that looks real correlates to a childs desire to draw realistically. Viktor Lowenfeld and W. Lambert Brittain, who studied the drawing developmental stages of children, establish the 1214-year-old age range as a PseudoNaturalistic Stage (1982, p. 353387). During this period children concern themselves with more observational study of their subjects and exhibit a, great urge to draw or paint realistically (Lowenfeld, 1967, p. 152). Likewise, Betty Edwards (1989, p. 72) states that, By around age ten or eleven, childrens passion for realism is in full bloom. She goes on to describe, that when a child is unable to draw a standard cube shape, and is commended for the drawings apparent abstraction, the child becomes confused, knowing that it truly does not look real (Edwards, pp. 7275). In addition to a childs realistic tendencies at this time, they also showcase an increasing ability to think about artwork and can work out, symbolism, deeper meanings, and double meanings (Wachowiak & Clements, 2001, p.117). Therefore, conceptual levels and multiple readings that are visible in my final paintings are not beyond the grasp of the intended audience, and the use of realism is very fitting.

Teen Appeal. Humor in advertising is a powerful way to connect with kids in adolescence. Since, my work does not lean to the humorous side of illustration, the posters play to other strengths. Peter Zollo (2004, p 401) contends that, If youre not going to leave them [teens] laughing, leave them thinking or feeling. To this end, I have constructed layers of information for the audience to peel away, and hopefully establish a

20 connection with the figure that will resonate beyond a single viewing of the poster. Zollo (p. 408) also says that the importance of celebrity in advertising is worth noting, Fewer black than white teens say they want to see regular people, while more [black teens] want to see athletes. This bodes well for the posters in some respects, but the declining interest in baseball among the African American community says something entirely different. Still, the depiction of baseball players will have potential impact on the audience because it is a sport. Additionally, Roy L. Brannon, an advertising executive familiar with techniques used to reach inner city markets, says: Weve found that these kids are very individualistic, and they dont respond to anything outside of their reality. They dont care about the status quo. They can sniff out fakeness and insincerity, so your creative efforts have to be real. (Newsome & Gallop-Goodman, 1999, p. 160) The paintings, as will be detailed later on, reference the urban reality in one form or another, and have at all costs avoided the clich hip-hop bling and jewelry that could be considered pandering to the audience.

21 Chapter III An Illustrators Process

In the following pages, I will lay out my creative process, describing the various stages that go into developing an illustration. The steps that I describe are common to illustration and design, and reflect my education in the field of visual communication design. This chapter serves as a detailed account of the materials and concerns that shape the final product, and should be used as a point of reference when viewing the progression of each illustrated portrait: Carl Crawford (figures 15), Torii Hunter (figures 611), Jimmy Rollins (figures 1217), CC Sabathia (figures 1826), Russell Martin (figures 2735), and Grady Sizemore (figures 3638).

Inspiration Where does my inspiration come from? Two very influential artists sent me down the path toward this thesis. The first is Kehinde Wiley. His immense paintings show contemporary African American men striking poses from Renaissance paintings and European portraiture. Besides referencing his painting of flesh, I appreciate the symbolism behind a young black man cast in a role typically inhabited by a white man or woman. The gestures of some saints and icons compare quite well to the moves and signs of hip-hop, rap, and dance. His work has been a valuable source of what a heroic image could look like for this project. His success, as quoted in Keeps (2009), reminds me of how I would like to have my work perceived by my intended audience, I have had a lot of young black kids come up to me and say they are grateful to look at this monumental

22 mega-painting with someone who they can relate to. A key role of my work is to show inner city kids that there are people like them in baseball, that this sport is still relevant. The second artist/illustrator that needs mentioning is Kadir Nelson. His book, We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball (2008), was a valuable point of reference for my project. I feel we have a similar way of seeing color and light in our paintings, so his importance to me is not just the comparable baseball subject matter. It is quite possible that my work can be viewed as affected by his. I believe that it is only a resemblance, and from that point, I have taken it in a different direction. His work is more journalistic and documentary in nature; my paintings are concerned with symbolic narratives and exhibit a touch of surrealism. Finally, while working, I have sought other inspiration for various issues regarding each in-progress painting. For example, the work of illustrators creating sports imagery such as CF Payne, Mark Ulriksen, Bart Forbes, and Loren Long was investigated. At times, I compared how motion could be handled in a painting. Detailing the rest of my influences would be tedious at best. A few more are detailed in the explanations of the following chapter. An artist is a product of the world in which he lives, and everything he has experienced plays a role in some way. The great artists that I have been exposed to during my education are all factors to a certain degree. Since my training is based in design and illustration, decisions I have made and documented, reflect those values as well.

23 Materials The materials used in creating the paintings are standard fare, especially for a student. The media is primarily Liquitex acrylic with elements of collage attached to the board. I work with very thin applications of paint, so the viscosity of the paint is not as important as its color or lightfastness. The brushes used ranged from sable and synthetic to bristle. My palette is a pane of glass with foam core backing. The surface I painted on is acid-free Gessobord made by Ampersand. I have come to like the smooth surface, and the ability to start working on it immediately, with no prep work needed to make the surface ready. Furthermore, it provides a rigid support capable of being pushed on without fear of buckling too much. My small studio space will not accommodate a standing easel, so I have adjusted to painting seated, with the painting in my lap and leaning against the desk. It is comparable to working on an art horse, as one might in standard drawing classes. I use a combination lamp with an incandescent bulb and fluorescent bulb both turned on creating a mixture of the lights. There is a small window next to the desk, but that was not a large factor in my lighting choices for this project. Due to the potential for fewer distractions, I worked mostly during nights. The last essential tools in my studio are computer related. My Apple MacBook Pro was used to display the photo reference for each painting and to utilize Photoshop. External hard drives for data back up and an Epson scanner were also essential to the overall success.

24 Drawing Stages The preliminary work for a finished painting follows a traditional path. During this process, the client has the opportunity to approve sketches and choose the direction of the final art. Thumbnails. These are small drawings, about 2 inches tall that capture an idea or layout for the illustration in a short amount of time. It is common for an artist to create pages of these drawings for a single illustration. Subtle value may be added to explore contrast relationships and focus attention on the collection of shapes used in the drawing. Figures 1, 6, 13, 18, 27, and 36 detail the various concept thumbnails created for this series. At nearly 4 x 5 inches each, they are larger than normal. The increased size allowed a more developed value range in some drawings. It is quite possible that other artists would not consider these thumbnails. However, the complexity of some scenes required a greater size to fully depict the concept. Additionally, I begin the concept development by creating lists of descriptive words that apply to the subject (figure 39). Beside these words, I will draw small visual icons that symbolically represent them. By comparing two lists of words and icons, I look for relationships to develop between them. Sometimes, this leads to an unexpected combination of ideas being discovered. From these early drawings and thumbnails, a direction or concept for the illustration is chosen and enlarged for the next step. Roughs. Enlarged drawings, used to refine the composition and design of the image are referred to as roughs. There are usually several drawings completed at this stage before moving to a final comp. Figures 2, 7, 1922, 28, and 37 show the various rough drawings that I have created for each final painting. Many revisions are necessary

25 to resolve the overall design. Each illustration will present its own challenges. Sometimes the path is quick; other times it is full of exploration and many bad drawings before a satisfying resolution. I frequently use tracing paper in this stage to make adjustments in the drawing, building a full composition from many layers of refinements. Comprehensives (comps). All the elements of the final are present in these comprehensive drawings. Linear comps (figures 4, 8, 10, 23, 2932, and 38), full value comps (figures 2 and 14), and color comps (figures 3, 9, and 15) are variations possible at this stage. It is not always necessary to complete each comprehensive for every illustration. Client expectations and the problem challenges will dictate what the illustrator produces. During the development of more complex paintings, drawings may be done as separate elements and combined into a final piece using Photoshop (figures 2934). The first few players of this series I developed with a strict adherence to the stages described here. As my confidence increased, I skipped the value and color comps for the last couple of paintings. It was not an issue of laziness, but rather time management. I did not feel like those comps had helped me significantly on the earlier images, and decided to spend my time on the final painting instead. However, a tight final line drawing is essential. As the project advanced, my attention to a strong linear resolution improved. With a final line drawing of my illustration ready to go, I utilized my universitys opaque projector to enlarge the image, and trace it onto the final board. Errors in the drawing, due to either poor tracing or distortion, were corrected, and the drawing was sealed with clear matte medium. This prevents the graphite from mixing with the paint and reducing vibrancy.

