Athlete, 11x14 inches, crayon and watercolor 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.
I titled this one Athlete, though not in the traditional sense. He’s not about perfect abs or action poses—he’s powerful in how grounded and present he is. I drew this using crayon for its bold, rough line, and then built up the shadows and atmosphere with watercolor washes. The paper is Rives BFK, which has a beautiful tooth that grips the materials and makes the texture pop.
What stands out most is the dramatic contrast between light and shadow—chiaroscuro, a technique I’ve borrowed from artists like Caravaggio and Ribera. The way the deep shadows cut across the face and torso creates an almost theatrical focus. It reminds me a bit of tenebrism, where the dark background pushes the lit figure into sharper emotional relief.
The light carves out form across the shoulders and stomach, and the open gesture of the hand adds a sense of movement and openness. The crayon lines are deliberately raw and expressive—I want the marks to feel alive, not polished.
There’s something honest and confrontational about the figure. He’s older, clearly lived-in, and unapologetically present. To me, this drawing might evoke feelings of resilience, confrontation, or even quiet vulnerability. The pose and lighting could remind someone of black-and-white photography from the mid-century, or maybe even scenes from classic noir cinema. It’s about what it means to be seen, in the rawest light.
This is part of an ongoing series where I’m exploring male figures that don’t conform to idealized beauty. It connects to my broader career focus—drawing people with emotional weight, physicality, and the marks of time.
Details:
Title: Athlete
Medium: Crayon and watercolor on Rives BFK
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.
I titled this one Athlete, though not in the traditional sense. He’s not about perfect abs or action poses—he’s powerful in how grounded and present he is. I drew this using crayon for its bold, rough line, and then built up the shadows and atmosphere with watercolor washes. The paper is Rives BFK, which has a beautiful tooth that grips the materials and makes the texture pop.
What stands out most is the dramatic contrast between light and shadow—chiaroscuro, a technique I’ve borrowed from artists like Caravaggio and Ribera. The way the deep shadows cut across the face and torso creates an almost theatrical focus. It reminds me a bit of tenebrism, where the dark background pushes the lit figure into sharper emotional relief.
The light carves out form across the shoulders and stomach, and the open gesture of the hand adds a sense of movement and openness. The crayon lines are deliberately raw and expressive—I want the marks to feel alive, not polished.
There’s something honest and confrontational about the figure. He’s older, clearly lived-in, and unapologetically present. To me, this drawing might evoke feelings of resilience, confrontation, or even quiet vulnerability. The pose and lighting could remind someone of black-and-white photography from the mid-century, or maybe even scenes from classic noir cinema. It’s about what it means to be seen, in the rawest light.
This is part of an ongoing series where I’m exploring male figures that don’t conform to idealized beauty. It connects to my broader career focus—drawing people with emotional weight, physicality, and the marks of time.
Details:
Title: Athlete
Medium: Crayon and watercolor on Rives BFK
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.
I titled this one Athlete, though not in the traditional sense. He’s not about perfect abs or action poses—he’s powerful in how grounded and present he is. I drew this using crayon for its bold, rough line, and then built up the shadows and atmosphere with watercolor washes. The paper is Rives BFK, which has a beautiful tooth that grips the materials and makes the texture pop.
What stands out most is the dramatic contrast between light and shadow—chiaroscuro, a technique I’ve borrowed from artists like Caravaggio and Ribera. The way the deep shadows cut across the face and torso creates an almost theatrical focus. It reminds me a bit of tenebrism, where the dark background pushes the lit figure into sharper emotional relief.
The light carves out form across the shoulders and stomach, and the open gesture of the hand adds a sense of movement and openness. The crayon lines are deliberately raw and expressive—I want the marks to feel alive, not polished.
There’s something honest and confrontational about the figure. He’s older, clearly lived-in, and unapologetically present. To me, this drawing might evoke feelings of resilience, confrontation, or even quiet vulnerability. The pose and lighting could remind someone of black-and-white photography from the mid-century, or maybe even scenes from classic noir cinema. It’s about what it means to be seen, in the rawest light.
This is part of an ongoing series where I’m exploring male figures that don’t conform to idealized beauty. It connects to my broader career focus—drawing people with emotional weight, physicality, and the marks of time.
Details:
Title: Athlete
Medium: Crayon and watercolor on Rives BFK
Size: 11x14 inches
Year: 2025
Signed and dated on front
Unframed
Ships flat in protective packaging
