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Los Angeles Aztecs


rentz

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I'd just like to preface this by saying thank you to everyone that voted for my entry in the Draw Brawl contest; I'm serious when I say that winning the challenge in public votes for tier 1 was a very validating experience for me. I've been here less than a year and a mere hobby of mine has transformed into something I am considering for a career-- graphic design. So to win the challenge, especially competing with all the very talented designers of the board and all the incredible entries, really means a lot to me. So thanks for that.

However, I've seen a few users have decided to post their submissions on the board. While it was well-received, I think my concept can be better and would like some feedback. (In fact, that was something that was a bit different about this comp-- normally I like to see what others' opinions are and integrate C+C into the design; however this time I had to make a complete concept essentially from scratch entirely by myself!)

So first, the name-- I've long been interested in the Aztec civilization, and thought it would make a great name for a team. I think that names that refer to a specific civilization or tribe are always preferable to generic monikers such as Indians, Chiefs, Braves or Redskins. And while the civilization was in Mexico, not California, if San Diego State can use it, why not LA?

The logo, which I wish I would have put a little explanation for on the template, is a portrayal of the deity Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpentine creature that is central in the Mesoamerican mythologies. (In fact, I considered "Los Angeles Quetzalcoatls" as a name-- a bit of a mouthful, however!) In doing this I avoided making a representation of an Aztec man the logo, and thus avoided the usual pitfalls of making a native-american based logo. If anything, this logo pays homage to the culture of the Aztecs so I don't see how this would offend anyone like, say, the Redskins' logo. The logo itself integrates elements of Aztec art and design, however it is rendered in a very modern style.

The colors are fairly unique in the NFL--the only close one is the Packers who use yellow, not gold. I would say the colors are all close to those the University of South Florida uses, including the Gold which I think is very unique.

aztecsls.png

I tried to keep the uniforms from indulging too much in modern excesses of piping and panels and whatnot, I tried to keep the set pretty classy, going the Houston Texans way of pairing a modern logo with pretty simple uniforms. However, they do feature mix-and-match, which I think could be the future of uniform design. I believe helmets should be just as interchangeable as pants, jerseys and socks, and this is an NFL team so funds are not an issue as they would be for most college teams not named Oregon. You may notice a black helmet and pants are missing-- this was done entirely to prevent black monochrome, haha.

azunis2.png

So while I'm happy with how this turned out, I'd still like some feedback, so if you have any C+C feel free to comment.

As a sidenote- 300 posts!

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to be honest, the thing that caught my eye about this was the wordmark. whilst i think you could tidy this up quite a bit, its a great start. i would add a few more shapes found in the design of some of the more interesting aztec artifacts (like the little swirl on the head). im not sure how authentic it feels. perhaps look at things liek this callender for inspiration. i think you could do more with the piping etc on the uniform.

25zrt35.jpg

im also not a massive fan of the colours. they feel a little dull for such a dynamic logo. the whole idea is great, i love the concept of a sun worshiping mascot representing los angeles, i just think this should be reflected in the uniform colours also.

all in all tho i was impressed, its a good start.

fd

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I thought the logos and workmark were outstanding. I also thought the color scheme worked very well and would be unique to the NFL. The uniforms weren't the greatest thing about the set, but they weren't bad either.

That patch above is amazing.

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Thanks for the comments (and the patch-- that looks fantastic, thank you!)

@davidson-- you know, I really thought about doing a striping/piping design on the uniforms similar to the uniforms, but I left on vacation immediately after the contest started and only had a couple of reference pics saved to my lap top to work with. Without internet access, I didn't have any sort of reference for the striping and anything I was trying just seemed contrived so I went a sort of generic look. However I think I'll try to do that sort of thing now. As for the colors, I see what you mean-- I went with it mostly because it was unique and it's a personal favorite combo of mine. I'll also try to make the logo a bit more authentic looking. Here's some new, brighter colors-- I've only tweaked the logo thus far, I'd like to know what color scheme to switch to before continuing.

azco.png

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I gotta give props on the wordmark too, which to me is the best thing about this concept. I get a psychedellic/60s-type vibe from it which (ironically) would probably make it a better fit for a San Francisco/Bay Area team. But I still like it overall.

The only thing I don't like is that it's probably too similar to San Diego State's identity to use their colors, which I think would look better on these uniforms.

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Very nice design and very deserving of the win. Honestly I think the original color combo is better than all the ones you just posted, just tweak the shades rather than the actual colors. Really an overall great logo package. I think the one thing you should work on is the uniforms. I don't like the use of the Avalanche's numbers. Try thinning down the shoulder swooshes because they crowd the TV numbers a little, it's cluttered. I'm not a huge fan of the pant stripes, maybe something a little sleeker and not as clunky? I disagree with your assessment of all the different helmet and pants combos. It's an incredibly collegiate look and just doesn't work for the NFL. Teams don't want to pay for manufacturing 3 different helmets. Plus, only using one helmet creates a more cohesive identity, so every time a team trots out on the field, the fan doesn't say: "Which one is us again?" I would drop the latter two helmets and keep the gold, then maybe drop the green pants, it's a simpler and more refined package.

