Inside the Huddle: Bill Russell

Inside the Huddle brings you behind the curtain to see what went into the supporting illustrations from The Baseline Review. Editor and Creative Director JP Boneyard shares his insights into the creative process. First up is Bill Russell from JP's story In Defense of Bill Russell, illustrated by Brad at Brave the Woods.

The Concept
Ok, why is Bill Russell in outer space? He was a hooper not an astronaut. Russell was the first of his kind on the defensive end. A trailblazer, boldly going where no hooper had gone before. His brand of defense gave birth to a dynasty and forever changed the way the game is played. The illustration is inspired by the intro of our story: “Russell is the Big Bang that paved the way for a league full of stars”. The creative direction we shared with Brad was: “It's Russell in space at the moment the Universe was created.” Brad took it from there.

Supporting Illustration from our story In Defense of Bill Russell

Easter Egg
Russell often said his most prized possession as a kid was his Oakland Public Library card. One of his favorite things to do was to study classic works of art and redraw them from memory. Michelangelo was one of his favorites to study. The Creation of Adam is a moment analogous to the Big Bang reference in the opening of our story. We asked Brad to take inspiration from God's right hand in Michelangelo’s fresco. Bill’s left hand (he was a lefty, after all) mirrors God's gesture in this Easter egg. Brad nailed it. 

Michelangelo's The Birth of Adam, 1512

The Cover
Bill looking upward, almost saint-like, is an intentional decision. It leans into the Michelangelo reference from the full page illustration. If you've ever been to the Sistine Chapel there's a lot looking up until you're dizzy. It's hard to tell if you're enraptured by the moment or just lacking blood flow to the brain (I think it's likely both). Meanwhile a small army of Italian dudes who work there keep muttering “NO FOTO!” People who traveled half way across the world to be there aren't usually compelled to comply. 

Cover Illustration from our Story In Defense of Bill Russell

Color Palette
Green, white, brown, and black were a given. We also wanted to bring in an antique looking gold to reference all of the hardware Russell collected. My favorite detail is the little stroke of gold in Russell’s eyes on the cover. Such a great call by Brad. It adds depth in a subtle way. It's not an obvious color to use but it feels so natural. It also leans into what Bill had his sights on: Championships. 

Many of our stories are screenprinted and released ahead of the full 200+ page book we're making. This is a way to raise funds to pay for the creation of content for the rest of our book. You can take a look at the layered separations below and see how each color stacks up. It's no easy task creating an illustration this way. Colors have to stack just right and only a handful of colors can be used to keep printing economical. Brad did such a wonderful job with those constraints and the minimalist color palette. Even the way he worked with those textures is great. They're thick but delicate at the same time. Brad's midcentury style feels like a perfect fit for one that era's prominent figures in Sports and Civil rights: William Felton Russell.

Color Separations for the five Color Screenprint of Russell the Big Bang

TL;DR
Russell in space is a reference to the line our story “Russell is the Big Bang that helped pave the way for a league full of stars.” Russell loved Michelangelo as a child. His left hand is an Easter Egg that mirrors God's hand in Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. We love the work Brad did on this one!

Huddle Up
This has been an installment of Inside the Huddle with Editor and Creative Director JP Boneyard. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the player, the supporting illustrations, and the creative energy that went into this work. We appreciate you!