I recently had the opportunity to create a custom design for the final day of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The artwork was handed out to over 3,000 fans as a commemorative postcard at the conclusion of the tournament. It was an honor to contribute to such a special event, and even more meaningful knowing this was one of the final designs ever created for the Rocket Mortgage Classic during its final year.
The concept for this piece was to create something using Polaroids and give it a little bit of a retro feel to it. Each Polaroid features something special or golf-related from the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
The first step of this project was to draw out what was gonna go in each Polaroid.
The second step was bringing each illustration into Photoshop, where I added textures, lighting, and other details to give every drawing the look and feel of a real Polaroid. This helped tie the artwork together and achieve the retro aesthetic I was aiming for.
The third step was adding the finishing touches to bring the design to life. I incorporated subtle details like pieces of tape holding each Polaroid in place, small hand-drawn doodles beneath the photos, and a textured tabletop background.
Along with the final direction, I also explored three additional concepts. One featured a grayscale color palette, another used a more colorful approach with a subtle background, and the third incorporated the Rocket Mortgage signature red. Presenting multiple directions helped explore different visual styles before deciding on the final design.
Once the artwork was finalized, it was awesome seeing it at the Rocket Classic!! Watching an idea turn into a physical piece is always one of my favorite parts of the process.
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create something connected to the Rocket Classic and the city of Detroit. This was a special project to be part of. Thank you so much to the Rocket Classic trusting me to do this! If you had told me just a year ago that I'd be working with two PGA Tour events in the span of a month, I never would have believed you. It's something I'm still trying to wrap my head around, and I'm incredibly grateful for every opportunity that's come my way. Moments like this remind me how far I've come in such a short amount of time, and they motivate me to keep pushing toward even bigger goals.