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The one thing that bothered me about this concept were the colours, like others have said I'd ike to see something brighter. I love the top left and top right combinations you posted, Id like to see more of the concept in these.

Having posted the colour combinations, I think the black outline in the logo was bringing everything down, to me every one of those new logos looks better becuase you've incorporated the outline into the colour scheme. Good update!

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I agree that the colors need to be brighter as well, that's what I think of when I think of those Native American cultures. Out of the the revamped colors you drew up I like the top left and top right. Out of those two I say top left, I like the orange and purple and you certainly don't see those combos often, think Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europe. The teal was kind of overdone in the 90's.

I agree with Elliot on the helmet combos. I like having options for teams with uniforms but have always hated the multiple helmets that Oregon and Wazzou do. I think that you have to look at a helmet more or less as a primary logo, shouldn't change. Also, not that it matters in a concept, the NFL only allows one helmet. I remember this because when Seattle unveiled their new uni's they wanted to use the current helmet and a silver helmet and the league said no, so they put it to a fan vote with the current incarnation winning out.

crsig.jpgnsig.jpg
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So first, the name-- I've long been interested in the Aztec civilization, and thought it would make a great name for a team. I think that names that refer to a specific civilization or tribe are always preferable to generic monikers such as Indians, Chiefs, Braves or Redskins. And while the civilization was in Mexico, not California, if San Diego State can use it, why not LA?

The logo, which I wish I would have put a little explanation for on the template, is a portrayal of the deity Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpentine creature that is central in the Mesoamerican mythologies. (In fact, I considered "Los Angeles Quetzalcoatls" as a name-- a bit of a mouthful, however!) In doing this I avoided making a representation of an Aztec man the logo, and thus avoided the usual pitfalls of making a native-american based logo. If anything, this logo pays homage to the culture of the Aztecs so I don't see how this would offend anyone like, say, the Redskins' logo. The logo itself integrates elements of Aztec art and design, however it is rendered in a very modern style.

I can just hear the ghost of Bill King (ex-Raiders announcer) come back to announce the Aztecs' games and, on a big play, yelling "Holy Quetzalcoatl!"

The colors are fairly unique in the NFL--the only close one is the Packers who use yellow, not gold. I would say the colors are all close to those the University of South Florida uses, including the Gold which I think is very unique.

I like the colors. (My screen name probably says why.)

aztecsls.png

I tried to keep the uniforms from indulging too much in modern excesses of piping and panels and whatnot, I tried to keep the set pretty classy, going the Houston Texans way of pairing a modern logo with pretty simple uniforms. However, they do feature mix-and-match, which I think could be the future of uniform design. I believe helmets should be just as interchangeable as pants, jerseys and socks, and this is an NFL team so funds are not an issue as they would be for most college teams not named Oregon. You may notice a black helmet and pants are missing-- this was done entirely to prevent black monochrome, haha.

azunis2.png

So while I'm happy with how this turned out, I'd still like some feedback, so if you have any C+C feel free to comment.

As a sidenote- 300 posts!

I would dump the white helmet and pants. Metallic gold is better than white in almost any application. The team will look fine with gold or green helmets, white jerseys and gold or dark green pants. (In fact, given that the L.A. Rams wore white at home for much of the '60s and '70s, perhaps you should consider white at home too.)

I really like this concept. This is one of the few black alts that seems to pair well with green, too.

Packers-2.png
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Thanks for the comments guys! I want to see what you guys think about these two schemes before I move on. Out of the color choices presented, I like purple/orange and kelly green/gold the best.

Purple and Orange are a great combo to represent the sun-worshiping aspect of the identity. Obviously the Phoenix Suns use the combo, and I like how it was used on the "Sunbirds" identity.

ptpo.png

On the other hand, I think that the old combo works when black is eliminated and the green and gold are lightened, to a kelly green and vegas gold. This is still a pretty bright combo so it is not nearly as drab as before.

ptkgg-1.png

And these are a very early look at the new unis... I just figured I'd post 'em so you could see how they work with the colors. Obviously I decided to integrate the swirls onto the unis but I'm not sure if I like the this way as they are rather gaudy.

ah2.png

C+C welcome!

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I love the orange and purple, that uniform is beautiful! The only thing bothering me now is the secondary, the orange outline just doesn't fit with the rest of the set. I'd make it thicker, perhaps vary the width to give some depth, swap the colours. I'd like to see the "LA" in orange, or maybe white might link better with your primary.

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