Thursday: It Takes Two To Tango
Hello everyone, and welcome to another Thursday post from yours truly. As we're getting ready for a weekend-long outdoor hockey party, we here at HJC are having our own big event, the Pairs Competition.
Inspired by Olympic figure skating, this event pits teams of two against each other to create a logo and jersey set (among other things) for a brand new team. For the first time in way too long, I'm actually going to be part of this competition, bringing on my good friend and HJC viewer Chris A. on board for this project. Originally, we wanted to make a team based from London, England; but as the rules prevented that, we chose another team. Its the first collaboration since high school for the two of us, and it should be a fun project.
The competition is going to be fierce, and there are so many variables that can make this competition go to any of the competitors. Being a Multimedia Productions student, projects like this aren't uncommon, but I think I'm looking forward to this project more than any school or college project ever. Good luck to all of the competitors, and I'm looking forward to see everyone's designs.
The presentations will be posted on the HJC Design Blog, and the schedule for those presentations can be seen here: http://www.hjcdesignblog.blogspot.ca/2014/02/pairs-competition-presentation-schedule.html
Now that I'm done shamelessly self-promoting myself, its time for the concepts!
Team USA Concept - David P.
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Yay: Lets start today with new Team USA looks. At this point, anything that isn't an exact replica of the Slovakia jerseys is a good start. The diagonal sash is something I'd expect to see in soccer; but considering that the USA uniforms looked soccer-ish anyway, and yet still looked solid, I suppose this could work too. It looks sharp, and very Nike-like. The 3rd is pretty solid as well, even though I'd prefer their old-school 3rd that they used.
Nay: There's pixel issues aplenty here, as well as loose white pixels around the logo. Plus, I could be wrong, but I don't remember the USA logo looking that... shiny? I think just straight up colour with no lighting effects would be better, whether they actually used it or not. On the red 3rd, its a little too plain as is to be a good alternate, but a different logo would make a ton of difference there.
Overall: This concept is good, like Team USA, but both only get participation ribbons this time. 7.3/10
Washington Capitals Concept - Dallas K.
Yay: Next is a mix of eras for the Washington Capitals, using the 90's colours and current alternate logo. This is the type of thing I'd like to see at Washington's next outdoor game. The logo looks great in the new colours, the striping pattern is different but still pretty classic looking, and in general the jersey looks pretty sharp.
Nay: The jersey is nice, but I think it's missing a little something. There is just way too much blue. So maybe some coloured cuffs, or a yoke, that would fix it perfectly. That's pretty much all of my complaints.
Overall: I like it, and would be happy to see this for the Caps, especially in an outdoor game. 8.2/10
Isles of Kayphortein Concept - Dallas K.
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Yay: Here's Dallas' "Design A Country" concept, making a cool jersey set for the fictional Isles of Kayphortein. What I really like is the fact that he even gives a background of his country to give the concept some context. I'm disappointed that he only got 1 vote (from me, by the way), because I thought this was easily the coolest, most original concept in the competition. It does have a few issues, but the concept, especially the story and the white jersey, are straight-up fantastic.
Nay: If any part of the concept lost votes, I think it would be the black jersey. While I'd prefer a large, centered logo, this logo doesn't translate well on the "3D" template. Maybe an outline, or background, on the logo would help. Then there's the shoulder patch. I think it should be more consistent on both jerseys, with grey on the bottom instead of black. It looks okay on the white jersey, but it gets lost on the black jersey. Finally, the black jersey has dark purple numbers, and that just won't do.
Overall: Okay, so I've probably pointed out enough reasons why this concept didn't win, but I stand behind my first-place vote because of the white jersey and back-story. Very original and very cool. 8/10
Country of Philobeckia Concept - Phil B.
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Yay: Sticking with fictional countries, welcome to Philobeckia. I didn't vote for this one, but if the vote was for best name, this would win hands down. This concept is pretty cool. It's a simple, traditional design, besides the diagonal sash in the front to support the diagonal text. Diagonal sashes are hard to do while looking good, but these look pretty solid. I also like the idea of the flags on the arms.
Nay: I like the idea of it, but it could be executed better. I think if they blended in right with the arms, without the small outline around it, it would look cool. And as much as I like keeping things symmetrical, I'm not sure the flag has to be inverted on the blue jersey. If it stays the same, the arms will look different, sure. But the diagonal stripes would be a cool look I think. The rest of the jersey looks too plain for me, and the blue jersey could use some white somewhere.