26 Collage Application Elements of paper collaged onto the board are a recurring stylistic technique that I have grown to enjoy. The viewer could overlook these elements, especially in the printed posters. Admittedly, it is hard to see the subtle layers of collage, even if face-to-face with the original paintings. Viewing the work from an oblique angle (figure 25) reveals the extra thickness added to the board more effectively than a straight on scan does. The collage was almost entirely plain white paper of varying thickness. It was affixed to the board with either matte medium or a thicker gel medium. After the collage is resolved, I wash over the board and drawing with burnt umber acrylic paint and a little matte medium. Using a spray bottle with water, I will add moisture as the mixture of paint and medium is applied with a house painting brush. The water helps the brush strokes disappear, and lets me even out the tone before it dries. This underpainting serves to knock back the white of the gesso primer. The often-discussed intimidation caused by a white page is clich for a reason. It really can be hard to get past how much needs to be done before the painting reaches a satisfying resolution. Besides that, by having a middle value underpainting established, it allows for better decision-making regarding how light or dark the next brushstrokes are. Simultaneous contrast tells us that the appearance of colors or values is influenced by the colors or values adjacent. Therefore, a mark I make on a completely white board will appear different, when the areas around that mark are added. The likelihood that the original mark would remain exactly what I intended, is not very good.

27 Painting Process Described On my blog, I posted an animation of the process photos (figure 24) that depict the CC Sabathia painting in development. The viewers can see the painting come together before their eyes. Beginning the work can be difficult, I tend to start with a feature of the painting that once it is completed will set the tone for the rest of the painting. In none of these did I start with the portrait. While the likeness is essential to the result, it was often times the portion that I felt the most comfortable completing. Frequently the work offered a chance to paint something I had never attempted before. Therefore, rather than go straight for the face, I usually held back until near completion to tackle it. The one time I did establish the head before 50% done, my momentum seemed to subside. It was as if the soul or spirit of the painting was done, the rest was busy work to finalize the piece. Though in reality, I still had a lot to resolve. I believe that saving the main focal point until later, gives me either something to work towards, or saves the energy of establishing that likeness until it is nearly complete. This allows the finish to feel more satisfying. Of course, if this were a freelance job, just the adrenaline of a tight deadline would help this matter, and I would be forced to tackle the main subject sooner rather than later, in order to avoid missing the deadline due to poor time management. However, these are not freelance jobs, and because many parts of the images hold special meaning, or tell part of the overall story, everything needed to be handled with the same level of craftsmanship. Otherwise, the viewer might disregard something that I meant to communicate. Now, this does not mean that everything should be painted with the same brush strokes and clearly delineated edges. The variations and contrasts of little elements make a big impact, and in my realist style, provide believability. I want to create a world that the figures can

28 occupy, not simply feel pasted into them. The more visual truth I can bring to each scene, then the more real these figures become. Often the background needs to be started and nearly finished before I begin the foreground elements, usually the figures. If I do not, then more careful and timeconsuming brush strokes have to be made to avoid overlapping part of the foreground. Once an overlap happens, the fix can be easy or difficult depending on the subject, but in every case, it requires me to repaint something that may have been finished. I can also control the depth of an edge more knowledgeably if I am painting into the background rather than vice versa. The collage elements, in a way, are an effort to make this even easier. I can paint over the collaged cap of a player and not have to redraw or retransfer the hat to the board. At any time I can find the boundaries of the hat, and recreate the shape quickly with a layer of paint. I mention the baseball cap as an example because I found it one of the most challenging forms to draw accurately. There is a quixotic bend and curve to the brim, and the collage helps me avoid losing the perspective that I worked hard to create in the drawing. The reason to collage the other elements was usually with this in mind. Although, sometimes it was to balance other collage pieces or produce more tangible depth, best seen in the Sabathia painting (see figure 25).

Reference Material The truth about painting in a realistic vein is that strong reference, whether it is access to the subject itself or a photograph, is essential to success. At times, finding the proper image can be challenging. There was something specific to each player that caused me difficulty. No matter what angle or viewpoint, I was unable to find reliable

29 reference for Carl Crawfords shoes. Meanwhile, locating reference for Grady Sizemores shoes was not the problem, but his glove was another story. Even the stores selling gloves were no help, offering models without the right type of webbing. Finally, I was forced to adapt the length of a shortstop glove when completing the drawing. The truism, necessity is the mother of invention, is quite relevant when creating an illustration. An illustrator cannot wait for the right photo to fall into his lap. Sometimes, there is a need to go out and make it. I can spend hours sifting through sand, by looking for the perfect view of an arm or hat, or, instead, the necessary reference can be created, with the lighting and viewpoint envisioned. A few examples of the reference models that I have created for some of the paintings will be shown. Besides providing the benefit of greater control over the final product, using my own photographs to replace, or help alter found imagery, significantly reduces any copyright infringement liability. Even the hint of copying someone elses work has become easier to identify in our digital world. The Internet makes it easy for accusations of plagiarism to gather momentum and damage reputations. Shepard Fairey, creator of the Obama Hope poster, has become the poster child for plagiarism vs. fair use. Fairey has now admitted to using an Associated Press photo, in its entirety, to create the iconic image without obtaining prior consent. His argument hinges on a fair use defense, contending that the work was transformative rather than derivative. As of writing this thesis, the case is still pending (Copyright battle, 2010). Though the judge for the case has suggested, that whether its sooner or later, The Associated Press is going to win, and advised Fairey to settle (Neumeister, 2010). The more that reference material can be altered, or the features of multiple photos

30 combined, the stronger the case can be made for fair use under copyright law. I do not proclaim to be an expert, but want to extol caution when using someone elses work in the development of the readers own. The safe play is to obtain permission from the original author before using something in an illustration. As these paintings are part of an educational venture, the use of copyrighted materials is generally accepted to fall under the fair use of copyright law. However, whenever possible I have combined reference photos to achieve the necessary likenesses. I have also changed the way that the light and shadow falls on each players face to suit my compositions. This allows me to take more ownership of the reference. The design of the final paintings is not reliant on the photograph for inspiration; rather my drawing dictated the use of a particular photo. Letting the reference control fundamental design decisions would be an ethically questionable area. Whenever it was possible, I created my own reference photos. There are countless embarrassing or goofy pictures that I have taken of myself to study how the light falls across the player in my paintings. Figures 4046 show a sampling of these photos. Each illustration project requires something new. For instance, there are certain requirements that need to be accounted for when producing imagery of sports figures. The first and foremost is the need for accuracy in representing the clothing and equipment used by a player and his team. It not only lends authenticity to the work, but also helps establish a sense of time and place. Teams frequently alter their uniforms, thus creating era specific looks that are strongly connected to the way certain players exist in the mind of each fan. Any change can create disconnect, or even an emotionally negative reaction. I was able to purchase a modestly priced uniform that would allow me to see

31 how the folds would wrap around the body (see figures 4143). This made possible significant changes to the outside photo references that were still necessary to capture the likeness and personal characteristics of each player.

