Alright, so I’ve been messing around with this “Steamin Willie Beamen” thing, and let me tell you, it’s been a ride. I wanted to share my whole process, warts and all, because that’s how we learn, right?
The Idea
It all started with…well, honestly, I don’t even remember exactly what sparked it. Something about classic animation and maybe a quarterback’s name? I dunno, my brain’s weird. Anyway, I had this vague idea, and I figured, “Why not? Let’s see where this goes.”
First Steps (and Stumbles)
First, I googled the heck out of both terms separately. “Steamin Willie” obviously pulled up that cartoon, and “Beamen”…well, that’s a football player, if I recall correctly. I needed to get a feel for both.
- I watched some old cartoons. Got reacquainted with the style, the humor, the whole vibe.
- I Read up on the football player. Stats, career, any interesting tidbits I could find.
I Scribbled down some initial concepts. Lots of crossed-out stuff, arrows pointing everywhere, total chaos on paper. I do most of the plan by hand.
Building It Up
Then came the actual creation part. This is where things got messy (and fun!).
- I experimented with visuals. Tried combining the cartoon aesthetic with, I don’t know, a football helmet? It looked…interesting.
- I Played with different color palettes. Grayscale for the classic feel, but then maybe some pops of color for the modern touch?
- I Iterated. A lot. Threw out a bunch of stuff that didn’t work, kept tweaking the stuff that did.
The “Aha!” Moment
After a lot of trial and error, I finally landed on something I liked. It wasn’t perfect, but it felt right. It captured that mix of old and new, classic and, uh, sporty, that I was going for. I added the final features.
The Result (For Now)
I ended up with…something. It’s hard to describe, you kinda have to see it. It’s definitely unique, and I’m pretty proud of it, even if it’s a little rough around the edges. I’m still thinking about ways to improve it, maybe animate it, who knows? The journey’s the fun part, right?
So, that’s my “Steamin Willie Beamen” adventure so far. Hope you enjoyed this little peek behind the curtain. It is all my process of creating it.
