The Monster Engine
I stumbled across this today and thought it was amazing and sort of frightening, what happens when an artist takes a child's drawing and reveals what they're really seeing.
What is The Monster Engine?
The Monster Engine is a book, a demonstration, lecture and a gallery exhibition. The premise for all three came from one single question: What would a child’s drawing look like if it were painted realistically?
It began at the Jersey Shore in 1998, where my niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if color, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn’t I apply those same techniques to a kid’s drawing? That was it... no research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica’s drawings come to life.
The book is a 48-page collection of drawings, paintings, photos and interviews. The book’s preface explains, in depth, the history, intentions and results of this seven-year project.
More information on the Monster Engine can be found [here] and more images [here].
What is The Monster Engine?
The Monster Engine is a book, a demonstration, lecture and a gallery exhibition. The premise for all three came from one single question: What would a child’s drawing look like if it were painted realistically?
It began at the Jersey Shore in 1998, where my niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if color, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn’t I apply those same techniques to a kid’s drawing? That was it... no research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica’s drawings come to life.
The book is a 48-page collection of drawings, paintings, photos and interviews. The book’s preface explains, in depth, the history, intentions and results of this seven-year project.
More information on the Monster Engine can be found [here] and more images [here].