The Sentry

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

The Sentry

pen, ink, and graphite on bristol paper

5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm)

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/241872331/the-sentry-original-ink-drawing-5-x-7-by

The streets can be a dangerous place.  Strange noises coming from the alleys.  Suspicious people on the street corner.  Cars slowing down as they pass you from behind walking on the sidewalk.  That is why there is: The Sentry.

This drawing would look best in a colorful space that is bright red, orange, yellow, light green, blue, purple, black, white, neutral, or wood.

Having Fun During COVID-19

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Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

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Twitter: http://twitter.com/MikeKrausBlog

The Sentry

 The Sentry, 2016

pen, ink, and graphite on bristol paper

5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm)

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/241872331/the-sentry-original-ink-drawing-5-x-7-by

10% OFF with coupon code JOINTHEFUN

FREE SHIPPING IN THE UNITED STATES

The streets can be a dangerous place.  Strange noises coming from the alleys.  Suspicious people on the street corner.  Cars slowing down as they pass you from behind walking on the sidewalk.  That is why there is: The Sentry.

This drawing would look best in a colorful space that is bright red, orange, yellow, light green, blue, purple, black, white, neutral, or wood.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt

There Was a Dream

There Was a Dream #131

Gouache on Watercolor Paper

NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION

2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm)

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/256810861/there-was-a-dream-131-artist-trading

10% OFF with coupon code JOINTHEFUN

These artist trading cards or ACEO (Art Card Editions 8 Originals) are frameable, collectible, enjoyable and can be given as a special gift for a birthday, wedding, new baby, anniversary, thank you or other occasion.  They are one-of-a-kind original works of art, NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION. It is signed on the back and lends itself to framing in a standard trading card frame.

FREE SHIPPING IN THE UNITED STATES

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt 

Artist Trading Card For a Stocking Stuffer: https://t.co/XHs5men9wO pic.twitter.com/qJxumhoKDv

— Mike Kraus (@MikeKrausBlog) November 19, 2015

Chicago Alley

 Chicago Alley, 2015

acrylic on canvas

18" x 24"

© copyright Mike Kraus

For more information, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186507940/custom-commission-original-art-by-mike

10% OFF with coupon code JOINTHEFUN

Portrait for Roman, 2015

pen, ink, and graphite

8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm) 

© copyright Mike Kraus

For more information, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186507940/custom-commission-original-art-by-mike

The Waitress

 

The Waitress, 2015

pen, ink, and marker on paper

4" x 6" (10.2 cm x 15.2 cm) in a frame

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/228416273/the-waitress-original-drawing-4-x-6-with

Use my special anniversary coupon code 1YEARFUN and get 20% OFF!

She's been on her feet all night long.  Taking orders and attitude from customers.   The food was prepared somewhere in Iowa, frozen, shipped, thawed, thrown on a plate, and served with a smile.  Every couple of minutes, the drinks are refilled.  She cleans up the mess the kids left on the table and wishes you a "wonderful night" dropping off the check.  When she sees she was left a 5% tip, she wonders how she'll ever get the student loan debt collectors off her back.

This painting would look best in a space that is deep red, yellow, orange, dark green, navy blue, purple,  white, or beige

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt 

Meerkat Assembly Plant

Meerkat Assembly Plant, 2014

pen and ink

4" x 6" in a 5 1/4" x 7 1/4" frame 

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/202039258/meerkat-assembly-plant-original-ink?

Science and technology can improve the meerkat.  To challenge what it means to be a meerkat.  Why be only 10 inches tall when you could be six foot tall?  Demand for large meerkats is expected to high as insect and lizard populations are projected to explode due to global climate change.  Of course, this will help Mother Nature stay in balance.

This drawing would look great in any space with its neutral color and frame.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt

Get 10% OFF your purchase using coupon code: JOINtheFUN

Wilder Building

Wilder Building, 2014

pen, ink, and graphite

3" x 4 1/2" in a 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" frame

© copyright Mike Kraus

To Purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/200213111/wilder-building-original-ink-drawing-3-x?