Blog (www.primaryhughes.blogspot.com) As a way of collecting the work together and creating a semblance of order for myself, I decided to document the creative process. To this end, I started a weblog, otherwise known as a blog. Each post to the online blog shows a step or steps in the creation of a painting. The images posted create a timeline in the life of the painting allowing the visitor to follow each from idea to final image. While it is impossible to show every mark that was made on paper or paint, I tried to hit the high points and not hold back anything important from the process. In communicating with the RBI organization and Boys & Girls Clubs, the thesis blog was a valuable tool to show the work and my seriousness. Without having a place to see the work, I would have needed to send the people I was contacting jpeg images of my work. The Internet being what it is today, I imagine many people would be hesitant to open these email attachments. Quite a few individuals expressed their appreciation for seeing the progression from sketch to painting. Coming from people who do not ordinarily commission artwork, it was clear to me that I had made an impression.

32 Chapter IV Results: Final Paintings Examined

Carl Crawford (figure 5) Carl Crawford is the all-star left fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Growing up in the impoverished Fifth Ward of Houston, Crawford was a standout in football, basketball and baseball. It was the signing of another local football player to a large baseball contract that made him realize the potential success he could have in baseball. Playing football and baseball at the only college that would let him continue both, it was not long before his play on the diamond culminated in a second round pick by Tampa Bay (Keown, 2006). A member of the RBI program as a youth, he credits it with giving him, the exposure I needed to find the right people (Ghiroli, 2008). Like so many of the other African American baseball players, Crawford is outspoken about the number of Blacks in the game today, and he tells Tim Keown that, Most black kids dont play baseball when they get to high school. A lot of black kids see baseball as boring. The game and the players arent flashy. You see NBA players and NFL players with the nice cars and the diamonds. Baseball players are more casual, more conservative in how we do things. (2006) This view is widely held in both baseball and the African American community. The game does not share the same cultural connection that other sports have with African Americans. The conservative tendencies of baseball do not mix well with the hip-hop culture. (Boyd, 2003 p. 9) Baseball is a team game, more so than basketball. So many coordinated moving parts have to mesh in order for a team to win. Basketball players can take over a game and score 40 points individually. This can be done night after night on

33 the basketball court. The result being that one person becomes elevated in stature. That is not the case in baseball, where there is a new nearly hero every game. Dominant starting pitchers only affect every fifth game, and the best hitters only have a few at bats every nine innings. Discussing a potential hole in the scouting system, that other players like Gary Sheffield (Powell, 2008, p. 123) also contend, Crawford says, Theres a lot of inner-city kids who arent getting scouted. I dont know if theyre [scouts] intimidated. I cant really put my finger on what the problem is. Theyre just not there. I think its just a variety of things, maybe. I just dont know how the process works. I would like to know. Theres a bunch of talent in the inner city, Im telling you. (Chastain, 2005) Shaun Powell (p. 124) argues that scouts do go where the talent is and today it is not in the inner cities. It is far more abundant in Asian and Latin American countries. African Americans, in general, simply are not playing the game. That brings us back to the purpose of this project, which is a need for engaging the children early in life, with an interest in baseball.

Design and Composition Examination. For the image of Crawford, I wanted to show a confident trip around the bases. Simultaneously, Crawford is seen running through the streets of his youth. Pairing these two views together, the image conveys that by rounding third, he is ostensibly headed for home. The background scene is a combination of elements from Tropicana Field, the domed stadium where the Rays play, and the Houston area where Crawford grew up. The telephone wires begin this blending of locations. Those familiar with the stadium know that there are a series of catwalks high above the playing field. I have aligned the wires to match up with two rings of the

34 catwalks and disappear into the sky as the space recedes. From there, the radiating rays seen in the sky represent the dome itself. The roof has a subtle accordion appearance that is enhanced in some lighting conditions. By lowering the lights and creating a night game in the dome, I imagined a more pronounced roof pattern that would provoke multiple interpretations. The viewer could choose to see the design as a graphic fireworks explosion and infer that Crawford has just hit a homerun. The design could be rays of moonlight, or perhaps my favorite, a parachute to slow the speedy Crawford down, like one used during space shuttle landings or a drag race car slowdown. The skyline of Houston is seen from a view very similar to what someone from Crawfords neighborhood would see. In this matter, Google maps street view was an essential part of the research process. This feature allowed me to find more accurate details for the bridge, building, sidewalks, streetlights and the aforementioned skyline. Continuing the account of my design, the line created by the bridge forms the lowest catwalk that holds the stadium lights. The vertical bridge supports serve to delineate further stadium details. The dirt colored street becomes the infield and warning track of the baseball field. Additionally, there are a couple more storytelling moments included for the viewer to investigate. At the end of the side street is a small baseball idiom. A third base coach can either give a runner approaching third base the stop sign or wave him home. I placed a stop sign there for those baseball fans that are paying close attention. Crawford is also shown stepping in a puddle on his way home. This is included to bring a little childlike enthusiasm to the image. Furthermore, water helps make the streets dirtier and appear more downtrodden.

35 Critical Evaluation. Evaluating the success of this image is difficult, because it was the first of the series; some growth was to be expected as the paintings developed. The elements I am critical of certainly stem from improvement and later successes in the series. An original goal of the posters was to bring attention to where the player was from. The posters would present an example of someone who has made it out of his early environment. I hope that kids dealing with a similar situation could take something positive from the knowledge that he was there, too. In developing the rest of the series, this objective was minimized to lessen the somber mood that resulted in the Crawford final piece. Brighter colors were injected into the next four images to provide a more positive mood. The resolution of the crowd is an aspect that shows great improvement over the entirety of the project. Having developed the series of images together at a preliminary drawing stage, it was clear that crowds of people would play a key role in the future paintings. Since they would become a recurring feature in the series, it was important to treat them as more than mere blobs of color. Furthermore, my familiarity with how collage combines with my application of paint is increased. Should I use collage for grass in the future, I will be trying a different approach. Again, with this being the first painting, I would be naive to assume the technique and approach would not evolve with each.

Torii Hunter (figure 11) Torii Hunter is the all-star center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Of the players that I have chosen for this project, Torii Hunters life hardships make his success all the more remarkable. With a father suffering from drug addiction and the

36 gang presence in his Pine Bluff, Arkansas neighborhood, Hunter was forced to grow up faster than most children do. It was not uncommon for the household income to be spent on drugs rather than on providing food or electricity for the family. His father often disappeared without warning and would be found by Hunter or his brothers in a local crack house or come home days later and pass out (Berney, 2008). Hunter has opened up about his troubled childhood and is working hard to reach out to disadvantaged children and show them a positive example. No matter what youre going through, whether your parents are on drugs or even drinking, just dont use that as an excuse, Hunter said. I grew up around gangs, I grew up around dope, and my father wasnt there for us. But I actually got a positive out of it. I told myself I was never going to be like that. (Christensen, 2007)

Concept. In Christian religions, the candle represents goodness, spirituality, and specifically Christ, as the light of the world (John 8:1232). Hunter has referenced his faith as an important part of his ability to stay grounded and on the right track in life. Louis Berney (2008) quotes Hunter, My mom raised us in the church. So whenever I got down, whether it was off the field or on the field, I always went to my bible. It kept me strong. Thats what kept me on the right path, just reading my bible and staying with the Lord. Continuing the religious viewing of the image, The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD, searching every innermost part (Proverbs 20:27, New Revised Standard Version). Hunters soul, represented by the baseball lamp, helped direct him out of the dark. He is seen revering it, or raising it up and taking control of where his spirit came to play. This lamp/candlelight metaphor also references an anecdotal moment from his

37 childhood. When the household power had been shut off, he and his brothers played cards by candlelight to pass the time (Hawkins, 2009). As with each painting, I am not looking for a universal reading of the image. I hope that the viewer will draw his/her own conclusions based on their own beliefs or experiences when viewing the poster.

