Artist and designer Eric “Efdot” Friedensohn’s latest canvas turns out to be a digital one.
He’s part of Project 70, which has artists and tastemakers reinvent and reinterpret Topps baseball cards. These players have been immortalised into these cards for the past 70 years but it’s time to give them a new, modern look. And that’s where Efdot comes in!
When he creates a sketch, piece of lettering or rough composite he likes on paper, he then takes a picture with his iPad Pro and transfers that to Procreate (a digital illustration app exclusive to iPads/iPhones).
“If I do a piece of lettering that says the team name or the player’s name and I really like it — maybe there’s some cool drips or accidental textures that happen — I will snap a photo of that.” said Efdot. “That part of the sketch goes right on the card.”
Eric “Efdot” Friedensohn illustrates details on his Josh Gibson baseball card that allude to Gibson’s life and career.
Though he grew up going to games and collecting sports cards, he still does extensive research before he begins his creations. He looks into the career and life of each giant of baseball history, so that when it’s time he brings justice to their memory.
Eric “Efdot” Friedensohn illustrated a set of baseball cards for Topps’s Project 2020.
“I wasn’t expecting this experience to be so powerful for me.” continued Efdot. “Getting to illustrate these players and add my style to these cards — I just feel so grateful to be able to honor these legends. But what’s most important is telling these stories, and my art is simply a vessel for that.”
Artist Keith Shore’s Ken Griffey Jr. card, designed for Topps’s Project 2020.
The same goes for artist Keith Shore.
“I use iPad Pro to replace drawing on paper,” said Shore. “It’s super smooth and I can have fun with it. It makes starting the process so stress free.
“You know what the magic of this is?
“I got so many emails from people thanking me for reminding them of their childhood and bringing a smile to their face during this horrible year, and that feels incredible.”