Seeking Tips: Baseball Card Collages

[todeen]

53 hours. Need to be finished by Memorial Day.

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[todeen]

60 hours. It doesn't look like much, but I completed his jersey. Those small pieces take just as long to cut as large pieces. So, today's theme was: Devils in the details.

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[todeen]

Completed. Need to seal it today with acrylic medium. I'm pleased with how it turned out. It continues to grow on me.

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[todeen]

sent it to a signing in Cincinnati, and got it back.

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[cgjackson222]

Looks great! Very cool that you got it signed.

Congrats!!

[bnorth]

That looks amazing.

[todeen]

Framed Lou Gehrig so that I can submit it in our local fair. I'm going not just for a blue ribbon, but best in show within the collage category.

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[todeen]

New art project. Can you guess what it is? Size is 24x32.




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[mcgwirecom]

Years ago I saw someone made a mosaic out of Topps Micro cards which were made from 1991-1993. I sat with a small picture of the mosaic and a magnifying glass and sorted through all 3 sets to find the cards that were used. It was brutal on my eyes and took quite a while but I nailed it! Now there is a computer program that will design them for you if you have the time to scan all the cards into the data. So of course the farther away you stand from this piece the more it looks like Ruth. unfortunately, I have no place to hang it where you see it at a distance. So if you make the photo small it looks like it is far away. Take a look....

[todeen]

Originally Posted by mcgwirecom

Years ago I saw someone made a mosaic out of Topps Micro cards which were made from 1991-1993. I sat with a small picture of the mosaic and a magnifying glass and sorted through all 3 sets to find the cards that were used. It was brutal on my eyes and took quite a while but I nailed it! Now there is a computer program that will design them for you if you have the time to scan all the cards into the data. So of course the farther away you stand from this piece the more it looks like Ruth. unfortunately, I have no place to hang it where you see it at a distance. So if you make the photo small it looks like it is far away. Take a look....

that is fantastic!

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[bnorth]

Originally Posted by mcgwirecom

Years ago I saw someone made a mosaic out of Topps Micro cards which were made from 1991-1993. I sat with a small picture of the mosaic and a magnifying glass and sorted through all 3 sets to find the cards that were used. It was brutal on my eyes and took quite a while but I nailed it! Now there is a computer program that will design them for you if you have the time to scan all the cards into the data. So of course the farther away you stand from this piece the more it looks like Ruth. unfortunately, I have no place to hang it where you see it at a distance. So if you make the photo small it looks like it is far away. Take a look....

Those are very cool.

[hockeyhockey]

tim - that art work is amazing. really well done.

i'm still working on drawing inside the lines, decades after kindergarten and still can't do it.

[todeen]

Trying to work on two art pieces at one time. While one is drying, I can work on the other. Can you guess what card this is? Size is 24x44.

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[todeen]

update: getting ready to work on his shirt.

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[todeen]

sketching done-ish on his shirt. I don't like his hands.

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[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by todeen

sketching done-ish on his shirt. I don't like his hands.

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E90-1 Cobby?

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

E90-1 Cobby?

yes it is! I had extra plywood and spray paint available after a summer project (cornhole), so I thought I'd give myself a challenge.

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[Carter08]

Originally Posted by todeen

New art project. Can you guess what it is? Size is 24x32.




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CJ Wajo?

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Carter08

CJ Wajo?

that's correct! It's been raining here for two days, so in addition to some summer projects, I've been making stencils for WaJo.


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[todeen]

experimenting with two different types of shading. gonna have to change one eventually. hard black shading on pants, vs black/gray shading on left side of shirt.


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[todeen]

After a day's work.


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[todeen]

Update on artwork project #2

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[todeen]

I'm really liking how WaJo is turning out. 20230909_105257.jpg20230909_105831.jpg

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[todeen]

Bumping this thread. Pulled Ruth out of the closet and my goal is to complete this before summer. Summer plans are already getting busy.

26 hour update. I pulled the large cards off of the border. I pulled off some gray lines on his uniform and replaced them with black lines. In trying to fill in the green background, and I acquired enough 1990 Topps Phil Bradley cards to complete his name in the top left corner. Large backgrounds of the same color moved quickly on my Larkin collage.



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[todeen]

Also, my wife framed my Larkin collage for my Xmas gift. It's ready to hang.


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[todeen]

Hour 27.5 update. I completed the green background on the right side. I also unwrapped recently purchased cards (15 team sets of Orioles) and did some cutting of those cards so that I am prepared to use them for Ruth's name in top left corner. Once name is complete I can start green background on left side of portrait.

Some time was wasted watching Ken Burns Baseball 1960s.




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[todeen]

29.5 hour update. I've been playing with shading on the right side of the jersey. I finally settled on a better way to show contrast. This might necessitate removal of some more pieces that I've already installed. Ruth's head casts a shadow onto his chest, but his back and shoulders are lighter toned.