Design and Composition Examination. Hunters stark verticality and central location in the composition lend strength and dignity to the players pose. Paul Messaris (1997, p. 4) reminds us that looking back at someone who is staring at us is a natural reaction; therefore, I have positioned the head so that his gaze will engage the viewer directly and grab their attention. The figure confronts anyone who comes along in a straightforward manner. There is no looking away, fidgeting or wavering by the player. If hung up in a childs room, Hunter will act like a guardian figure, continually watching over the child. The darkness of the lower portion of the Hunter painting lends stability to the overall design. This extra weight at the bottom keeps the central figure grounded and allows the stadium wings to flank up the side and top without causing the image to become top heavy. I have minimized the value and color contrast within this representation of his hometown in order to unify it. The color seems to grow or spring out of the dreary world below. The Pine Bluff representation required some research into the architecture that may be seen in the area. The house from which Torii Hunter emerges is based on a combination of features that I found in photographs of area houses. I searched long and hard for any descriptions of Hunters boyhood home, but found only indications that it

38 was made of brick. The rest of the section is designed with an emphasis on shapes, texture and movement. I began placing the housing elements overtop of a view of the stadium as if from behind home plate. Tracing the yellow foul poles down into the dark, chromatically gray hometown section, the viewer will find subtle suggestions of the underlying stadium design. Angled planes on either side of Hunter stand for the tops of the team dugouts. Nearby, steps and railings lead down to the center house and further allude to a stadium dugout. The building rooflines on the left and angled wooden boards on the right side correspond to the aisles between stadium seating. Everything transitions up into the clearly realized outfield and tiered seating. The purpose was not to have the viewer see this underlying architecture immediately. Moreover, it does not soften the message, even if the audience is oblivious to such details.

The Cubism Solution. The shadows that naturally fall in the stands at game time would be larger on one side than the other. Therefore, creating a realistic interpretation of the stadium lighting in the background would have hurt the overall balance of the nearly symmetrical design. Because I was transitioning between multiple locations and not setting up a single place and time, I decided to embrace the Cubist approach. An art movement begun by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso in the early 1900s, Cubism depicts objects with simplified geometrical shapes, fractured planes, and without regard to natural perspective or light. The use of multiple viewpoints, displayed with angular intersecting planes creates a flattened sense of depth in the cubist works. Rather than blindly adhering to a single light source, this approach provided a freedom to make decisions on lighting that would improve the value pattern of the image. Shapes are

39 arranged, not to create a realistic view of Pine Bluff, but instead a more dynamic impression of a downtrodden area. Planes lean, or angle in ways that move the viewer into the background, as well as to convey physically unsound buildings.

Seeing the Conceptual Layers. Adding an additional layer to the painting is a diagram view of a baseball diamond that guides some of the design decisions. Directly behind Hunter, the viewer can see greens and blue greens creating the grass of an aerial view of the field. In the position of the pitchers mound is the glowing baseball, and first and third base can be found on the facing of the stands, that displays advertisements and information during the games. Second base is not seen, but would fall directly over Hunters nose, where I have established a slightly brighter highlight. Home plate is appropriately located on the door of Hunters house and the window frames can be viewed as outlines for the batters box. The shape of the infield dirt crosses from left to right behind the figure like a paper fan. To create this I have established subtle value shifts and contrast in color or texture. Following the curvature of the dirt shape takes the viewer to the top of Hunters cap and over to the other side. This movement helps slow the upward thrust created by the flanking wing shapes of the stadium seating and roofline. Here is another visual level that the viewer may be unaware of, but which forced me to be more inventive with my design. The wing-like formation of the stadium references not only the team name Angels, but more importantly the mythological Phoenix bird that rises from its own ashes. Hunter has dealt with more than his share of trouble in his life and has persevered to his present success. The failings of his youth have guided him in the present, helping him to protect and enjoy the things that are

40 important to him, like his family, saying that: Everything I did not have or did not do or did not see, I make sure my son has it, does it or sees it. I talk to him about life. We laugh, we have deep conversations about finances, girls. I never had that with my father, and I felt I was behind on a couple things because of that. (DiGiovanna, 2008) For that reason, I have rooted his figure into the ground of his childhood. He literally grows upward, into the man he is today. Sometimes, all these ideas can overwhelm the image and force the artist to simplify. As seen in figures 69, originally the concept included more layering and multiple perspectives. A thunderhead cloud was going to overlap the figure and send a lighting bolt into the baseball causing it to glow. This was my plan, until the painting was underway. The need for removal was obvious. The added complexity was distracting from the original meaning. Finally, by providing a concrete reason for the illumination of the ball, I was taking away the viewers ability to interpret the meaning of the light, and presenting them with an interpretation that they could either accept or reject. Leaving the answer open, allows more people a chance to develop a relationship with the image.

Jimmy Rollins (figure 17) Jimmy Rollins is the all-star shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies. Like the youth audience I am targeting with these posters, he is from the proverbial bad part of town, calling the Buena Vista part of Alameda California home. Rollins is an active participant in numerous charities including both the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the RBI organization. He has been vocal on the need for the development of young African American talent and has expressed concern over the dwindling numbers present in the

41 majors. Recounting the problem, he says, As long as there are single-family homes, its going to be tough to bring blacks back to baseball, the Phillies star shortstop said. You can dribble a basketball by yourself. You only need one other person to throw a football around. Baseball, you need a group of people. This is a game thats usually passed down from our fathers. If our fathers arent around, its going to be tough to keep that legacy going. (qtd. in Jensen) Entering professional baseball, Rollins was acutely aware of how different he was compared to the established order, and not just, because of his contrasting in skin color. Constantly rapping out loud, and full of swagger, even on the base paths, Rollinss behavior rubbed many, including a few teammates, the wrong way (Jones, 2002). His ability to play the game began to earn plaudits. The [former] Phillies general manager Ed Wade holds him up as a role model, a way for baseball to regain all that tradition it has lost, including market share. I want kids to want to be like him, Wade says (Jones).

Design and Composition Examination. In terms of developing this piece, a large portion of the work was simplified by making it primarily two colors. The concept relies on the viewer understanding the reason behind my color decisions, and making the connection with the light beams coming from the stadium lights. I believe that my audience will understand the scenario I am presenting, but expect many adults may be confused. Everything stems from Jimmy Rollinss interest in music (Cabott, 2009). His musical involvement stretches, not only from playing in the high school jazz band and being a huge Jay-Z and Michael Jackson fan, but also to owning Jimmy Rollins Entertainment, which operates a music label. He even has a hip-hop nickname, J-Roll.

42 Talking about how great it would have been to go on tour with Michael Jackson, just to see what its like to be a mega-star. We get a little bit of it, you know we get 40,000 every night to come watch us play. But to have the world in the palm of your hand expecting something great and being able to deliver that every time out would have to be some sort of an experience (Qerim, 2009). Referencing this quote, I wanted to create a stage on which Jimmy Rollins could perform before his 40,000 fans. The stadium is turned into a concert performance with dance club atmosphere and lighting. I have used the colored spotlights to provide contrasting sides on the main figure in ways common to reference images of club and concert lighting. Harkening back to the powder blue road uniforms that the Phillies wore in the 1970s, the colorful light also casts a blue tint over the current home fashion. There is more to creating this concept than adding light and changing colors. The focus of the painting captures Rollins in the midst of turning an acrobatic double play. The viewer is positioned in a lower vantage point as if watching the play unfold on a concert stage. The elevated shortstop figure is afforded greater importance by physically rising up and over the scene. The decision to angle the scene adds to this positive upward movement and creates more dynamic paths through the image. When evaluating the spatial depth of the piece it can be said that the foreground, middle ground (a small outfielder and grass surface), and background are a series of distinct planes. The low angle viewpoint compresses the actual space as a telephoto camera lens might. The transition from foreground to background is not a gradual flow of space. This presents a more theatrical image. Rollins is illuminated against a patterned backdrop as if performing on stage.

