“My dream job would be working in the industry for a professional sports company,” says Virden’s Brooks Freeman, a winning graphic design artist.
Indeed, Brooks Freeman is gaining notoriety as a graphic designer of sports logos, with his most recent accomplishment a design for Canada’s National Junior Team goaltenders. He won the Design-A-Mask contest (13-18 year old category) sponsored by Boston Pizza and Bauer; which means his design will be used at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championships.
Part of the exciting prize package includes an expense paid trip for two to the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championships in Vancouver. Freeman will also receive a mask replica and a Team Canada jersey.
Freeman graduated from Virden Collegiate last June and is currently studying (Digital) Interactive Media Design at Assiniboine Community College.
However, his design ability has already earned him a place on the world stage.
Freeman’s unique mask design, a moose on each side of the helmet, will be worn by the Team Canada goalies. The first year design student is impacted by what it will mean. “I get to see that on TV. It will be televised all around the world.”
Oil Caps jersey designed by Freeman
Freeman has designed an agriculture-themed third jersey for Virden Oil Capitals game Dec. 21. It was unveiled in Tundra Oil & Gas Place arena Thursday evening before the home crowd.
In 2016 Freeman was also a design contest winner for his logo honouring the South Carolina Stingrays 25th Anniversary. The Stingrays are an affiliate team with the Washington Capitals (NHL). For this he recently received a trip to see the Stingrays play with his design - the 25th anniversary logo on the shoulder of their jerseys.
Focus pays off
From the time he was a young artist with crayons Freeman enjoyed designing and usually it involved sports jerseys. “I was always into jersey design and I always loved sports and hockey.”
By his grade nine year, Freeman got started into the digital world and by Gr. 10 his focus sharpened as he began to take design more seriously.
“I got started designing hockey jerseys online. I got onto some blogs and some websites where you can post your work online.” He said the comments from the larger online community were important. “They help you get better.”
Being part of an online community of designers and following online tutorials, Freeman guided his own destiny as a burgeoning graphic designer.
In the summer of 2015 he won an important online contest - a jersey design for the New York Riveters (National Women’s Hockey League).
Hockey jerseys are Freeman’s favourite design subject and he has worked toward a reputation for one-of-a-kind work.
“I always want my work to be unique.”
