You can learn a lot about a professional athlete by giving him nothing more than a few colored Sharpies, a blank trading-card canvas, about five minutes and one simple request: Draw something. What you're likely to find -- as we have at Panini America during the last few years -- is that the resulting artwork is sometimes primitive, sometimes surprisingly good, often personality-revealing, never boring . . . and always unique.
You know, you can learn a lot about a professional athlete by giving him nothing more than a few colored Sharpies, a blank trading-card canvas, about five minutes and one simple two-word request: Draw something.
What you’re likely to discover — as we have at Panini America during the last few years — is that the resulting artwork is sometimes primitive, sometimes surprisingly good, never boring and always unique; as one-of-a-kind as the player who drew it.
Indeed, there’s just something about what players choose to draw — often paying homage to their hobbies, their hopes, their hometowns or their heroes like only they can — that draws you in. Certainly it’s what compels us here at Panini America to ask each new class of rookies we meet for their best sketches. It’s what in turn transforms those hand-crafted creations into some of the most unique trading cards on the market.
Of course, we say all of that to say this: Next week at the 2012 Toronto Fall Expo, Panini America will begin unveiling its newest wave of original player sketch cards, most of which were acquired in August during the 2012 NHLPA Rookie Showcase and the 2012 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot.
A small handful of these original sketch cards will be available to collectors for the first time starting next Friday during Panini America’s 2012 Toronto Fall Expo wrapper-redemption program.
Just some of what you can glean from perusing the new works of art below:
- The New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider might just have a post-hockey career as an illustrator
- The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson is a proud Canadian
- The Toronto Raptors have a bright, colorful future on their hands
- The St. Louis Blues’ Jake Allen plays some really long golf courses
- The Nashville Predators’ Ryan Ellis is a Spitfire through and through
Enjoy . . .
Its like art class in grade school!
Some are really good artist!
They all did better than I could ever do, just like the sports they play. Great gallery Tracy!
Always love looking at these…if only I could get my hands on one!
Kreider’s are awesome!
I like them so much and is why I have been making my own now on and off for the past couple of years…being a collector and getting plenty of decoys I thought to myself what could I do with those ..I also have friends and the hobby shop owner save them for me…although there size I still found ways to convert them into art…I am currently working on building a monster piece called people and expression…using various techniques to make them unique..here are a few samples …
http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv343/ty4orce2/jog2.jpg
http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv343/ty4orce2/mari.jpg
Thanks for this cool write up and viewing …really enjoyed it…
Very nice. You’re a talented dude.
I agree, pretty cool stuff…
Two things I have learned from looking at these sketch cards the last few years. Hockey players like to fish and play golf.
Boy, that is no joke.
Thanks for the kind words Tracy…..glad you like them…
if anyone gets that rider nation card, i would love to have it!!! you need to love the riders and pilsner to get that card!!!!!!
I loved seeing the football ones at the National last summer. I’m always glad to see people with as much drawing talent as me (which is very little). But some of them are really good! Kudos on another interesting insert idea!