43 The strong positive and negative shape of Rollins is important to the overall success of the image. Whenever possible, I have aligned the other figures and elements corresponding to the angles created by Rollinss arms, legs and feet. The figure sliding past second base is New York Mets star David Wright. He plays an important symbolic role in the image. In order to understand his importance, the viewer must be aware of the recent Mets and Phillies rivalry. In 2007, the year after the Mets had won the Division, Jimmy Rollins boldly predicted that they were, the team to beat in the NL East. (Rollins, Phillies confident, 2007). For much of the season, the brash statement looked as if it would be unfounded, until the unthinkable happened in the final month. The Phillies overcame a 7-game deficit to the Mets, by winning 13 of the last 17, while the Mets collapsed, going 512 over the same stretch, and finally relinquished the division to the Phillies on the last day of the season (Shpigel, 2007). The following year, the Phillies once again overtook the Mets in the final month and claimed the Division. The positioning and relative scale of the figures in the painting should be seen as a visual representation of Phillies recent success over the Mets. There is great drama in a pennant race and for a baseball fan like myself; I was able to add this layer to the painting. Finally, the crowd that fills the stadium becomes a complex pattern when taken altogether. The unfortunate truth about this type of abstracted pattern is that the viewer will not fully appreciate the effort that is needed to create it. In order to keep the energy alive while painting hundreds of little people, I stretched the job out over multiple days. I would return to painting the crowd in between working on the other parts of the image.

44 Critical Evaluation. The figure of Rollins has admittedly become somewhat sculptural in nature. I find his form conveys a greater sense of weight than do other figures in the series. This makes his elevated position somewhat miraculous. I question whether some softness on the edge of a leg may provide a blurred movement to the shortstop and lessen the solidity. There may be concern that contrast around the sliding figure is too low. He does have subtle contrasts with the surrounding values, but this is based on real value relationships I observed from photo references. The dirt and road gray uniforms of the Mets are very similar in value. Certainly, they differ in color, but the decision to cast a unifying club lighting imbued the surfaces with the same color. I would also contend that the cloud of dust and dirt causes some mixing of values naturally. There is no danger, at least, of the sliding figure overpowering Jimmy Rollins for dominance in the scene.

CC Sabathia (figure 26) Baseballs a sport where you go out and play catch with your dad. There are not a lot of fathers in a lot of African American communities; there are a lot of single parentsKids grow up with their grandmothers and grandfathersThe easiest thing to do is grab a basketball, or throw a football in the street. (Serby, 2009) CC Sabathia is a Cy Young award-winning pitcher for the New York Yankees. Like Jimmy Rollins, he grew up in the Oakland, California area, specifically Vallejo. With a dad that left at a young age, his mom helped him develop a cool California laidback attitude about life. Forcing him to be accountable to himself, she would take him off the mound and out of the little league game if he whined or threw a fit on the mound (Olney, 2008).

45 Get to Know the Subject. By some quirk of fate, the last two images that I painted, starting with the CC Sabathia painting, were the most challenging and complex to piece together. With Sabathia, I was starting with a greater base of knowledge. Because he played for my hometown Cleveland Indians 7+ years, I have more familiarity with his character and personality. He has always had a strong vibrant presence both on the mound and during interviews. Therefore, it seemed natural to portray him as larger than life. 67 and almost 300 pounds, Sabathias greater than average size makes the exaggeration appropriate. I was acutely aware of the danger that a large African American man towering over New York City could be seen as a reference to King Kong. Given the spirit and purpose of my work, this kind of disrespectful comparison was the last thing I wanted. It was important that I find the joyful and smiling exuberance that CC is known for in his portrait. Buster Olney sums up his personality like this, Sabathia wins, and he smiles. He gets a no-decision in an Indians win, and he smiles. He loses, and the next day he smiles for the benefit of his teammates. After a few quick sketches, I was confident that I would be able to avoid the King Kong resemblance. Drawing upon my firsthand knowledge of the subject again, I set out to establish his pose. During games, Sabathia has been known to reach out and try to snare a line drive hit back at him with his bare hand. In my experience, he is more likely to do so than other pitchers I have watched. I chose a less tense and dangerous moment to highlight, one where his face would not be contorted in aggressive ways, which illustrate the effort required to hurl a baseball above 90 mph. After a strikeout or ground out is recorded, the ball is returned to Sabathia by one of the infielders. From time to time, he will catch the ball barehanded. I have chosen this situation to reference in my painting. Paired with an expression of

46 happiness, he confidently takes the ball. The viewers could even enter the game by imagining they are tossing the ball to Sabathia. As the reader can see in figures 21 and 22, it took some exploration to find the right way to portray this action without communicating a throwing motion.

Design and Composition Examination. The cityscape offers perhaps the clearest realization of the duality concept that ties the series together. A figure towering over a city has frankly been done before, and not just with King Kong and Godzilla monster movies. I needed to take it somewhere new. My inspiration was very simple. While researching New York rooftops, I saw a few gardens established around the water towers and utility enclosures. They were a splash of color amongst the dark and bland building tops. It immediately reminded me of the impact that the grass field has on me when walking through a stadium tunnel and looking onto the field. After that realization, the formation of a game being played across a couple city blocks was not a big stretch. The ubiquitous water towers that dot so many buildings simply became the Yankee team playing the field, complete with pinstripes. The concept really starts to come alive with the addition of grass patterns, infield dirt and a few bases scattered around the image. The coloring took it to the next level. I refrained from doing a color study, as I believed the concept of grass/dirt buildings made color decisions obvious. Once the green and neutral orange were developing, it became clear that I needed to balance the color and complete an approximate triad relationship. This is a color harmony where the colors used are spaced equal distance apart on the color wheel such as red, yellow, and blue or in this case orange, green and violet. I have not adhered strictly to this scheme, but it can

47 be seen as the dominant color plan. The introduction of violet and blue-violet throughout addressed the color problem for me. The low intensity grayish blue of the Yankee caps does not adversely affect the color harmony. Developing the building details required restraint. With every window and architectural detail rendered, it may have overwhelmed an already complex image. By simplifying the buildings, in some cases to more formal abstract shapes, I have given the figure and other moments opportunity to shine. I would point especially to the green building directly behind the right side of Sabathias face as a necessary simplification. With a pattern of windows painted onto the vertical surface of that building, attention on the face of Sabathia would have been shifted slightly and the added value may have caused confusion with the brim of the hat. Rendering more windows would not enhance the concept and in fact could have hindered the readability of the main figure. Whatever the complexity, linear perspective, the system designed to translate our 3-dimensional world to a 2-dimensional surface, was essential for creating a believable scene.

Models and Light. In order to bring this image to life, it was necessary to set up various models to create the cast shadows and establish an effective lighting scheme (figure 40). In particular, a model water tower was created from balsa wood, an empty frosting container, and a paper cone. The rest of the model work for this piece was rather crude. Improvised buildings were also created from soapboxes, shoeboxes, and some folded paper elements. The type of lighting that I used was especially important to the success of the reference and transitively the painting. I needed to produce shadows that mimicked the type normally cast by the sun. Larger light sources will produce softer

48 shadows, while small and concentrated light sources, like the sun, will create shadows with harder edges. Therefore, my situation called for the small light bulb of a halogen desk lamp. It could be easily held at different angles while the reference photos were taken. With a solid understanding of how the light affected the models, I was able to apply that knowledge to the real thing.

Russell Martin (figure 35) Russell Martin is the all-star catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. This story underlines the importance that family can have on someone realizing his potential. With parents that split up before he could walk, there was a great deal of moving around between homes. He spent his childhood, at various times, in Paris, Ottawa, and Montral. Martins mom while supportive is not the basis for my conceptual portrait of the catcher. It was the time he spent with his father that laid the groundwork for big league success. Martins dad would play his saxophone for loose change in the Montral subway during rush hour. Making money was never the end goal. Life was always about his love for music and having time for his son. Rather than working all day in the subway, Martins father chose to spend time in local parks teaching him about baseball and hard work. Finally, the dream that they both had worked for hit a new note, when Russell Sr. played the national anthem before a Dodgers game that his son called behind the plate (Martin, 2007). This kind of background information is like finding gold. Many of the other ball players that I considered illustrating offered little in terms of back-story. Having a rich history, and seemingly opposing elements to draw from, will usually spur creative solutions. While the painting comes at the conclusion of this project

49 for now, the original concept is what really started the ball rolling on the series. The thumbnail (figure 27) for this image was the first one that truly worked. Before that drawing, I felt as though everything I was drawing was too familiar. I was not doing anything that a photograph could not do better. That thumbnail sketch led directly to the increased scale of the Crawford and Sabathia figures compared to their surroundings. It forced me to look at the place, or environment, in different ways. Duality became the real brainstorm. Having the actions of the figure or environment play multiple roles is the thread that connects the images together.

