Hey, gang- I’ve got a new painting to share with you for this Robot Monster Monday.
Robot Monster (also released as Monster from Mars is a 1953 American independent 3D science-fiction horror film produced and directed by Phil Tucker, and starring George Nader, Claudia Barrett, and George Barrows. The film follows an alien robot who, while on a mission to destroy Earth and humanity, betrays the orders of his master, the Great Guidance, by protecting a woman he was tasked to murder. Ro-Man Extension XJ-2, referred to as just Ro-Man (a creature with an ape-like body and an antenna-equipped helmet covering its head and emitting electric flashes), has destroyed all human life on Earth with a Calcinator death ray to prevent Humanity from challenging his race, except for eight humans who remain alive in a protected facility.
I’ve honestly never seen the entire movie- just stills and a few short bits, but even though it’s been called one of the worst movies ever made and the main character’s costume is pretty ridiculous, it’s incredibly iconic and just fun…and is in 3D!
While I was working on this my wife Nicki was like, “What the heck are you drawing..?”
Me: “Robot Monster.”
Nicki: “But what’s it from?”
Me: “Robot Monster.”
Nicki: “Okay…”
I did this acrylic paint maker painting on one of the wood panels I’ve been using. I picked up these round and square wood panels recently at Dollar Tree for about a $1.25ea. They’ve had different sized and shaped panels at both locations near me, but you have to shop and keep an eye out because their inventory does change each month and at each location I’ve been to here and around the Memphis area. They’re inexpensive and are very versatile, take to a variety of mediums and techniques, and are beginner/novice friendly. The acrylic paint pens are opaque and can cover mistakes pretty easy.
I’m using Posca, Ivsun, and Sharpie Creative paint markers. You can find them all online or at brick & mortar stores like Walmart, Michaels, The Art Center, or other art supply stores. They are fairly inexpensive and easy to find. I also paint on coffin and tombstone wood panel canvases from Trekell Art Supplies online, and have found a few different shaped smaller stretched canvases at Michaels and Five Below.
Like Dollar Tree and Walmart, their inventory does change a lot and vary from store to store and online, as well as with the seasons. When I go to Michaels I always make sure to look online for a coupon or wait for a sale. I’ve saved a lot on one item or sometimes on my entire purchase, especially on the larger stretched canvases or framing. My plan is to make a painting station in the garage to where I can safely store my canvases- both blank and finished ones.
For this mini marker painting I started off transferring the image to the wood panel with tracing paper and a #2 pencil (think carbon paper with pencil lead on the back).
I finished out the details freehand in pencil, then painted the sides with a wide tipped oil based Sharpie marker, and got to filling in the background with a Posca paint marker. I started off with a dark blue, but didn’t like the look of it so I switched to black.
I then used some Ivsun grey markers to start fleshing out the figure, using a dark grey on the bodyfur, and light grey on the hands, chest, and helmet.
I normally don’t take any art to work on at an event, especially when I go solo to a show. But this time I brought the Robot Monster panel and a few paint pens along with me to the Beale Street Monster Club’s “Bigfoot on Beale” event at A. Schwab’s downtown on Saturday, May 16th.
I don’t like to draw at cons because the lighting is usually poor, space is tight, and the tables are easily bumped by folks passing by- plus if my head is down I can’t keep an eye on my table and potential customers may not want to interrupt me and just keep on walking. But at this show I had a few minutes to kill before the event really got started, the tables were sturdy, I had plenty of room to work, and there was a light directly over my head. It was a great space just as people walked in to the panel room. I could hear and see all the Bigfoot panels from my table.
At my table I continued my work on filling in the alien ape figure and cleaning up the background with a black and different shades of grey using the Ivsun and Sharpie paint markers.
Then I started working on the details, some shading, and highlights. Not sure why I picked another subject with so much hair/fur..! The event got busy so I decided to pack up the painting and finish it after I got back home.
For blending the colors, I’ve got a white marker and a grey one that the brush tip ends have run dry. I love that they’re great for doing some blending while colors are still wet. Found that out as a happy accident.
I wasn’t sure what i wanted to do for the background and had considered a red/blue 3D effect of some kind but decided to just go with some lightning round him. I started off with a fat tip light grey Posca pen, and then used a smaller size tip. I only had to go over it maybe twice to get it opaque looking.
Next I used a brush tipped lighter grey Sharpie to finish off the lightning’s fingers, and a white Gelly Roll pen to do the highlights on the lightning, and around the helmet and figure.
I finished my highlights off with a white Prismacolor pencil. Normally I would do some more detail work with a black Pigma Micron pen, but decided against it to keep it looking more like a painting.
Once I was done with this piece I then sprayed the painting with a few light coats of Krylon Workable Fixative. It’s best to shake well and spray in lighter, overlapping layers outside or in a well ventilated area. Whenever you’re using a spray-fix or any protective coating be sure to test spray it on something else first. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way…
It was good to get a bit more work done on it, and I had a fun time at the Bigfoot celebration. Monster Market founder Lauren Holtermann/Holtermonster did an amazing job on the official event poster, and I couldn’t resist buying one. It was HUGE and only ten bucks!
I was tempted to buy the Robot Monster plush that was on sale downstairs at A. Schwab, but I really didn’t need to spend any extra at the show. If you ever go to Schwab’s, be sure to check out the soda fountain downstairs, and the HooDoo Museum upstairs.
I’ll have several of these wood panel smaller canvas marker paintings on display with many of my larger “scare-brushed monsterpieces” canvas paintings next month at my art show upstairs at Playhouse in Overton Square.
The show’s artist reception will be on June 5, 2026 from 5-7pm in 2nd Floor West gallery at Playhouse on the Square – 66 South Cooper Street, Memphis, TN 38104. There’s another artist, Angi Cooper, having their reception the same night in the downstairs gallery. My art show runs from June 6-August 2, 2026 and is in conjunction with Playhouse’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street“, June 12 – July 12, 2026. All art shows on display are free to attend art shows during Playhouse’s normal business hours.
The same weekend as my art show reception, the MSCA will hold a Comics Panel & Portfolio Review back upstairs at A. Schwab’s on Sunday, June 7th from 3-5pm. It’s a free event. See the MSCA Facebook event page for more info.
Oh, and this coming Saturday, May 30th, I’ll be at the Memphis Public Libraries Comic Con from 10am – 3pm at the Raleigh Branch (3452 Austin Peay Hwy, 38128). The MSCA will have a group table there as well. Like the Bigfoot and Portfolio Review, this is a free event to attend, too.
Hope you all have a great and safe Memorial Day.
Lin