Overall: I like the ideas used in the concept, but execution could be a little better. Good effort though. 7.5/10
San Jose Sharks Concept - Aiden C.
Yay: Next we have Aiden, who I've only seen on here since yesterday. If you're a newbie to HJC, welcome aboard. If you've been here for a while, sorry that I wasn't paying attention. Anyways, This concept is an attempt to make the Sharks flaunt their orange colour, while throwing in a sleek black 3rd. While I'm not a fan of the style, its a pretty bold, original look, which is always something I value. Glad to see an alternate logo used on the 3rd, opposed to using the same logo.
Nay: The problem is, there is just way too much orange. Unless the logo was recoloured, or another logo was used (http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/sfkxfsvkkklusgk94vgo/San_Jose_Sharks/2008/Secondary_Logo) with more orange in it, the logo looks too out of place. The full white arms on the teal jersey look strange, and the other jerseys look alright, but plain. Finally, TV numbers are a must if you want a legitimate looking concept.
Note: Always remember to put your name or some ID somewhere on the concept image.
Overall: Its part wacky, part plain, and part cool. Way too much orange, not enough execution, but a good amount of effort. This concept does have potential. 5.4/10
Montreal Maroons Concept - Aiden C.
Yay: Aiden comes back with an old classic team, the Montreal Maroons. The jerseys look a lot cleaner and more refined than the last concept, and the traditional look for stripes works well in this case. The equipment looks much better too. In general, this concept is pretty solid.
Nay: Again, TV numbers are needed, and you should put your name or ID somewhere on the concept. The logo is just an 'M', as it should be, but as is it looks way too plain. A good fix would be adding an outline, and using a blocky or san-serif font. While this font works because it looks old, generally serif fonts don't look well on sports jerseys, unless they're really blocky. And if you want to add an outline on the yoke, you did it the right way, but it will look better if you get rid of the outline on the top of the yoke. The reason is that the yoke generally reaches the back of the jersey, where you can't see. So to give your 2D concept 3D realism, you have to take that into consideration.
Overall: My "Nay" section was longer on this concept compared to the last one, but that doesn't reflect the actual score. This concept still needs work, but is a huge improvement. 6.1/10
Buffalo Sabres Concept - Caleb F.
Yay: And now for something completely different. Here is a Sabres concept from Caleb, which could easily pass as a fauxback used in an outdoor game. If heritage is the name of the game, the stripes work very well for this jersey. The font is pretty much what this type of jersey should have. I really like that the old logo is used, and everything here pretty much says outdoor old-time hockey, so I like it.
Nay: The one big thing that stops this good concept from being great is the logo. Yes, I'm happy the old logo is used, but the problem is the yellow colouring. I'm sure that yellow stripes would take away from the old look this jersey has, but since there is nowhere on the jersey with yellow, the logo is very distracting in a negative way. Here's a possible solution: keep the yellow on the sabre handles, make the outer ring white, and add a second outer ring, coloured blue. Or, you could just use a shade of grey instead, and it wouldn't be as distracting. Something like that.
Overall: I really like this concept and I really want to give it a good score, but the logo needs to be fixed somehow before I could do that. I'd really love to see a revised version of this. 7.1/10
Nashville Predators Concept - Caleb F.
Yay: Caleb stays on the path of monochromity (just pretend it's a real word) with this Predators concept. The all-yellow/blue logo looks pretty awesome. The font choice is good, everything is the right size, and execution is pretty much on the mark, so good job.
Nay: I'm not a fan of this concept because of the jersey style. The all-blue jersey with spider-like yellow piping throughout just looks really strange. I can't really put it to words, and its cool because its different, but I just don't like it. This jersey is also way too dark for my liking, and could be tons better with a little bit of white.
Overall: The idea is there, but I'm not really sold on it. It is very different, which is cool when it works, but not when it doesn't. 6.9/10
Buffalo Sabres Concept - Colin M.
Yay: And now for something completely... wait I said that already. Well we're going from wacky to wackier with Colin's Sabres alternate. But while I said "completely different" doesn't always work, this one does. This attempt at a yellow Sabres 3rd is something never before done in the NHL, but I think it's brilliant. The striping pattern is fairly simple, and it does follow through the rest of the jersey. The swords in the front are just as flamboyant but less ugly than the current 3rd "cape-thing", and the execution on the concept is great.
Nay: I'm not sure that I like the white gap between the yellow and blue on the jersey. There either has to be a thicker white gap, or none at all, I think. I also don't like the yellow outline on the blue name, as well as the yellow "Reebok" logo that is near impossible to see.
