Sports Artist Spotlight: Doug Stromenger
Doug Stromenger can recall standing in line at card shows to meet autograph guests, thinking everything seemed just a little too plain.
“I noticed everyone had a baseball/8×10/helmet/bat to get signed. None of that was original or special to me,” says Stromenger. “That’s when I started painting athletes, creating original art to get signed. I really enjoy the athletes’ reactions when they see the artwork created of them. They see a million pieces of equipment, but a painting is something unique.”
One of Stromenger’s greatest art influences was his high school art teacher, who taught the youngster one of the tricks he employed.
“My high school teacher, Mr. Grace, was a major influence on me,” he says. “He told me he never used black in his work, [instead] mixing colors to make black. I still follow this today. I’ve never used a black colored pencil or marker or paint in anything I’ve painted.”
Two other early influences: Donruss Diamond Kings, and the inside cover art in Beckett magazines.
His favorite piece from all of his works remains the Odell Beckham Jr. he says took him over a year to finish “with all his tattoos.”
Doug hopes fans viewing his art appreciate the use of color and attention to detail used to capture the athlete. “My goal is not to replicate the photo reference; it’s to create a piece of art from it.”
Instagram: @dstromart
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Twitter: @dstromart
