An Infinite Zoom on Football and Fantasy — Interview with Gregcicle

Greg Edwards, AKA Gregcicle, is an artist based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Originally trained as an architect, Greg transitioned into the world of digital art and has been working independently for over two years. His innovative approach to “infinite zoom” art has set him apart in the creative industry, allowing him to collaborate with notable brands and agencies. His background in architecture and fascination with the built environment have deeply influenced his artistic journey, leading him to explore architectural visualization and concept art. This exploration eventually led him to develop his unique style of immersive zoom art, which has garnered significant attention and opportunities.

In this interview, Gregcicle discusses his accidental discovery and development of the infinite zoom technique, his transition from architecture to illustration, and how his innovative style has made him a go-to artist for sports illustrations. He shares insights into his first sports-related commission with the NFL and a recent collaboration with Manchester City. Greg also talks about the collaborative nature of his projects, the research involved in capturing special moments in sports, and his venture into the fantastical elements of his artwork. Additionally, he touches on his ongoing projects, personal rituals, and inspirations, providing a comprehensive look into his creative process and future aspirations.

Brady Walker: Can you introduce yourself to our Collectors? 

Greg Edwards: Hi, I’m Greg, an artist living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I’ve been working independently as an artist for over 2 years now and have been fortunate enough to collaborate with some amazing brands and agencies to create immersive zoom art. Back in the day I set out to be an architect but where I am now is a far stretch from my original goals. 

BW: How did you come to this infinite zoom style? 

GE: Exploring this sort of idea happened by accident in 2021 when I was playing around with an app on the iPad that lets you interact with what you’re drawing. I thought it was really cool how you could just keep on drawing, something that you obviously can’t do with paper. It felt like a really natural extension to what I enjoy doing most and as a result I was fortunate enough to be one of the very first to explore this medium, which ultimately opened the door to the many opportunities I’ve had since. 

BW: How did you transition from architecture to the kind of illustration work you do? 

This was a very slow and accidental transition. After studying architecture and working in the industry for a short while, I realized that it just wasn’t for me. But since I love architecture and the built environment, I still wanted to somehow stay in the broader industry, which is how I came to explore Architectural Visualisation. 

This was great as it allowed me to retain my fascination with buildings and everything that makes them whilst effectively just getting to do the fun stuff, like creating digital environments, learning loads of 3D tools and rendering programs, meeting interesting clients, and being part of a team. This also gave me an opportunity to explore my interests of concept art and 3D design and delve, as a hobbyist, into the film and game industry where I learnt more about how to be a better artist. 

Then, after several years working in-house, I decided to collaborate with a friend to produce our own visuals for clients. To cut a long story short, this led to a diverse range of projects, a move from the south-east of England to Northern Ireland, becoming part of a start-up in a design studio where I got to explore more concept designs and work with some really cool companies/people. 

All the while, I had been drawing and painting in my spare time most mornings and evenings and I just so happened to try out a new software that allowed you to create zoom/parallax art. There’s a long story of how I ended up posting work on social media, but to summarize, a little sketch went viral and it was from there the NFL reached out. 

BW: Two competing predominant foci of your work are sports and fantasy, not genres one would anticipate from the same body of work. Let’s start with sports first — how did you become this go-to guy for sports illustrations? Did the infinite zoom style set you apart there? 

Absolutely, without a doubt what set me apart was my innovative zoom style and the traction that brought online. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was something that resonated exceptionally well on social media and particularly in the sporting space. 

BW: What was your first sports-related gig? 

My first ever sports-related gig was with the NFL to produce an interactive piece of art highlighting the build up to the finals of the 2022 Super Bowl. Incidentally, this was my first-ever illustration commission too. It’s safe to say I never anticipated the opportunities that would create and I am eternally grateful to the social media team for not only contacting me, but also for posting on all their social media platforms. They really pushed for the collaborative element, and it’s without a doubt the reason why I’ve since landed the commissions I have today. 

The piece itself was really cool. They wanted to highlight key moments throughout the season with the build up to the finals and ultimately showcasing the Los Angeles Ram’s celebrating their win. There were two challenges that came with the project. One being that I was creating the artwork in tandem with games being played, so I had a limited window of time to add in huge amounts of details. Then the second challenge is that I was very new to the software I was using to create the artwork, so I really learnt along the way and put all of my energy into making the best possible thing I could. Additionally in 2022 I was working full-time in-house at a design studio so I was working near non-stop on multiple projects. 