Overall: I have no idea how this would look on the ice, but it makes me think of the Russian white jerseys in a way, and they looked cool once they were on the ice. This concept is an awesome shade of ugly, but I think its as cool and original as we could get for a good Sabres 3rd. 8.4/10
Florida Panthers Concept - Colin M.
Yay: Not sure if Florida 3rd, or Kazakhstan 3rd. Apparently its Florida, so I'll go with that. It is a very , very, very different look for the team, but again Colin finds a way to make it look cool. Complete with a recoloured logo sans-red, enough sunshine to make the state proud, and all of the light blue everyone loved*, this uniform actually looks pretty good. It's almost like a classic, Florida version of the Nordiques jerseys, sort of. Either way, I like it.
Nay: *Sarcasm. Why does Florida need the light blue colour back? It's not a main colour, or a secondary colour, or any sort of team colour until their latest 3rd jersey came out, which was generally hated. Florida has always been red, gold and dark blue; light-blue not required. The two shades used here make this the best jersey Kazakhstan has never worn but probably should. Other than that, my only worry is that the gold outline on white numbers isn't a good combo, especially on a lighter-coloured background like this.
Overall: This is more of a legitimate-looking hockey jersey than the previous concept, but it is lacking the wow factor, and it's light blue. Just can't get over that. The concept is done well though. 7.9/10
Jordan R.'s Artist Card
Before we run off today, let's take a look at Jordan R's Artist Card. Really cool that he is overseas, playing in the U.S. Army's Band. I really like his favourite players, good selections of all-time and current players. I knew his concepts were pretty cool, but now I see that he seems like a cool guy in general. Thanks for this, Jordan.
Inspired by Olympic figure skating, this event pits teams of two against each other to create a logo and jersey set (among other things) for a brand new team. For the first time in way too long, I'm actually going to be part of this competition, bringing on my good friend and HJC viewer Chris A. on board for this project. Originally, we wanted to make a team based from London, England; but as the rules prevented that, we chose another team. Its the first collaboration since high school for the two of us, and it should be a fun project.
The competition is going to be fierce, and there are so many variables that can make this competition go to any of the competitors. Being a Multimedia Productions student, projects like this aren't uncommon, but I think I'm looking forward to this project more than any school or college project ever. Good luck to all of the competitors, and I'm looking forward to see everyone's designs.
The presentations will be posted on the HJC Design Blog, and the schedule for those presentations can be seen here: http://www.hjcdesignblog.blogspot.ca/2014/02/pairs-competition-presentation-schedule.html
Now that I'm done shamelessly self-promoting myself, its time for the concepts!
COTW Feb 17-23 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)
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Team USA Concept - David P.
Yay: Lets start today with new Team USA looks. At this point, anything that isn't an exact replica of the Slovakia jerseys is a good start. The diagonal sash is something I'd expect to see in soccer; but considering that the USA uniforms looked soccer-ish anyway, and yet still looked solid, I suppose this could work too. It looks sharp, and very Nike-like. The 3rd is pretty solid as well, even though I'd prefer their old-school 3rd that they used.
Nay: There's pixel issues aplenty here, as well as loose white pixels around the logo. Plus, I could be wrong, but I don't remember the USA logo looking that... shiny? I think just straight up colour with no lighting effects would be better, whether they actually used it or not. On the red 3rd, its a little too plain as is to be a good alternate, but a different logo would make a ton of difference there.
Overall: This concept is good, like Team USA, but both only get participation ribbons this time. 7.3/10
Washington Capitals Concept - Dallas K.
Yay: Next is a mix of eras for the Washington Capitals, using the 90's colours and current alternate logo. This is the type of thing I'd like to see at Washington's next outdoor game. The logo looks great in the new colours, the striping pattern is different but still pretty classic looking, and in general the jersey looks pretty sharp.
Nay: The jersey is nice, but I think it's missing a little something. There is just way too much blue. So maybe some coloured cuffs, or a yoke, that would fix it perfectly. That's pretty much all of my complaints.
Overall: I like it, and would be happy to see this for the Caps, especially in an outdoor game. 8.2/10
Isles of Kayphortein Concept - Dallas K.
