My Custom Sports Card Creations

[CamaroDMD]

I really like the design on the 1967 Topps Special cards. The added touch (kind of like a brushed design) that you did, brings the card to a whole new level.

Also, nice idea doing the Draft card, I like the way that turned out.

Thanks.

I was trying to give the photo on the Special cards kind of a frosted feel to them. I figured this was a good chance to really see what I can make photoshop do. I think it has a neat look. The only problem I have run into is if I can't find a really high quality photo (which this card has)...the picture can look grainy. So, that has been an added challenge.

The McCaffrey was kind of a fun quick one. A buddy of mine suggested that I do one for all the draft picks...but that seems a little much. I think I will just stick with the McCaffrey...although I might use it as a model for other "Draft" cards for past and future players.

 

[Shawn1977]

Years ago I did this with old Ivy League teams. I would find old literature online from those schools, google books if I remember right, where you could find those.
I made them into the 1894 style and 1965 topps They looked nice on the computer then the computer crashed. Be sure you save your work externally, I didn't

 

[CamaroDMD]

OK, here are a few more:

These first three are by request from another member here. After the "Major League" themed cards...I was asked to make a couple more cards featuring actor Chelcie Ross who is a family friend of this member. Mr. Ross has appeared in several sports movies and I was asked to depict him from each of those. The design of the card selected is based on the year each movie came out.

#65 1986-87 Fleer George Walker (Hoosiers)

#66 1993 Topps Dan Devine (Rudy)

#67 2012 Topps Smitty Ross (Trouble with the Curve)

Here is one more that I have done. This continues my series of Oregon QB performances from major bowl games. Once again, the design is based on my "special" 1967 Topps cards.

#68 1967 Topps Special Jeremiah Masoli

 

[CamaroDMD]

OK, first let me apologize for not being very active lately. I've been super busy at work and have had very little free time to work on my customs. But, I am getting them done here and there. I will try and be a little more active with them.

I've sorta change how I'm doing things. Normally, I make a physical copy of ever card that I create and put it into a card album. The problem is...the actual creation of the physical card is very labor intensive, time consuming and not very fun. I love designing but have looked at creating the actual card as more of a logical continuation of the project rather and a step I actually enjoyed. As a result, I could create a bunch of cards...and then get bogged down because "I had" to produce them.

Well, I've changed my way of thinking. I have realized that I don't have to create every card. I have refined my creation process to the point where I am confident in my skills and can create when I choose to...but from now on I'm not going to plan on creating every custom. That should free up more time for actual designing and make the process more enjoyable for me.

So, with that said...I have started a new mini-project.

What I want to do is a career set for one of my all-time favorite players. Kerry Collins was the first player I followed as a college player and then in the NFL. He was also the first player drafted by my Carolina Panthers and one of the reasons I became a Panthers fan.

I know that his early years had a lot of personal struggles and in many ways...he started out as a mid-90s Johnny Manziel, but in time he was able to tame in demons and became an excellent QB for many years.

So, my career set will include a card featuring Collins with each of the teams he played for. The design will be based on my 1967 Topps customs and the back will include career stats and a short bio about his time with the featured team.

#69 1967 Topps Kerry Collins PSU

#70 1967 Topps Kerry Collins CAR

 

[unkilldoo]

You must have had to exorcise some demons back in the day. Rooting for the guy that basically dominated your beloved Ducks, in the 1995 Rose Bowl game.

That aside, the cards again look great. Good choice using the same design on all the cards in this set. It gives them an individual feel by changing the colors, depending on the team, while still showing that they are part of a set. Keep up the good work.

 

[CamaroDMD]

You must have had to exorcise some demons back in the day. Rooting for the guy that basically dominated your beloved Ducks, in the 1995 Rose Bowl game.

That aside, the cards again look great. Good choice using the same design on all the cards in this set. It gives them an individual feel by changing the colors, depending on the team, while still showing that they are part of a set. Keep up the good work.

LOL, honestly the 1995 Rose Bowl is my favorite game in the history of the sport. Oregon was such a Cinderella that year...just getting to the game was huge. Winning or losing didn't really matter that much to me.

I'm glad you like them. Here are the next two:

#71 1967 Topps Kerry Collins NO

#72 1967 Topps Kerry Collins NY

 

[CamaroDMD]

OK, here is the next pair in this series:

#73 1967 Topps Kerry Collins OAK

#74 1967 Topps Kerry Collins TEN

More to some soon.

