Smoldering, 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.
Title:
Smoldering – Grayscale Watercolor & Crayon Portrait
Smoldering was built around two visual ideas that pop up often in queer culture: the iconic “muscle bear” figure and cigar fetish imagery. I wanted to play with that tension between cool control and raw presence. The whole piece is done in black watercolor and crayon on Rives BFK, focusing on shadows and contrast to pull out the form. There’s something about reducing everything to grayscale that makes the energy even more direct.
The figure is front and center—broad, grounded, almost confrontational in how he meets your gaze. I kept the mark-making loose and confident. Areas like the tank top and cap are built from flat washes and dry-brushed edges. You can see how the light wraps around his deltoids and traps cast shadows under his arms and chin. That cigar in the mouth becomes a focal point, almost like a prop from a film noir or Tom of Finland print—it’s suggestive without overexplaining.
There's no decorative background here—just a dark, nearly void-like field that pushes the figure forward. It gives the scene a cinematic feel, almost like a black-and-white still from a 1950s biker flick or a grainy Polaroid someone might have kept tucked away. I think of it as both homage and exploration—less about idealization, more about attitude, subtext, and atmosphere.
To someone looking at it, this painting might feel sexy, tough, or just solid. It sits somewhere between portrait, fantasy, and cultural reference. That ambiguity is where I like to work—where body language, identity, and composition all meet.
Details:
Materials: black watercolor and crayon on Rives BFK
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Year: 2025
Unframed; ships flat in a protective sleeve
Signed on front
Ships in a rigid mailer
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.
Title:
Smoldering – Grayscale Watercolor & Crayon Portrait
Smoldering was built around two visual ideas that pop up often in queer culture: the iconic “muscle bear” figure and cigar fetish imagery. I wanted to play with that tension between cool control and raw presence. The whole piece is done in black watercolor and crayon on Rives BFK, focusing on shadows and contrast to pull out the form. There’s something about reducing everything to grayscale that makes the energy even more direct.
The figure is front and center—broad, grounded, almost confrontational in how he meets your gaze. I kept the mark-making loose and confident. Areas like the tank top and cap are built from flat washes and dry-brushed edges. You can see how the light wraps around his deltoids and traps cast shadows under his arms and chin. That cigar in the mouth becomes a focal point, almost like a prop from a film noir or Tom of Finland print—it’s suggestive without overexplaining.
There's no decorative background here—just a dark, nearly void-like field that pushes the figure forward. It gives the scene a cinematic feel, almost like a black-and-white still from a 1950s biker flick or a grainy Polaroid someone might have kept tucked away. I think of it as both homage and exploration—less about idealization, more about attitude, subtext, and atmosphere.
To someone looking at it, this painting might feel sexy, tough, or just solid. It sits somewhere between portrait, fantasy, and cultural reference. That ambiguity is where I like to work—where body language, identity, and composition all meet.
Details:
Materials: black watercolor and crayon on Rives BFK
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Year: 2025
Unframed; ships flat in a protective sleeve
Signed on front
Ships in a rigid mailer
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.
Title:
Smoldering – Grayscale Watercolor & Crayon Portrait
Smoldering was built around two visual ideas that pop up often in queer culture: the iconic “muscle bear” figure and cigar fetish imagery. I wanted to play with that tension between cool control and raw presence. The whole piece is done in black watercolor and crayon on Rives BFK, focusing on shadows and contrast to pull out the form. There’s something about reducing everything to grayscale that makes the energy even more direct.
The figure is front and center—broad, grounded, almost confrontational in how he meets your gaze. I kept the mark-making loose and confident. Areas like the tank top and cap are built from flat washes and dry-brushed edges. You can see how the light wraps around his deltoids and traps cast shadows under his arms and chin. That cigar in the mouth becomes a focal point, almost like a prop from a film noir or Tom of Finland print—it’s suggestive without overexplaining.
There's no decorative background here—just a dark, nearly void-like field that pushes the figure forward. It gives the scene a cinematic feel, almost like a black-and-white still from a 1950s biker flick or a grainy Polaroid someone might have kept tucked away. I think of it as both homage and exploration—less about idealization, more about attitude, subtext, and atmosphere.
To someone looking at it, this painting might feel sexy, tough, or just solid. It sits somewhere between portrait, fantasy, and cultural reference. That ambiguity is where I like to work—where body language, identity, and composition all meet.
Details:
Materials: black watercolor and crayon on Rives BFK
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Year: 2025
Unframed; ships flat in a protective sleeve
Signed on front
Ships in a rigid mailer
