The Baby Seal Club's Portrait Challenge

For some time now, Ryan Molenkamp and his co-artists/workers have passed the time drawing fantastical portraits from magazine clippings. We rarely have the opportunity to see these amazingly creative sketches, but believe me they're fun. They embody a kind of visual equivalent to the game telephone - each frame bounces off the previous, into the next, and is characteristically altered by the draftsman's perspective.

Ryan had a show of the portraits in May at The Baby Seal Club - a shared studio space in the 619 Western Building. You can read a little about the show on Another Bouncing Ball. However visually awesome the portraits were in rows on the wall, the really fun part was the interactivity. Visitors got to participate with pencil or pen on tables set up in the hallway and try it out for themselves. Can their wit match the formidable talent on the wall? Why not try? (I'm kicking myself for not sitting down for a quick sketch)

Perhaps you're bummed out now, because you missed it? Never fear! Ryan has started posting scans of the Portrait Challenge on Flickr. He says:

I know it is not as cool as a dedicated website, or as cool as the book I'm planning...but still you can enjoy them. I've only got like 3% done, so be patient!

Don't worry, it's pretty cool. Some things are definitely worth the wait, and these days on the internet, it's fun to have something to go back/look forward to.

Elton John and possible candidate for a brother, Goooooggles
All models for the Portrait Challenge 2009
images borrowed from Ryan Molenkamp and the Baby Seal Club