Cougars - Nehl Redesign Project

[shiznit1083]

Alright guys, I made yet another update. I added top teeth and tried to make him a little angrier.

[Sterling84]

Ok, everyone is kicking such major arse. I love all the concepts thus far, but I can't seem to shake Ro's from my head.

Rather than click the bowing little guy eight times in a row. I will add the little puke guy at the top of the post because it makes me sick how great this is.

It's just retarded it's so cool. So I don't know if I am going to do anything specifically on my own for this. There is so much material here already. I'll just throw 2 cents around and offer suggestions....there'll be room to help on unis, secondaries and wordmarks for those who haven't nailed them down already.

I was moved to add my own spin on Rozilla's brilliance. I do not hold it up as my own. Nor do I hold it up as better. It's just inspired by and I wanted to show it and offer it as advice/help/critique/whatever.

REPEAT: The following is NOT based on my work. But it is a mod I made of Rozilla's wonderful start.

Not big suggestions, just some color variances, and tried to shift the eyes to the front plane of the head. Also, thought it pretty important to include the dark stripe around their muzzle.

Oh, and i colored the back of the far ear in, because they have dark ear backs and it helps define the "C" even more.

Man, I could talk about this concept all day. I get lost in the line play, push pull, negative space of the mouth for hours. I just love it. SO good. I hope my crit can be of help in some way.

If not, I still love it.

[Joshawaggie]

thats it right there, go with the first colors.

[Primal]

I know this is one of my first posts and maybe I shouldn't be already critiquing someone's work BUT I think the ears look slightly like horns.

Yeah, I'll pay that one. Perhaps just a little less point on the ear tip would do the trick (although I realise the pointyness was semi-intentional to match up with the whiskers, etc).

[shiznit1083]

Guys, I think there's something that's bothering me about the bottom teeth. I can't quite put my finger on it.

[Ez Street]

i'll just say you guys are really kicking ass already. This is awesme work fellas.

[rozilla74]

Hey Shiz, I like the updates but the far-side of the cougar's face is getting flattened. You have a nice forward motion going with the shape of the head but you are losing that definition in the mouth area. I'd lose the whiskers. Nitro has a very creative way of integrating them into his logo with the overall shape of his mark. I just don't think they will add anything to your mark at this point. Hope my 2 cents helps.

Sterling and I are going to play a little Illustrator Ping Pong once I get his file. Should get interesting.

[paynomind]

Guys, brilliant work. How about adding the serif end the the bottom of the C, like the back ear provides for the top of the C?

I like the fade out at the bottom, but think that the C would just jump right off the page with a bottom on it. Maybe too much, you tell me.

I really hope these logos actually get considered by the teams. There are way too many minor league teams that are happy with LOOKING like minor league teams out there. It would be nice if the teams of the NEHL weren't some of them.

[buffaloprohockey]

all i can say is man you guys are good! great stuff! i am sending the owner of the team to the board to look. keep it up guys! joe

[Grish]

The mouth on Ro's design is what is award to me. It makes the face seem twisted and unnatural. The area I focus on is not the teeth but the area that extends back to the neck line ... Seems like it does not give the 3/4 feel but more of a Fred Flintstone side mouth feel.

Other then that I think all the designs are really very good. Also where did the red go from the orginal logo?

[sammysabre]

All I can say is WOW.

[KCScout76]

I jenuflect, and I am humble be for thee - Lords of the Logos

[Brian in Boston]

Man... what concepts. IMHO, it's a battle between nitroseed's design and the submission that's been dubbed "Rozilla's Concept : Sterling's Mod : Nitro's Colors". On the second of the two, I agree with paynomind that the C surrounding the head needs to be continued around the bottom edge... just to *POP* it.

Also, since there seems to be a desire on the part of the board's designers to eventually provide new logos for the NEHL's entire membership, here's a suggestion:

First, concentrate nitro's efforts on the Connecticut Cougars redesign. I just love his work on this right now. Everything from the cougar to the wordmark seems really "tight".