Effect of Influence. Influences can often sneak into an artists work when he is not paying attention. This is the natural result of an artist absorbing all that is around, and building upon that knowledge in order to create something new. Those viewers familiar with art history will see an oversized catcher, crouched in the underground metro tunnel, and immediately make the comparison to Ren Magrittes The Listening Room (1952). It was not an intentional allusion to the painting on my part, but it is something that I recognized while the final work was developing. Being a fan of Magrittes surrealist work since grade school, it is not a surprise that his influence can be found in my work. Beyond the similar staging of an oversized element in a tight space, the images share little in common. Would I have created this image if not for my knowledge of Magritte? Who could realistically answer that? It is important for me to be conscious of any influence that could be present and handle it carefully. Working in the fashion of another artist is a good learning process, but I am at the beginning of a career that should be a lifelong pursuit of whats next. In

50 illustration, as in fashion, there are fads and periods where a certain style is considered hip. I always want to find a way to make something my own, or discover a new direction to take my work. This should help my work stay relevant over the long haul. Inspiration comes and goes, thus making the search for new ones vital to evolving over time. The artists eyes have to be open at all times. That perfect inspiration could strike when least expecting it. The composition has a distinct triangular bias, which lends stability to a figure that can often have great forces bearing down on it. Triangles have long been used in notable Renaissance compositions like da Vincis Mona Lisa (1506). Here again, I must recognize that this painting recalls another work of art. I find an intriguing stare resulted in the final painting of Martin. It was not until I sat down to write this text that I noticed the triangular shapes of the Mona Lisa and Russell Martin were so similar.

Design and Composition Examination. The collage serves a stronger purpose in this image than in the previous ones. The catchers gear was created first with collage to literally build it up the surface and make the drawing wear the equipment. The layers of paper, while minimal compared to the work of other collage artists, begins to lend greater weight to the amount of protection that has to be worn in order to survive behind the plate, or metaphorically on the tracks of life. In the end, the collage work is likely just something that I find interesting, but remaining engaged in the painting is as good a reason as any to do it. I began the painting process by laying in the local color of key regions, like the subway tracks, Dodger blue catchers equipment and subway platforms. In the process,

51 the color scheme leaned almost complementary in nature (blue and orange). In reality, it was a tetrad color scheme of blue, orange, violet and yellow. The tetrad is a balanced color harmony that is derived from drawing a square within the traditional color wheel. This particular Montral metro station is very dim and bland in coloring. As a result, it caused me difficulty while I searched for the right color relationships I saw in my head. Transitioning to the mural above the figure, presented more challenge if I wanted to continue the tetrad scheme. It was important that the colors represented in my modified mural were based on the real mural; otherwise, I risked losing a key characteristic specific to the metro station. My compromise was to neutralize the intensity of the mural colors slightly in order to keep the focus primarily on the figure. In the end, the tetrad scheme was abandoned, but it was an educational experience seeing if it would work. Ordinarily, these color decisions might be explored in a comprehensive study, but my color comps in the past have been hit or miss. I often end up straying from the colors once I get to the final. Ultimately, except for Martins figure, the color palette is muted and neutral, remaining close to the mood one might expect in an underground station. The lighting over the station platforms is an unnatural green hue that seems to fill the tunnel with a fog as the spatial depth increases. When elements advance to the foreground, the green hue becomes less noticeable. The pedestrians filling the station add authenticity to the scene and provide points of interest around the triangular composition. The pedestrian clothing is colored to create movement and balance with the other compositional elements. A hallmark of good design and illustration is careful attention to alignments, and in this piece, the poses and placement of each person are carefully arranged to play off visual alignments with the catcher (figure 34).

52 The mural behind Martins head depicts scenes and elements that relate to his life story, creating another illustration within the painting. It begins on the left with a portrait of saxophonist John Coltrane. Martins father, a saxophonist himself, was such a fan of Coltrane that he paid homage to the legend when he named his son Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin, Jr. The Eiffel Tower can be seen in the upper left corner to represent the time Russell spent in Paris with his mom as a child (Farber, 2007). It transitions to the Parisian Metro entrances that are in Montral. Martin spent a good deal of his formative years in the Notre-Dame-de-Grce (NDG) district of Montral. A local apartment and members of his NDG little league team are represented next. The trees and field reflect where he and his father would play games of pepper, eventually leading to the greener pastures of professional baseball. Representing the Jacksonville Suns, Martins AA minor league team, a baseball/sun peaks between the trees. The right third of the mural shows life in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The unique outfield roofline and palm trees help identify Dodger Stadium. A single player is seen stretching, stepping forward and beginning to run symbolically describes Martins advancement to the pro ball. Lastly, his parents are part of the crowd enjoying an evening game at the ballpark. They also look down approvingly on the figure crouching in the metro station.

The Significance of Reference Material. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for me to understand how something works if I am going to paint it convincingly. While I have mentioned it previously, it is probably best illustrated in the Russell Martin painting. I am certain that relying solely on Internet photos to construct

53 the catchers gear would have been a nightmare. Luckily, the majority of Martins Nike endorsed gear is available to the public. His catchers mask was however unavailable. Some equipment is only offered to professionals. Catchers masks are relatively standard, so the variations in shape and color were easy enough to adapt from another mask. Knowing that I was not going to be satisfied cobbling the gear together from multiple photo sources, and not being able to find a strong enough single image to match the sketch I had developed, I purchased the equipment from an online retailer. Never having played on an organized team, let alone donned the tools of ignorance as catchers gear is known, I was automatically impressed with how tough a catcher must be. Now in possession of real equipment, I could create the reference that was necessary to bring the image to life. First on the agenda was establishing a strong light source that would indicate Martin is facing an oncoming metro train. This kind of lighting was not going to be believable if I had used a conglomeration of photos. In the process of posing for the photos, I found a view of the eyes through the top spaces in the catchers mask rather than the more ordinary center opening. This is not something I would have been able to imagine from typical photos of catchers. Having the real gear in my possession also allowed me to fully realize the reflective quality of the leg guards and see the way the connecting straps wrapped around the leg.

Changes in Approach. Over an extended series, it is likely for outcomes to evolve and change slightly. On the earlier paintings, I continually realized the need for further development of my drawings before painting a feature. In these instances, the painting progression had to stop in order for me to find better reference, or to fix an error

54 in the drawing. With the Russell Martin piece, I made a significant effort to create a very tight line drawing of the main figure (figure 29) before beginning the final. Doing this was a huge help in forming the catchers gear in collage. However, some areas could not be fully tightened at the half-size, such as the mural and waiting passengers. Problems with such tiny parts of the drawing always become greater when scaling up to full size. To better allocate my time, I used placeholder shapes that would be refined once the drawing was enlarged onto the masonite board. The other development in the series was an expected increase in skill with the paint. It has become easier to get a gradation or blend right the first time. A close comparison of the Carl Crawford painting (figure 5) and the Martin painting (figure 35) will show more finicky brush marks in the former, especially in Crawfords uniform.

