Rad Cars with Rad Surfboards is the brainchild
of artist/surfer Kevin Butler. Over the past eight
years he has drawn or painted over 500 different Rad Cars with Rad Surfboards.
Who are you, where are you from, what do you do?
I'm Kevin. Husband to Scarlett, dad to Ozzie, best friend to Sunny the dog. I’m originally from Santa Cruz, California, currently living in Venice Beach. I like to surf small waves on big boards and draw rad things, specifically Rad Cars with Rad Surfboards.
How did the concept come about?
I grew up a few blocks from the beach and had a dad that rebuilt old cars as a
hobby. So I had a connection with cars and surfing from an early age. This specific project started with me drawing my own rad car and rad surfboard — a mustard yellow 1982 Volvo wagon, with my magical T. Reynolds log up top. Then I drew my friend’s old Land Rover as a gift and a few of the cars my dad rebuilt while I was growing up. Then I started drawing rad cars I would love to own or that I saw around town. Then people started asking me to draw their cars. Next thing I knew I had drawn over a hundred of them and was planning a solo exhibition. I've been going ever since.
What is Rad Cars with Rad Surfboards all about?
It’s a combination of the two things I love most. Cars and surfboards are things people enjoy collecting, looking at, and dreaming about. It makes sense to put them together. But if you go a little deeper, it’s really about optimism: summer + the weekend. When combined, these two things embody adventure, freedom and fun.
What's your process?
Typically I will sketch it out in pencil. Go over it in pen. Scan it in. Clean it up in photoshop and color it digitally. But on occasion, I'll hand-paint them. Usually the hand-painted RCWRS are for gallery shows or a special requests from customers.
What’s the ultimate Rad Car/Rad Surfboard combo?
For me it changes every day. There are so many rad options out there. I guess that's why I've been able to create so many. But, if I had to pick one, I'd say it’s pretty hard to beat an early 1960s VW bus with a vintage log and a keel fin fish up top.
Click here to get in contact with RCWRS.