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[todeen]

31 Hr update. Not sure I actually worked 1.5 hours. my son watched a show, and then my wife watched a show, and I worked and watched the whole time. But I finished his jersey sleeve, and then I finished his undershirt sleeve.


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[todeen]

Made the tough decision to pull off previous work and replace it with pieces that would better show shading.



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[todeen]

fixed it



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[todeen]

Update, 37 Hrs. Not sure it's actually 2 hours of honest work, my wife and daughter were watching Anne of Green Gables and sometimes I was distracted.

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[todeen]

39.5 Hr Update



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[tiger8mush]

wow! amazing work thanks for sharing
p.s. especially love that Larkin autograph (and i'm usually an anti-autograph guy)

[todeen]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

wow! amazing work thanks for sharing

p.s. especially love that Larkin autograph (and i'm usually an anti-autograph guy)

Thanks. I heard about the Larkin signing accepting mail in items. So I put Ruth in the closet and rushed to get something done for Larkin. I sent the item in with specific directions where to sign in the artwork. I think it turned out great, too!

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[todeen]

update



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[todeen]

I did a lot of work behind the scenes today. I ran out of card material and needed to cut more.



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[todeen]

Update. Lots of small pieces today took up more time cutting.



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[todeen]

Did a bunch of smaller tasks including cutting, drawing, and measuring.



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[todeen]

Had to put Babe Ruth aside again. Frank Thomas is coming to Seattle, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to get another card art signed. I only found it with two weeks until the signing, so my goal is to complete the bottom half. He will have plenty of space to sign. I chose his 1991 Topps card. Its a fantastic image. The blue nameplate and team name have been time suckers! But I'm pretty much finished with them, so I can move on to larger pieces for background and pants.





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[todeen]

Day 13 update. Signing is in two days. I've reached the minimum needed for signing. Frank will sign across this colorful strip from his knees to ankles. Above this strip is darker tones.



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[todeen]

Day 14 update. I hit my goal of halfway completed. Signing is tomorrow.



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[bnorth]

Originally Posted by todeen

Day 14 update. I hit my goal of halfway completed. Signing is tomorrow.



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Looks great.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Looks great.

Thank you. check it with the auto!



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[bnorth]

Originally Posted by todeen

Thank you. check it with the auto!



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That is beautiful with the auto in the perfect spot.

[todeen]

The Thomas signing was interesting. They had two lines, one for just autos and one for individuals who paid $90 for a picture and small conversation while getting their auto signed. It was held at Mill Creek Sports, just north of Seattle; I'd never been there. Learning experience. If my art was completely done, that would have been a much cooler experience to get a picture.

I was in the line for just an auto. He was all business and flew through signatures, but he wasn't rude, just trying to get everyone through the line quickly. I was walking out of the store when this Mexican guy with tats talks to me about my art project, Jerry Alvarez. I gave him the basic elevator speech (30 seconds). He said he is an artist in Kennewick (tattoo artist), and he also had his own artwork to get signed by Thomas. I was blown away when he showed me, absolutely stunning. You can find him on Instagram @jerryalvareztattoos. He said he is a Dodgers fan, and the Dodgers reposted his Fernando Valenzuela art after his passing. Maybe you saw it if you're on social media. Anyway, talking to Jerry was the best part of my night. He was a really cool and personable guy.

***sorry if the pics are hazy, they are just screenshots.



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[JollyElm]

Man, you missed an incredible opportunity!!

You should've paid the $90 and had him holding a large sheet or towel to hide half of his body when the picture was snapped to match your piece (as you held it)!!!

Imagine in the future, your grandkids showing the resulting picture to people, talking about how crazy grandpa was!

[todeen]

Completed top half border, started in 40th Anniversary logo, and continued with black background.



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[todeen]

Building a torso.



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[JMEnglish27]

WOW. First I'm seeing this thread and I've gotta say I absolutely LOVE your process...the colored strips is an idea I've never seen.

As one of the other (lesser!) mosaic guys around here, I love how we all do things differently. There are no rules!

I'll be stealing some of your ideas for sure. :-) Keep up the amazing work!

[todeen]

Originally Posted by JMEnglish27

WOW. First I'm seeing this thread and I've gotta say I absolutely LOVE your process...the colored strips is an idea I've never seen.

As one of the other (lesser!) mosaic guys around here, I love how we all do things differently. There are no rules!

I'll be stealing some of your ideas for sure. :-) Keep up the amazing work!

Thank you.

The step of the process I like best is double sided tape. I first tried glue and got my fingers so sticky from glue...it was like I was a kindergartener! I hated it immediately! After sealing it with clear acrylic medium, my first project has had no issues.

***Note: my professional art friend told me to use clear acrylic medium instead of mod podge. She said mod podge will Yellow over time. If you don't want the old dated look, don't use it.***

***Note 2: Clear acrylic medium allows you to add stuff to the mixture. I intend to make a Refractor by adding colored opalescence. Crossing my fingers it turns out when I do and that I don't waste an entire project!***

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