 

[CamaroDMD]

Due to my recent discovery of several of my custom card designs being stolen and sold on eBay without my consent, I have decided to temporarily remove my customs from all websites where they have been posted (mostly here).

I'm going to watermark them so they cannot be used in this way and then re-post them. Hopefully, I can at least limit the theft of my creations that way.

To be honest, I never really thought this would happen. I never considered that my designs were high enough quality that someone would be able to sell them. Based on the number this person has sold, clearly I was wrong.

I never intended to profit from these creations...I do them because I enjoy making them and I enjoy sharing them with those who like them. I am very frustrated by this.

I'm very sorry to those who enjoy my designs that I will have to watermark them...as I really wanted to share them in their cleanest form. But, clearly that just can't be done anymore.

 

[CamaroDMD]

OK, here are the next couple.

The first concludes the Kerry Collins set with him finishing his career with the Colts.

#75 1967 Topps Kerry Collins IND

This next one is a completely new design. I have always loved the classic 1952 Topps baseball set (I think everyone does). So, I took that design and created a football card out of it. I decided my all-time favorite player Joe Montana could be a good choice. Here is the result:

#76 1952 Topps (Baseball) Joe Montana

 

[CamaroDMD]

OK, here are a few new ones.

First...I thought it would be fun to take my beloved 1989 Topps football card design and make a baseball card out of it. So, I chose my favorite historical baseball player Mickey Mantle. Here it is.

#77 1989 Topps (Football) Mickey Mantle

Up next is my next installment of my fantasy 1986 Topps USFL set. It's loosely based on the 1986 Topps NFL design and is what I imagine a USFL set may have looked like had it actually been done.

#78 1986 Topps USFL Jim Kelly

 

[unkilldoo]

These look great, as usual. Also in my opinion the watermark does not take away from the beauty of the finished product. It sucks that you were forced to do it, to protect your intellectual property, but you can still get the full effect.

 

[CamaroDMD]

These look great, as usual. Also in my opinion the watermark does not take away from the beauty of the finished product. It sucks that you were forced to do it, to protect your intellectual property, but you can still get the full effect.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy that you enjoy the designs and that the watermark doesn't bug you.

I have a couple more designs I'm working on. I'm going to try and be a little more consistent. Maybe post a new one or two each week or so.

 

[CamaroDMD]

So, in the past I have tried to post two cards at a time but with my schedule being as busy as it is right now...I don't know how often I will be able to work on customs so I don't want to wait to create two. So, I will probably start posting them individually once they get done.

So, here is one I did this morning. It's a totally new design. As a kid, I remember really like the 1988 and 1989 Pacific Legends baseball sets...it was one of the first cards I owned that featured old legendary players and probably sparked by interest in vintage cards. So, I decided to do my own Pacific Legends card...of a legend of the Pacific Northwest

#79 1988 Pacific Legends Ken Griffey Jr.

 

[unkilldoo]

Great card! I also liked the Pacific Legends set. It was a very clean, basic design, that did not over-power, or distract from the player, and his bio. While I like some of the newer card designs on the market today, I really enjoy the cards that have a more basic design. With some of the card designs today, it almost feels like it's about the card, and not about the player depicted.

 

[CamaroDMD]

Great card! I also liked the Pacific Legends set. It was a very clean, basic design, that did not over-power, or distract from the player, and his bio. While I like some of the newer card designs on the market today, I really enjoy the cards that have a more basic design. With some of the card designs today, it almost feels like it's about the card, and not about the player depicted.

I completely agree with you. I really like a cleaner feel. I think that the cards companies today are constantly trying to "one up" each other...and their product from previous years.

I first started to see this issue with the explosion of GU cards. I really got out of the hobby in the late 1990s right when GU cards were becoming a thing. I remember when UD released that first "Game Jersey" football set in 1997...it was a huge deal. Those cards were SOOOO hard to find and even today sell for huge numbers (I'm lucky enough to have the Joe Montana from that set). When I got back into the hobby around 2008 I was shocked at how many there were. It seemed like companies had to compete...have more jerseys, and multi-colored and so many "hits" per box.

I think the designs have done the same thing. More flash...more colors...more foil. In a lot of ways...I think this is hurting the hobby.