SoulPhamm Inc. Logo
About the Organization
SoulPhamm Inc. is a nonprofit organization offering a variety of sports and performing arts programs for youth in New Jersey and New York City. Additionally, they provide opportunities for social networking, community activism, and volunteer service.
Ruey Classic 2024 Pencil Sketch 1
Ruey Classic 2024 Pencil Sketch 2
My Process
I start this project by getting to know Coach Lou through SoulPhamm's website and memorial page. The graphic needed to be similar to the previous designs done in the past, which always featured Coach Lou alongside the headline "Ruey Classic." At this stage, I was focused on gathering information about his life and sourcing photographs for reference. Coincidentally, Coach Lou and I are both from The Bronx, inspiring me to infuse the graphic with elements reminiscent of the borough's graffiti and murals. I sketched various layout ideas before tackling the headline. Since I’m going for a graffiti look, I wrote "Ruey Classic," although achieving the desired style involved significant trial and error, prioritizing legibility throughout the process.
Ruey Classic 2024 Digital Sketch
In the initial version of the graphic, I planned to depict Coach Lou standing in front of a wall adorned with everything he loved and accomplished in his life. Yet, I quickly recognized that this approach made the design cluttered and ineffective. To address this issue, I decided to reconsider the elements of the graphic that needed emphasis: the headline and Coach Lou himself.
Ruey Classic 2024 Final
I replaced the wall with a simple blue sky. This choice ended up being beneficial, especially since the founder requested a version including the date and time of the game.