Deep Creek 2014 commissioned me to do this poster for their upcoming fall world event to be held in McHenry, MD, near my home town, Mountain Lake Park. It was very exciting that we were hosting a world sporting event and even better that I could create a commemorative poster for promoting the event leading up to and throughout the competition. Not only would this be a promotional tool, but also act as a fund raiser through poster sales. The poster was graciously funded by the Mayor and Town Council of Mountain Lake Park in support of the World Championships.
Above and below are the rough sketches submitted for the committee's review.
This was the selected rough sketch that was developed into the final poster.
Above is the tight pencil sketch showing the basic forms and layout for the finished artwork. Although the text is drawn in place but it was done digitally to allow for other applications of the artwork if needed.
The illustration is done entirely in airbrush. Here I am cutting one of the many friskets used to mask off the color areas. In the end it resembles old lithographs or complex silk screen prints. You can see my color comprehensive that is perched at the top of my desk. It's important ot have the colors worked out in advance as it's a one-shot deal. All the colors are semi-transparent so there are no opportunities to rework or over-paint errors. "Proceed with caution", is the rule of thumb with this technique. The final printed poster size is 18" x 24" with the original being slightly larger.
Along with the poster, a display wall was being designed and constructed by by my wife and studio mate, Laura. The display featured previous US Olympic gold medalist, John Lugbill who doned a Wheaties box in 1989, and 2014 contender, Casey Eichfeld. The large black banner tells the story of the event's history in the county.
Here's a short video of the poster's unveiling at WISP ski resort over Martin Luther King weekend. The event was well attended. The ski lodge will see over 190 thousand visitors through March which will help draw attention to the promoting the event.