Yay: Here's Dallas' "Design A Country" concept, making a cool jersey set for the fictional Isles of Kayphortein. What I really like is the fact that he even gives a background of his country to give the concept some context. I'm disappointed that he only got 1 vote (from me, by the way), because I thought this was easily the coolest, most original concept in the competition. It does have a few issues, but the concept, especially the story and the white jersey, are straight-up fantastic.
Nay: If any part of the concept lost votes, I think it would be the black jersey. While I'd prefer a large, centered logo, this logo doesn't translate well on the "3D" template. Maybe an outline, or background, on the logo would help. Then there's the shoulder patch. I think it should be more consistent on both jerseys, with grey on the bottom instead of black. It looks okay on the white jersey, but it gets lost on the black jersey. Finally, the black jersey has dark purple numbers, and that just won't do.
Overall: Okay, so I've probably pointed out enough reasons why this concept didn't win, but I stand behind my first-place vote because of the white jersey and back-story. Very original and very cool. 8/10
Country of Philobeckia Concept - Phil B.
Yay: Sticking with fictional countries, welcome to Philobeckia. I didn't vote for this one, but if the vote was for best name, this would win hands down. This concept is pretty cool. It's a simple, traditional design, besides the diagonal sash in the front to support the diagonal text. Diagonal sashes are hard to do while looking good, but these look pretty solid. I also like the idea of the flags on the arms.
Nay: I like the idea of it, but it could be executed better. I think if they blended in right with the arms, without the small outline around it, it would look cool. And as much as I like keeping things symmetrical, I'm not sure the flag has to be inverted on the blue jersey. If it stays the same, the arms will look different, sure. But the diagonal stripes would be a cool look I think. The rest of the jersey looks too plain for me, and the blue jersey could use some white somewhere.
Overall: I like the ideas used in the concept, but execution could be a little better. Good effort though. 7.5/10
San Jose Sharks Concept - Aiden C.
Yay: Next we have Aiden, who I've only seen on here since yesterday. If you're a newbie to HJC, welcome aboard. If you've been here for a while, sorry that I wasn't paying attention. Anyways, This concept is an attempt to make the Sharks flaunt their orange colour, while throwing in a sleek black 3rd. While I'm not a fan of the style, its a pretty bold, original look, which is always something I value. Glad to see an alternate logo used on the 3rd, opposed to using the same logo.
Nay: The problem is, there is just way too much orange. Unless the logo was recoloured, or another logo was used (http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/sfkxfsvkkklusgk94vgo/San_Jose_Sharks/2008/Secondary_Logo) with more orange in it, the logo looks too out of place. The full white arms on the teal jersey look strange, and the other jerseys look alright, but plain. Finally, TV numbers are a must if you want a legitimate looking concept.
Note: Always remember to put your name or some ID somewhere on the concept image.
Overall: Its part wacky, part plain, and part cool. Way too much orange, not enough execution, but a good amount of effort. This concept does have potential. 5.4/10
Montreal Maroons Concept - Aiden C.
Yay: Aiden comes back with an old classic team, the Montreal Maroons. The jerseys look a lot cleaner and more refined than the last concept, and the traditional look for stripes works well in this case. The equipment looks much better too. In general, this concept is pretty solid.
Nay: Again, TV numbers are needed, and you should put your name or ID somewhere on the concept. The logo is just an 'M', as it should be, but as is it looks way too plain. A good fix would be adding an outline, and using a blocky or san-serif font. While this font works because it looks old, generally serif fonts don't look well on sports jerseys, unless they're really blocky. And if you want to add an outline on the yoke, you did it the right way, but it will look better if you get rid of the outline on the top of the yoke. The reason is that the yoke generally reaches the back of the jersey, where you can't see. So to give your 2D concept 3D realism, you have to take that into consideration.
Overall: My "Nay" section was longer on this concept compared to the last one, but that doesn't reflect the actual score. This concept still needs work, but is a huge improvement. 6.1/10
Buffalo Sabres Concept - Caleb F.
Yay: And now for something completely different. Here is a Sabres concept from Caleb, which could easily pass as a fauxback used in an outdoor game. If heritage is the name of the game, the stripes work very well for this jersey. The font is pretty much what this type of jersey should have. I really like that the old logo is used, and everything here pretty much says outdoor old-time hockey, so I like it.
Nay: The one big thing that stops this good concept from being great is the logo. Yes, I'm happy the old logo is used, but the problem is the yellow colouring. I'm sure that yellow stripes would take away from the old look this jersey has, but since there is nowhere on the jersey with yellow, the logo is very distracting in a negative way. Here's a possible solution: keep the yellow on the sabre handles, make the outer ring white, and add a second outer ring, coloured blue. Or, you could just use a shade of grey instead, and it wouldn't be as distracting. Something like that.