Grady Sizemore In Progress Development (figure 3638) The last player I will discuss is also a look ahead. His portrait is shown only in the developmental stages. Grady Sizemore is the all-star center fielder for the Cleveland Indians. His personality and relatively unremarkable childhood may make his presence in this group of players somewhat questionable to an outside viewer. He was included to appeal to my local market. With CC Sabathia now playing for New York, I thought it important to have someone from the Indians represented in the project. The plan all along was to receive feedback from the inner city youth market that I am targeting. The timeframe and monetary limitations of the work necessitated a local star to be chosen. Merely showing players from other teams to the kids could have faced some resistance, if they are at all loyal to the Cleveland teams. Sizemore is the only star player with African

55 American heritage on the team. There are a couple of youngsters shuffling back and forth between AAA and the majors, but no one else was an option for the project. Like Russell Martin, he is of mixed race descent, so the public as a whole may not be aware of his Black heritage. In the past years, he has been the default face of a franchise that has traded the other star players. Injuries have beset him the last two years sapping a good deal of his on field production and marketability, but he remains a quiet leader on the team and offensive spark when in the lineup. My only real option for the conceptual portrait was to play off his frequent comparison to Superman, by fans and opponents alike (Verducci, 2007). Setting up a version of the flag that would satisfy the role of cape, while still existing in the background, necessitated another photo shoot to create the reference (figure 46). The stars on the flag have to be closer to the viewer for the illusion to work, but the most common photograph of a flag is shot from below, making the stripes closer. It became clear that I was not going to find the photo for this part of the painting. A quick trip home to borrow a flag, a tripod, and a sunny day solved the problem. Over 100 flag-waving pictures later, I had the reference I will need. The secondary allusion is to Greek and Roman mythology. Sizemore is quoted in Cleveland Magazine that watching the history channel with his dad got him interested in Greeks and Romans and that kind of stuff.it totally fascinates me (Roberts, 2006, 110). His pose and the presence of bird wings close to his shoes allude to Hermes, best known as the Greek messenger god, but also the god of sports. A big highlight of the work was visiting Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians. Due to the close proximity of Cleveland to Kent State, I was able to arrange an on-field visit, in order to take reference pictures for the painting. On a class trip a number

56 of years ago, I had visited the old Yankee Stadium, but as with many things, age and experience allow for a more nuanced appreciation of the situation. Being able to walk along the warning track of the field and see the grass up close was very energizing. It allowed me to get very specific reference that will only make the final image stronger. Being able to touch, or actually see something firsthand forms a deeper connection to the subject, than any photo ever could. The visit will make possible a more convincing resolution to the time of day in the eventual painting as well. Building the stadium from multiple photos, each with different lighting scenarios, can make establishing a unified light source more difficult. Figure 37 shows options in the developmental process that is still underway. At times, my decision to work 16 x 20 inches rather than the final poster size of 18 x 24 inches has been troublesome. Before now, it has not been worth mentioning. However, because the trip to Cleveland provided me with accurate reference of the stadium, I had to alter the exaggerated proportions of the light towers on the roof to match the realism established by the first five paintings. The placement on the edge of the frame causes a dangerous tension if it ends up being cropped too tightly. Also detailed in the sketch variations is a version that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud (figure 37). Progressive Field has been home to gulls from time to time during games. It became such an issue that the team began setting off fireworks in between innings to scare them away. Not only would their inclusion reference, Up in the sky, look: Its a bird. Its a plane. Its Superman, but they also provide a rhythmic dance around the figure (Fleischer, 1941). I like to think that only someone familiar with the team would add gulls to the painting. As the old adage goes, write what you know. The better I can get to know the subject, the

57 more insight I will ultimately be able to provide. At times in the previous work, I felt as if having a bit more inside information would make for a stronger final painting. The last point I will mention on this work is that when illustrating a moving object, and in this case, a jumping figure, it is important to consider the placement inside the live area of the painting. The sense of movement will be greater if it appears that the figure has just jumped across the board. In other words, by placing him closer to the top or left sides his leaping ability will be enhanced. This was a principle that I also employed in the Jimmy Rollins piece (figure 17).

Poster Treatments (figures 4751) I have approached this work, at times, with a less business-oriented mindset. My previous experience has been with editorial-based illustration. Deadlines are short and paintings are small. For this project, weeks were needed to create each image, and it was common for me to lose sight of the work as a poster. I found myself thinking about painting more as a gallery artist might. Would I want to hang this on my wall? Will it engage the viewer over a longer period of time? It was necessary to constantly remind myself that clear readability is vital to a posters success. The increased scale of an 18 x 24 inch poster was new territory for me as well. Since I chose to work slightly smaller than final poster size, my technique had to withstand the increased scrutiny of enlargement. Once a painting was complete, it was scanned in multiple pieces and assembled in Photoshop as a complete image. The potential uses for these posters as a marketing tool are important. Because the RBI program operates with Boys & Girls Clubs and more as a charity organization, the

58 need for versatility in the advertisements should be recognized. Volunteers can be found to hang posters in high traffic areas frequented by youths. Since, a well-received poster is often one that disappears off the wall, another can be hung up as needed. They could be used for incentive or as part of a welcome package to new participants in the club. Should the ballplayer himself make an appearance at a special function or event, the posters could be made available for children to have autographed as well. In consultation with my contacts at the RBI organization, I chose the slogan, Reclaim the Game, from a series of options I created for the typographic message. The text included on the posters was kept minimal in order to allow the image to remain dominant. The color distinguishing Re, in Reclaim, suggests the existing history of African American participation in baseball, and perhaps creates a pause in the viewers reading of the headline. The text is simple and direct, like the message it conveys. The players name is included to further recognition with the audience, and to serve as an introduction to those unfamiliar with baseball. The hometown of each player is listed to suggest the similar inner city upbringing, and provide a counterpoint to the name. The audience should have a general familiarity with the local professional teams logo, even if they do not watch them play. Therefore, listing the current city and team names is unnecessary. The last element added was the RBI logo. I inquired about a vector version of the logo from the RBI officials, but after some time waiting for a response, gave up and traced the Internet available bitmap version myself in Adobe Illustrator. Ultimately, the transformation of the paintings into real posters brings a sense of accomplishment.

59 Meeting the Children It was not until very late in the process that I was able to see how the children responded to the paintings. Thankfully, Jack Evans at the Akron Boys & Girls Club was able to arrange time for a visit with the children. The group of approximately 30-35 boys & girls ranged in age from 715, and over 90% were African-American. The gender split leaned heavier on girls, but this covered a good portion of my intended audience. I met with a small number of kids at a time, so that they would be more open to discussing their opinions. Overall, the response was positive to the images. Lots of excited you did these?! and I wish I could draw like that, remarks were expressed. Only one boy and one girl claimed baseball/softball as a favorite sport. For the rest, it was basketball or football. However, though the players were mostly unknown to the kids, they all seemed to enjoy looking at, and unfortunately touching the paintings. The collage elements that I used created a need to feel it, in order to believe it. The younger kids were more likely to gravitate toward an image because of colors, with the girls choosing the pink/violet colored Jimmy Rollins painting (figure 17) as their favorite most often. The other paintings surprisingly garnered nearly equal fans among the audience. The children seemed to especially like how big the figures are in regards to their surroundings, with CC Sabathia (figure 26) generating the most discussion about his scale and fun animated appearance. Unfortunately, everyone did not understand the layers of meaning that inspired the images. Their comprehension of the images seemed to increase with the age. The Torii Hunter painting (figure 11) provided the best example of this increasing insight. Two of the children suggested that the baseball was glowing because of the Angels. The phoenix metaphor did not make an impact until I asked them about the

60 birds appearance in the Harry Potter series. For at least one kid the message was then clear, Oh, so hes risin out of the hood. The younger children went for the less serious images first, saying about the Rollins piece, Cool, looks like hes flying. The addition of the splashing puddle water in the Carl Crawford (figure 5) piece was also a favorite. One child even acted it out, stomping her foot down and flinging her hands up to indicate the water splashing. Finally, the Russell Martin image (figure 35) was chosen by a few kids as being their favorite because, It looks the most real. This was a direct result of my ability with the paint reaching a peak at the end of the series. They were overall curious about the work and the reasons why a player was here or there, but I dont believe it reflected an increased interest in baseball. The reactions were more of amazement with the artwork, not the subjects in the art. At least part of my goal was achieved; I had to disappoint a few kids who wanted to take home a poster of their favorite painting, or asked if I would be selling them in a store.

