You might remember playing with an Etch A Sketch as a kid.
One knob drew a line horizontally and one drew vertically, and with some careful manipulation and a lot of patience, you might have even achieved a wobbly diagonal line or a curve. But beyond that was probably too much for most people.
But not for Jane Labowitch, otherwise known as "Princess Etch A Sketch."
Labowitch has turned the time-honored toy into a tool for making some seriously impressive art, both original and reproductions of famous paintings.
Many artists like to test their talents by bucking traditional materials in favor of things that are both a little stranger, but also a little more everyday, like the artist who collects simple fallen leaves and creates bright, striking Earth art.
By taking something ordinary and turning it into a piece of art, we see the beauty and potential in something we might otherwise overlook, be it leaves or a childhood toy.
Labowitch's Etch A Sketch art has gained her a lot of attention — including a live Etch A Sketching demonstration on Good Day Chicago — and people everywhere are amazed to see one of their old childhood favorite's true potential!
Check out her work below, and if you still have an Etch A Sketch somewhere, break it out and see what you can make!
[H/T: My Modern Met, Adventures of Yoo]
Thumbnail Photo: eBay
Like a lot of artists, Jane Labowitch goes to museums to sketch what she sees. It's a great way to get inspired and practice your artistic skill.
But Labowitch doesn't carry the standard-issue notebook and pencil. What she pulls out of her bag is quite different.
You might recognize this from years ago! The Etch A Sketch is a classic kid's toy, but Labowitch is putting it to a bit more sophisticated use by creating incredibly intricate works of art.
And the level of detail she's able to get? Totally stunning.
The whole thing took about eight hours, over the course of four trips to the Art Institute of Chicago.
One of her latest images is after Georges Seurat's famous painting, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
She also likes to experiment with style. These two versions of the Mona Lisa show a more natural approach on the left, and an angular, pixelated style on the right.
Her latest, a copy of van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles, was done live on Good Day Chicago. And all of those tiny lines only took her an hour!
And she's done another van Gogh favorite, too.
She also works on Etch A Sketches of different sizes, from the full size to small pocket varieties. This recreation of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam was done on a mini Etch A Sketch — even more challenging, and even more impressive!
To get the shading and detail, she creates hundreds of tiny swirls with the Etch A Sketch's interior stylus.
And in case you're wondering about how she created the separation between the hands, she brought the stylus around the edge! That's the classic way to get around the fact that Etch A Sketches make one continuous line.
Besides fine art, Labowitch also creates, well, everything else! This image shows the famous fairy tale castle at Disneyland.
And this one is St. Basil's Cathedral in Russia.
Labowitch likes using Etch A Sketches for her artwork, and has loved the toy since she started playing with it at the age of 4, and she appreciates the way the unusual medium has taught her patience when creating.
When creating something in public, she also notices that passersby really respond to the art, too. Not only is it unexpected, but it brings back their own memories.
"I met people from all over the world who had stories to share about how they had an Etch A Sketch when they were a kid, too," she says.
She says the biggest challenge is making sure everything is the right size and proportion.
Labowitch sells prints of her work, as well as carefully preserved originals that will not erase on her Etsy shop. You can also keep up with her latest projects on her website, as well as on Instagram and Facebook.
Please SHARE if you remember playing with an Etch A Sketch as a kid!