Buildings do more than shelter us from the rain.  They reveal human intelligence and purpose.  What kind of technology did it require in 1887 to construct Rochester's first modern skyscraper?  What was the architect trying to tell us using the Romanesque style?  It's on the National Register of Historic Places, so what does the Wilder Building mean to us today?  Something that is difficult to think about when speeding by the structure in a car.

This drawing would look great in almost any because of its neutral tones and warm mahogany frame

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt 

Bernardo's Pizza and Submarines

Bernardo's Pizza and Submarines, 2014

pen, ink, and graphite

4" x 6"

© copyright Mike Kraus

Please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186507940/custom-commission-original-art-by-mike?

Victor's First (and Best) Pizza Shop!

Bernardo's Pizza and Subs

160 School St
Victor, NY 14564
http://www.bernardospizza.com
Phone: (585) 924-3960 Fax: (585) 924-3359

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt

Drawing Western Avenue in Muskegon, Michigan

I thought I'd share the process of how I draw.  For the subject, I decided on drawing Western Avenue in my hometown of Muskegon, Michigan.  It's the main street of downtown which has been bulldozed and rebuilt about every other generation.  Somehow, both of these buildings, the Russell Block to the left and the Century Club to the right, have been able to survive since the 1890s.  Anyway, this is how I draw.

 I've measured out a piece of paper to fit an 8" x 10" frame.  I've also added a border.  I like to leave an edge to the paper just in case someone decides to change the frame in the future.  It allows more flexibility for using mats and different size frames.  Next, I tape the paper down to my drawing board and prepare to sketch.

So, I sketch out my general lines in pencil.  I place various points of reference.  For example, I've used the edge of the street and rooflines to keep everything in balance. 

Once I have my reference points, I move into framing the structures.  I really like bold, straight lines that border on architectural drafting.  

This is the nitty-gritty.  From the outside of the building, you can usually see where the support beams are located.  In mid-century Modernist building they tend to be completely exposed.  But, in Victorian-era structures they are more subtle and hidden.  Most of my pencil lines are used to find the underlying structure so I can apply the facade appropriately.

The outline of the Century Club is now complete. 

The restored Western Avenue now has a median.  I had to sketch this in before moving on to the Russell Block building because it is in the foreground.  Then to the van, sidewalk, and the first floor of the structure.  From there, I worked my way up the building using the initial support beams as my guides once again.   

The outline is complete. 

 Then, I add the ink wash.  I like to add an organic wash to counter-balance the rigid drafting technique.    It takes the drawing out of the realm of a photograph and places it into a memory or dream.

The landscaping was particularly fun on this project. 

A detail of the cars. 

And, we're done.  We have a drawing celebrating the crown jewel of Muskegon's downtown.

Add it to a frame and hang it on your wall. 

Or place it on your mantle.  

Have any questions?  Let me know.

Western Avenue In Muskegon, Michigan, 2014

Pen and ink on paper

8" x 10"

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/194679066/western-avenue-in-muskegon-michigan

Vinyl Collector

Vinyl Collector, 2014

pen and ink on paper

4" x 6" in a 8 1/4" x 10 1/4"

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/189900241/vinyl-collector-original-4-x-6-in-a-8-14?

It's a cool, cloudy day at the southside flea market.  Vendors shout about the virtues of their cheap and/or stolen goods from their stands.  The free-est of free markets.  But, on this early spring morning he is here to find old records in good condition.  Music only sounds right when there's the hiss of the turntable.

This drawing would great in almost any space with its neutral frame, but would accent light green, deep blue, light yellow, or beige spaces very well.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt 

River Street In Manistee, Michigan

River Street In Manistee Michigan, 2014

pen and ink on paper

5" x 7" in a 8" x 10" frame

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/188922256/river-street-in-manistee-michigan

River Street in Manistee, Michigan.  The last we'll see of civilization before we head into the national forest.  This outpost squeezed between the dense woods and Lake Michigan.  We stop in The Pub for a drink, check out a few antique shops, and watch the street performers.  It's wonderful to visit a place that respects their history.

This painting would look best almost anywhere in its neutral rustic frame and black and white image.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt