As a Canadian, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise when I admit to being a huge hockey fan. Saturday Night Hockey has definitely become a ritual for me, as well as for my family and friends. Finishing all your work just before the weekend so you have absolutely nothing to do before the clock strikes 7pm, is amusing to some but guaranteed to be a very serious notion for others! 😀
I started creating Hockey art as a fun way to support my team the Toronto Maple Leafs, and in general all other NHLers I was a fan of. As seasons went by I found myself trying to get more creative in the way I represented certain players; whether it was through their personalities, nicknames, or their goalie masks.
The very first artwork I did was of goaltender, James Reimer. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Optimus Reim’ by Leafs fans, I was determined to create a piece that was bit more heavy on the details than I usually went for. To have Optimus Prime from Transformers was of course and option for this piece, but I thought it was rather too simple and obvious. I ended up choosing a rather curious and confused Bumblebee, and ended up loving the piece I did of my favourite goalie.
WIPs
With the Leafs not making the playoffs for a couple years now, I would have to be satisfied watching other teams compete and get inspired from watching their goalies in action. There were 2 that stood out for me; Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen and the Sharks Martin Jones. I especially had fun creating the piece with Andersen, and wanted to include the aspect of Lego blocks from his mask; and I thought it only fitting as he is Danish. The concept for both Andersen’s and Jones’ drawings were to include some ‘additional’ help to their already superb abilities.
Hockey art is definitely a different turn from the usual fantasy art that I do, but it nevertheless improved my abilities with a micron pen. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do more after the Reimer piece, but people seem to enjoy them, and I’ve grown quite fond of making them.
Art of Shaima 