A Man of Action, 11x14 inches, crayon on Rives BFK by Kenney Mencher
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This crayon drawing is called A Man of Action — and that’s exactly what it feels like. I wanted to capture a sense of dynamic motion and raw energy in the way the figure twists, muscles bunching and flexing under the surface of the skin. The pose is athletic, almost like a freeze-frame from a fight scene or dance — something full of tension and life. You can almost hear the rush of air as he turns.
I used a soft black crayon instead of traditional charcoal or chalk because I wanted to keep the texture bold but not smudgy. Crayon gives me a solid, confident line, and allows me to layer values without muddying the surface. The paper is Rives BFK — it has just enough tooth to grip the crayon, giving the strokes a gritty, muscular texture that echoes the subject.
This piece has some roots in classic figure drawing — there's a nod to Michelangelo in the exaggerated anatomy and heroic twist of the torso. You might also see hints of Richard Diebenkorn in the broad, gestural lines and Elmer Bischoff in how the form almost dissolves into abstraction in places. I'm definitely not putting myself in their league, but I’m aware of how their work shapes mine.
The shading is fast and expressive, but I paid attention to the light source. The chiaroscuro — the contrast between light and dark — helps the muscles pop and gives a sense of depth. I didn’t go for high realism. Instead, I tried to build the illusion of volume with rhythm and movement in the marks themselves.
For me, this is about celebrating the human form, especially in ways that challenge idealization. There's a sort of unfiltered masculinity here — not pretty, but strong and unashamed. I think people might feel a sense of power or physical intensity when they look at it. Some might be reminded of comic book heroes or gritty black-and-white photography from the mid-20th century. Others might just respond to the honesty and immediacy of the gesture.
This drawing was part of a series where I focused on men’s backs and shoulders — a body part often overlooked but full of narrative potential. It’s also deeply personal. As someone getting older and thinking about physicality and identity, I’ve been more drawn to capturing strength that isn’t about perfection, but presence.
Details:
Title: A Man of Action
Medium: Black crayon on Rives BFK paper
Size: 11x14 inches
Year: 2025
Signed and dated on front
Unframed
Ships flat in protective packaging
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This crayon drawing is called A Man of Action — and that’s exactly what it feels like. I wanted to capture a sense of dynamic motion and raw energy in the way the figure twists, muscles bunching and flexing under the surface of the skin. The pose is athletic, almost like a freeze-frame from a fight scene or dance — something full of tension and life. You can almost hear the rush of air as he turns.
I used a soft black crayon instead of traditional charcoal or chalk because I wanted to keep the texture bold but not smudgy. Crayon gives me a solid, confident line, and allows me to layer values without muddying the surface. The paper is Rives BFK — it has just enough tooth to grip the crayon, giving the strokes a gritty, muscular texture that echoes the subject.
This piece has some roots in classic figure drawing — there's a nod to Michelangelo in the exaggerated anatomy and heroic twist of the torso. You might also see hints of Richard Diebenkorn in the broad, gestural lines and Elmer Bischoff in how the form almost dissolves into abstraction in places. I'm definitely not putting myself in their league, but I’m aware of how their work shapes mine.
The shading is fast and expressive, but I paid attention to the light source. The chiaroscuro — the contrast between light and dark — helps the muscles pop and gives a sense of depth. I didn’t go for high realism. Instead, I tried to build the illusion of volume with rhythm and movement in the marks themselves.
For me, this is about celebrating the human form, especially in ways that challenge idealization. There's a sort of unfiltered masculinity here — not pretty, but strong and unashamed. I think people might feel a sense of power or physical intensity when they look at it. Some might be reminded of comic book heroes or gritty black-and-white photography from the mid-20th century. Others might just respond to the honesty and immediacy of the gesture.
This drawing was part of a series where I focused on men’s backs and shoulders — a body part often overlooked but full of narrative potential. It’s also deeply personal. As someone getting older and thinking about physicality and identity, I’ve been more drawn to capturing strength that isn’t about perfection, but presence.
Details:
Title: A Man of Action
Medium: Black crayon on Rives BFK paper
Size: 11x14 inches
Year: 2025
Signed and dated on front
Unframed
Ships flat in protective packaging
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This crayon drawing is called A Man of Action — and that’s exactly what it feels like. I wanted to capture a sense of dynamic motion and raw energy in the way the figure twists, muscles bunching and flexing under the surface of the skin. The pose is athletic, almost like a freeze-frame from a fight scene or dance — something full of tension and life. You can almost hear the rush of air as he turns.
I used a soft black crayon instead of traditional charcoal or chalk because I wanted to keep the texture bold but not smudgy. Crayon gives me a solid, confident line, and allows me to layer values without muddying the surface. The paper is Rives BFK — it has just enough tooth to grip the crayon, giving the strokes a gritty, muscular texture that echoes the subject.
This piece has some roots in classic figure drawing — there's a nod to Michelangelo in the exaggerated anatomy and heroic twist of the torso. You might also see hints of Richard Diebenkorn in the broad, gestural lines and Elmer Bischoff in how the form almost dissolves into abstraction in places. I'm definitely not putting myself in their league, but I’m aware of how their work shapes mine.
The shading is fast and expressive, but I paid attention to the light source. The chiaroscuro — the contrast between light and dark — helps the muscles pop and gives a sense of depth. I didn’t go for high realism. Instead, I tried to build the illusion of volume with rhythm and movement in the marks themselves.
For me, this is about celebrating the human form, especially in ways that challenge idealization. There's a sort of unfiltered masculinity here — not pretty, but strong and unashamed. I think people might feel a sense of power or physical intensity when they look at it. Some might be reminded of comic book heroes or gritty black-and-white photography from the mid-20th century. Others might just respond to the honesty and immediacy of the gesture.
This drawing was part of a series where I focused on men’s backs and shoulders — a body part often overlooked but full of narrative potential. It’s also deeply personal. As someone getting older and thinking about physicality and identity, I’ve been more drawn to capturing strength that isn’t about perfection, but presence.
Details:
Title: A Man of Action
Medium: Black crayon on Rives BFK paper
Size: 11x14 inches
Year: 2025
Signed and dated on front
Unframed
Ships flat in protective packaging
