The Thinker

It's winter time, cold outside, 28°F (-2°C), December, 2010. Major League Soccer is in its off season on the field, but the world's beautiful sport keeps the ball rolling globally. I would sit here reflecting on not spending my night like last night in which I would brood about the slight slump I've been in with regards to making banners. Even the simple act of sketching or brainstorming ideas on paper would make me motivated to get things going again.

Stadionwelt.de has been in my eye front as I would scan the fantastic atmosphere on the curves and blocks of Bundesliga stadia. Every time I look at sites like this, so many thoughts go through my head. But there is no thought more important than motivation and putting that motivation into action. I must create!

More, more, more!

That's right, more two-stick, two-pole, double-holder, whatever you prefer to call them. (completed in September 2010)

Columbus X Houston

Inspiration for the style comes from the torcidas in Latin America. The simplicity of the font makes this banner stand out. Defender Frankie Hejduk (in the banner's center) is the spirit of the Nordecke. Pure passion for the the colors!




I didn't know HOW the heck the man would turn out with all of the expression lines and shading. Up close it appeared like a grease fire to me. I mixed colors to find that blend though and well the rest is seen here. Inspiration, thought, and idea came from the old WWII posters (I like retro tins, posters, ads, etc.)



Before the match, there were windy conditions due to looming storms later in the late night, but the temperatures were into the high 90's.

Work and Progress

This week, I've started on a new banner which will have the feel (the man and the font used) of those nostalgic ads from say, the 1920-1940's time frame. So far I have made good use of time, chance, and the summer heat in painting. This will probably be one of my more detailed banners involving the man yelling due to the shading and shadows involved.

On a side note, this has once again been a while since my last blog entry. Besides my day job, I have completed a few items like banners and two-stick flags. Also I am always fervently studying the world of tifo, but mainly banners. I am motivated to doing more and more.

Victory in the Rain

It rained for the majority of the match versus Real Salt Lake last night. The good guys, Columbus, won the match 1-0 on a penalty goal from El Mellizo (Barros Schelotto). The banners I've made are strong and durable, something that I take pride in. Using exterior latex/acrylic paint is always the paint of choice because of elements such as long rains. Mold and mildew will have a hard time with this paint, but there is still the issue of the unpainted sections of fabric. So I come home and take a risky idea. Instead of having the banners air dry which is a tedious process, I decided to put them in the dryer. Talk about one solid risk with results! Not only did it only take 30 total minutes to dry them, but also the paint didn't chip, run, melt, stain, or destroy the inside of the dryer.

Throwback!

While doing spring cleaning of sorts, low and behold I found two folders with some sketches of Columbus players from probably around 2001/2002 years. I laughed out loud thinking about then and the current comics that I've been doing now. Looks to me that I had better skills back then, in terms of proximity to accuracy. The uniforms I sketched came from an idea I had while looking at older uniforms from the 1920's and '30's from teams globally. I would imagine if Columbus had a nostalgia night what the uniforms might have looked like.

Preparing For Crewsmas

The first match of the 2010 season vs. Toronto at home is coming up this weekend and so that means it was time for me to get my banner plans ready for the Saturday. And yest I sit here on this lazy Sunday afternoon, I still find the need to do another banner or two. This week is known as "Crewsmas" by us Columbus Supporters, a play on words with Christmas, and all the goo tidings of joy that holiday brings. Crewsmas is a special time of year to me personally for several reasons. The first is the two and-half hour trip to Columbus and the thoughts of the camaraderie of being amongst the Nordecke, singing and chanting. Secondly, a new season, means new hopes and just seeing our team playing after a long winter off season is good for morale. Another reason I like Crewsmas is because I can start to plan more banner ideas. This first match the supporters in Columbus, Ohio have planned a tifo display for the first match. The details have been kept under strict confidentiality, but I can't wait to do my part in helping with the atmosphere.