61 Chapter V Conclusion

The illustrated poster series that I have developed for this thesis is a new way of appealing to urban youth. The portraits are a thought-provoking look at African American baseball players that deserve greater recognition. Ingrained into the paintings, both conceptually and visually, are the mythic qualities that baseball values and celebrates. Tying the images together as a series is a visual duality that becomes the tool for building the greater narrative. Advertising that "morphs" different images together, as I have throughout the series, "can be endlessly fascinating as an attention-getting device" (Messaris, 1997, p. 7). While the intended audience did not always understand the meaning in every element depicted, it was clear that they appreciated the art. The reader has seen my plan for continuing the series with the Grady Sizemore portrait, but there remain more players worthy of attention. Thumbnails and preliminary drawings are already under way for the next group of players to be illustrated (figure 52). This series has immense potential for development beyond the current finite solution. Expanding on my vision for the paintings, illustrators from other parts of the country could be invited to interpret their hometown player, inserting specific local flavors into the image. The work could be gathered together for display at important baseball related functions and eventually auctioned off to raise money for the RBI and Boys & Girls Club programs. In addition, if given the opportunity to work in conjunction with the actual player, a larger narrative may be developed. The possibility for more elaborate stories of a single ballplayer, carried out over multiple images and in combination with the written

62 word, is a natural segue into childrens books. Given the reaction of the kids to the paintings, in order for the larger messages to be communicated, additional images would be helpful to round out the story. Beyond the other players that might be illustrated, new avenues for artwork need to be explored. The potential for advertising diversification with the style and look of an illustrator is great. The fascination with photography is not going away anytime soon. As illustrators, we need to provide that which the snapshot cannot, a focused concept and thought-provoking aesthetics. By appealing to the mind as well as the eye, illustration can show that like baseball, it, too, can be relevant once again.

63

FIGURES

64

Figure 1. Thumbnail drawings (Carl Crawford). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

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Figure 2. Linear rough and value comprehensive (Carl Crawford). Graphite on paper, 5.25 x 4 in.

66

Figure 3. Color comprehensive (Carl Crawford). Digital, 5.25 x 4 in.

67

Figure 4. Linear comprehensive (Carl Crawford). Graphite on paper, 8.75 x 6.5 in.

68

Figure 5. Final painting (Carl Crawford). Acrylic and collage on masonite, 20 x 16 in.

69

Figure 6. Thumbnail drawings (Torii Hunter). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

70

Figure 7. Drawing roughs (Torii Hunter). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

71

Figure 8. Linear comprehensive (Torii Hunter). Graphite on paper, 6.5 x 5 in.

72

Figure 9. Color comprehensive (Torii Hunter). Digital, 6.5 x 5 in.

73

Figure 10. Full-size contour drawing (Torii Hunter). Graphite on tracing paper, 11x14 in. Post-it notes list digital photos that were used for reference.

74

Figure 11. Final painting (Torii Hunter). Acrylic and collage on masonite, 20 x 16 in.

75

Figure 12. Concept icons and thumbnail drawings (Jimmy Rollins). Graphite on paper.

76

Figure 13. Thumbnail drawings (Jimmy Rollins). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

77

Figure 14. Value comprehensive (Jimmy Rollins). Graphite on paper, 5.5 x 7.5 in.

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Figure 15. Color comprehensive (Jimmy Rollins). Digital, 5.5 x 7.5 in.

79

Figure 16. Final comprehensive (Jimmy Rollins). Value added on a tracing paper overlay. Graphite on paper, 9 x 6.75 in.

80

Figure 17. Final painting (Jimmy Rollins). Acrylic and collage on masonite, 20 x 16 in.

81

Figure 18. Thumbnail drawings (CC Sabathia). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

82

Figure 19. Drawing rough (CC Sabathia). Graphite on paper, 7.75 x 6 in.

83

Figure 20. Refined drawing rough with tracing paper overlay (CC Sabathia). Graphite on paper, 8.5 x 11 in.

84

Figure 21. Drawing roughs: Continued explorations with tracing paper (CC Sabathia). Graphite on paper.

85

Figure 22. Drawing roughs and compositional explorations (CC Sabathia). Graphite on paper, composed digitally, 11 x 8.5 in.

86

Figure 23. Linear comprehensive (CC Sabathia). Graphite on paper, 12 x 9 in.

87

Figure 24. Process photos of the CC Sabathia painting. See these steps animated here: http://primaryhughes.blogspot.com/2010/04/sabathia-painting-process-step-by-step.html

88

Figure 25. Close-up view of the collage elements (CC Sabathia).

89

Figure 26. Final painting (CC Sabathia). Acrylic and collage on masonite, 20 x 16 in.

90

Figure 27. Thumbnail drawings (Russell Martin). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

91

Figure 28. Drawing roughs on my desk (Russell Martin). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

92

Figure 29. Final linear drawing of figure (Russell Martin). Graphite on paper, 9 x 7 in. Drawing was scanned and used in digital comprehensive.

93

Figure 30. Subway mural drawing development (Russell Martin). Graphite on paper, 9 x 7 in. Bottom drawing was scanned and used in digital comprehensive.

94

Figure 31. Subway perspective drawing (Russell Martin). Graphite on paper, 9 x 7 in. Drawing was scanned and used in digital comprehensive.

95

Figure 32. Linear comprehensive (Russell Martin). Graphite on paper, digital, 9 x 7 in. Drawings were scanned and arranged digitally in Photoshop.

96

Figure 33. Photoshop assembly of the final line drawing. In the screenshot above, you will find a separate Photoshop layer named for each of the figures drawn individually.

97

Figure 34. Compositional alignments (Russell Martin). The pedestrians are arranged based on visual alignment with parts of the main figure. Blue lines highlight some of these relationships. Graphite on paper, composed digitally, 12 x 16 in.

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Figure 35. Final painting (Russell Martin). Acrylic and collage on masonite, 20 x 16 in.

99

Figure 36. Thumbnail drawings (Grady Sizemore). Graphite on paper, various sizes.

100

Figure 37. Drawing roughs (Grady Sizemore). Graphite on paper, composed digitally, various sizes. Grouping above shows variations in flag construction. Grouping below shows the chosen flag and compositional options.

101

Figure 38. Linear comprehensive (Grady Sizemore). Graphite on paper, composed digitally, 10 x 7.5 in. The gray box marks the actual cropping dimensions, and allows me to see where elements are cut out of the image.

102

Figure 39. Concept icons and lists. Graphite on paper, various sizes.

103

Figure 40. Photo reference of scale models (CC Sabathia).

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Figure 41. Photo reference (CC Sabathia and Carl Crawford).

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Figure 42. Photo reference (Torii Hunter).

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Figure 43. Photo reference (Jimmy Rollins).

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Figure 44. Main photo reference (Russell Martin).

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Figure 45. Secondary photo reference (Russell Martin).

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Figure 46. Photo reference (Grady Sizemore).

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Figure 47. Poster treatment (Carl Crawford). 24 x 18 in.

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Figure 48. Poster treatment (Torii Hunter). 24 x 18 in.

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Figure 49. Poster treatment (Jimmy Rollins). 24 x 18 in.

113

Figure 50. Poster treatment (CC Sabathia). 24 x 18 in.

114

Figure 51. Poster treatment (Russell Martin). 24 x 18 in.

115

Figure 52. Thumbnail drawings for future paintings. Graphite on paper, various sizes. Ryan Howard (above) and B.J. and Justin Upton (below).

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