Then, combining a Dark Navy Blue (for the current Black) with either the Silver-Grey ("Rozilla's Colors") or Ice Blue-Grey ("Sterling's Colors"), adapt Rozilla's design for use by the York Ice Cats. I'd continue that C around the cat's head, adding a similarly stylized I to the left of it. Then, if Rozilla could find a way to add some of the "ice effect" that he utilized in his Buffalo Blast concept to the cat's head in this logo... BAM! IMHO, that would look tight. I'll agree that the IC idea may prove a bit clumsy unless handled absolutely perfectly. If it didn't work, lose it. Still, overall Rozilla's layout is a reverse mirror-image of what the Ice Cats are using now, so it seems a natural progression for me to move in that direction with this kick-ass design.

Again, just me thinking out loud. I'm just an idea guy... you're the BRILLIANT (and I mean that sincerely) artists!

Brian in Boston

[Sterling84]

I think those are solid ideas Brian.

I was thinking myself earlier about that. The only issue is I would rather see the Ice Cats , which is of course some horse manure marketing cross breed name like ThunderDawgs, at least be an animal that would live in icy conditions. I was thinking Snow Leopard...which in body size and shape is similar to a cougar...just fluffier with different markings and white.

That doesn't mean its a done deal, just cause we agree. I'm sure Ro thinks he's got a pretty great Cougar and he does. But since this is kinda pro-bono.....and nothing we'd be replacing is ANY good......perhaps its ok to place effeciency into the equation and split the difference on two deserving concepts.

I'd also suggest, assuming everything were adopted, we may be having every team leaning toward the blue/grey icy spectrum. You could argue comets will counter that alone, only comets are ice too. Fireballboy or whatever that is won't last 15 minutes once we get that far. ...or in other words, we need some warm colors in some of the teams.

[GMac]

Agreed... both BIB and Sterling I like where this is heading... but i believe it would be better to stick with the team colours or something thing similar... such as the comets "hot" colours

[rozilla74]

I hope to post my Pong to Sterling's Ping when I get home tonight. I do believe this is moving in the direction that Sterling and the others have envisioned. At least I hope so.

I'd be happy to turn this Cougar concept into a possible Ice Cats concept since Nitro's work has been received so well. But I really haven't thought of a direction for it yet, whether it is realistic as Sterling has suggested or just whacked out mythical like what the Predator's did.

Good feedback guys, keep it up.

[paynomind]

I agree that while we are on the cat theme, thinking about the Ice Cats is a good idea. I'm not sure which applies better to being a cougar vs. and ice cat. Maybe since Rozilla's has the C, it should stay the Connecticut logo, and nitro's can become an ice cat. I think some striping changes could make it looks atouch less cougarish.

As far as color palates, I think budget will weight heavily on the minds of the owners, and while tweaking the color palates is a nessesity to rid some of the harsh, too-bright tones, I think we really need to be cautious chnaging them wholesale. The Comets should stay red yellow and black... it will help differeniate them. I can't seem to find out what color the ice cats actually use. Their logo is oddly devoid of any real color, so who knows what their jerseys look like. Joe, do you know?

I look forward to Rozilla's 'pong' this eve.

[Brian in Boston]

I was just thinking out loud (or, at least, the internet post version of doing so). The reason that I had suggested taking Rozilla's logo in the direction of the York Ice Cats, was the fact that it's layout so closely resembled a "mirror reflection" of the team's current logo.

I REALLY believe that there is a significant chance that the entire NEHL could be sporting logos designed by CCSL Board-members in the very near future. How COOL is that?

Brian in Boston

[Sterling84]

Tell you guys what.......

I think I'll pull away from the Cougars work (while still waiting on bated breath for the pong from Ro) and start work on the Ice Cats.

I found a beautiful reference image by an artist named Terry Isaac entitled 'Watchful Eye' in one of my painting books that I just love. Not so much the pose or composition but the color palette. Snow leopards are white and black but retain some latent gold colors that I think I can work around.

I only even jumped in with the R/N/S mod because 1) Ro's concept was rockin and 2) it was very close to what I had sketched out before seeing it.

I am afraid to further mod that same one toward an ice cat, and risk dividing interest in something that isn't mine, and possibly submarining a solid Cougar in the process.

I'll get to work and keep you guys abreast.

[sammysabre]

That is a great image sterling, can't wait to see what you do with it.