This piece began as a commission and a chance to explore the bold shapes, limited colors, and hand-painted lettering of vintage sports posters.

For this Washington football design, I kept the composition simple: a profile, a sweeping feathered headdress, a gold circle, and strong lettering below. Burgundy, gold, cream, and black carry the painting, with each color repeated throughout to bring everything together.

Working in gouache encouraged me to think differently than I do with oils. I built the face from distinct shapes of light and shadow, keeping the details selective. The feathers needed enough definition to suggest movement while leaving broad cream passages where the eye could rest.

The lettering required its own patience. Small adjustments to spacing, corners, and edges made a surprising difference. Throughout the process, I wanted to preserve the brushwork—the little variations that reveal a person’s hand behind the image.

Watching it develop from a pencil drawing into a finished painting was especially satisfying. Each stage brought the design closer to the classic poster feeling I had in mind.

The original commission is complete, and reproductions are now available on 16×20 archival matte paper.