Overall: I really like this concept and I really want to give it a good score, but the logo needs to be fixed somehow before I could do that. I'd really love to see a revised version of this. 7.1/10
Nashville Predators Concept - Caleb F.
Yay: Caleb stays on the path of monochromity (just pretend it's a real word) with this Predators concept. The all-yellow/blue logo looks pretty awesome. The font choice is good, everything is the right size, and execution is pretty much on the mark, so good job.
Nay: I'm not a fan of this concept because of the jersey style. The all-blue jersey with spider-like yellow piping throughout just looks really strange. I can't really put it to words, and its cool because its different, but I just don't like it. This jersey is also way too dark for my liking, and could be tons better with a little bit of white.
Overall: The idea is there, but I'm not really sold on it. It is very different, which is cool when it works, but not when it doesn't. 6.9/10
Buffalo Sabres Concept - Colin M.
Yay: And now for something completely... wait I said that already. Well we're going from wacky to wackier with Colin's Sabres alternate. But while I said "completely different" doesn't always work, this one does. This attempt at a yellow Sabres 3rd is something never before done in the NHL, but I think it's brilliant. The striping pattern is fairly simple, and it does follow through the rest of the jersey. The swords in the front are just as flamboyant but less ugly than the current 3rd "cape-thing", and the execution on the concept is great.
Nay: I'm not sure that I like the white gap between the yellow and blue on the jersey. There either has to be a thicker white gap, or none at all, I think. I also don't like the yellow outline on the blue name, as well as the yellow "Reebok" logo that is near impossible to see.
Overall: I have no idea how this would look on the ice, but it makes me think of the Russian white jerseys in a way, and they looked cool once they were on the ice. This concept is an awesome shade of ugly, but I think its as cool and original as we could get for a good Sabres 3rd. 8.4/10
Florida Panthers Concept - Colin M.
Yay: Not sure if Florida 3rd, or Kazakhstan 3rd. Apparently its Florida, so I'll go with that. It is a very , very, very different look for the team, but again Colin finds a way to make it look cool. Complete with a recoloured logo sans-red, enough sunshine to make the state proud, and all of the light blue everyone loved*, this uniform actually looks pretty good. It's almost like a classic, Florida version of the Nordiques jerseys, sort of. Either way, I like it.
Nay: *Sarcasm. Why does Florida need the light blue colour back? It's not a main colour, or a secondary colour, or any sort of team colour until their latest 3rd jersey came out, which was generally hated. Florida has always been red, gold and dark blue; light-blue not required. The two shades used here make this the best jersey Kazakhstan has never worn but probably should. Other than that, my only worry is that the gold outline on white numbers isn't a good combo, especially on a lighter-coloured background like this.
Overall: This is more of a legitimate-looking hockey jersey than the previous concept, but it is lacking the wow factor, and it's light blue. Just can't get over that. The concept is done well though. 7.9/10
Jordan R.'s Artist Card
Before we run off today, let's take a look at Jordan R's Artist Card. Really cool that he is overseas, playing in the U.S. Army's Band. I really like his favourite players, good selections of all-time and current players. I knew his concepts were pretty cool, but now I see that he seems like a cool guy in general. Thanks for this, Jordan.
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I really have to give my COTW nomination to Colin's Buffalo Sabres Concept. It's really out there, and I know some people are going to think it's (in Shaq's words) horri-awful, but I think the concept looks really well done, and its the type of creativity we like to see here.
Well that's it for me today. Thanks for reading, have a good weekend, and don't forget to vote for COTW.
Well that's it for me today. Thanks for reading, have a good weekend, and don't forget to vote for COTW.
Thursday: It Takes Two To Tango
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Reviewed by Unknown
on
February 27, 2014
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
February 27, 2014
Rating:
3 comments:
I will second Colin's Sabres jersey.
Being in the military, Jordan, I thank you for your service. I have to say when I see your concepts now they might have weight over the others because you are in the Army.
I addressed this yesterday, and David's USA concept had the same problem with the logo. He used one from a jersey, but not a 2D jersey.
Again with David's Concept, where do you find national team logos from Sochi? I saw the IIHF, but I want the logos from the Olympics this year, so I would appreciate if anyone knew how to find them (COTM Winner for January might know, since his USA concept won)
COTW nom to Dallas' Capitals jersey!
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