BW: How did this project with Manchester City come about? 

In a roundabout way, what allowed this project to happen was a chance encounter almost two years ago with Joe Farren, a creative technologist and expert in sports media and emerging tech, and my counterpart in this project. We met at an event here in Belfast that focused on tech, VFX, and gaming and it was through our shared interests in tech, sport, and art that we wanted to in some way or form collaborate with one another. Fast forward to today and his efforts of reaching the right people combined with my portfolio of work has led to this phenomenal opportunity.

I am thrilled to be partnering with Manchester City for my first ownable zoom Sports Artwork. Manchester City have always been at the leading edge of innovation in Sport and commitment to collaborating with digital artists in an authentic way.

BW: What was the process of concepting and creating this work like? 

This project has been very different to my previous work. Up until now I’ve created interactive art purely for social media, whereas with this project we wanted to create a piece that was automated. It would be cool to make an interactive version of something like this but at the moment there are technical limitations. 

As a result, I needed to pull together a team of people to make this project happen. So this project really is the sum of its parts. Firstly, myself being the lead artist of the project, I sketched the concepts, worked on the scene compositions, built up the environments/background art/transition elements, colors and worked closely with Joe on the storyboarding. 

Then Joe, who really helped steer the knowledge within the artwork, helped pick the right references, contributed to how the scenes could be composed, and led client relations and marketing around the project. 

Then I also brought on board another artist Fru Czech, who illustrated the players off my concept sketches and really brought life to the players. I loved her artistic style and felt it complimented the rest of the project well. Then to piece it all together in the form of a video we worked with Dan Wilson, an animator who’s got a whole range of experience in the animation world. 

Crucially for me what’s important is that I know the team involved well. Fru and I go way back now and have worked on multiple projects together for several years now. Dan and I are connected through colleagues and are both based in Belfast. Joe is also from around these parts and is someone I know personally. So it’s been an opportunity not just for myself but for others too. 

BW: How much art is in this piece? 

To lead from my previous answer, there’s a lot of art in this piece not just from myself but from others. If you include the Manchester City team and MakersPlace team, for me this feels like the energy, enthusiasm and art of up to 8 people. 

BW: What does this piece mean to you personally? 

With every project there is growth. From a technical perspective this project has tried something new with making a zoom piece that’s automated. It’s something I’ve really wanted to do for a while now but I lacked the skills to do it. From an artistic angle it was a chance to be more energetic and playful with this piece. On top of this, relationships were built between everyone involved in the project that I hope will result in more collaborations. Lastly, it means a lot that such a high-profile team liked my work and saw potential in working together. 

 
BW: What research did you do personally to capture the special moments of City’s 4-in-a-row season? 

I spent hours poring over match day footage, and player stats and stories to really capture the essence of what makes each of these moments so special. City gave us access to amazingly rich archive content to help capture the full emotion of the moments and what the season means to players and more importantly fans! I wanted to include special features and aspects that fans would love so we added additional Easter Eggs in each scene including players stats, ball trajectory trails and tactical maps. 

BW: Do you have a favorite moment and if so, why? 

The Derby Heroes scene is my favorite. I just love the combination of the synergy between collective team spirit and the emotion on the fans’ faces. It really highlights how special the two wins over their arch-rival Manchester United were to the fans. 

BW: Last season’s history making achievement was truly incredible and meant a great deal to Manchester City fans. What did you find inspiring about the story of 4-in-a-row? 

To have that level of sustained success in any sport is incredibly impressive. I have been lucky enough to tell the immersive stories of some of the biggest names in sport, but the story of a team winning a title 4 years in a row is truly unprecedented. It has been an honor to bring this journey to life in my work to help fans around the world commemorate the history making season.

BW: What is ArtSport Collective? 

I created ArtSport Collective alongside Joe Farren. We are a team of digital artists and creative technologists who have come together to help the biggest brands, rights holders, and athletes leverage art & tech to engage with the next generation of their fans. We build digital activations, in-person art experiences, and collectibles to capture the attention of millions of sports fans. 

BW: Tell me about the more fantastical side to your output. 

So with every project I like to approach it differently and with this piece I wanted it to be loose and energetic, something that aligns to the Manchester City brand and basically was an excuse to have a lot of fun with the artwork. There’s always something quite mesmerizing too with zoom art, so that natural helps bring out a more fantastical experience.