Interview with MMA Artist Evan Shoman Who Draws: Brock Lesnar, GSP, Fedor & More

Evan Shoman has been bringing MMA fighters to life on "Bristol" paper since 2005 where he first completed a drawing of Chuck Liddell. Since then, he has been using his No. 2 and No.4 pencils to draw over 100 MMA portraits of various fighters including Fedor Emelianenko, Brock Lesnar, Bas Rutten, Mirko Cro Cop, Frank Mir, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Randy Couture, and many more. Each individual piece takes approximately 40-60 hours to complete and the evidence is on his middle finger, which features a lump that resembles Mark Hominick's head after a fight with Jose Aldo.

Any fan, casual or hardcore, should go and check out his work that I can only describe as incredible. The site is: www.shomanart.com where you can purchase his amazing artwork for a very reasonable price. Evan's website also offers a large selection of autographed artwork signed by the actual fighter featured on the print, which is also very economic for everyone to purchase. The site is mainly made up of MMA prints but is not limited to the sport as Evan displays pictures from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, Boxing, Bodybuilding, WWE and some various other drawings such as musicians and actors.

I must warn you though, once you view his site, I am not responsible for how many prints you purchase as I have filled a hallway with 10 prints so far and am still not satisfied. As you will try to find wall space to display them on, he comes out with incredible new pieces that you just have to have.

The following is an exclusive Q&A interview session with Evan Shoman in order get to know the artist more than you did five minutes ago.

Featured portraits are actual pieces that are available on www.shomanart.com that you can view and purchase along with many other prints. Go check them all out!

Jon "Bones" Jones by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

If you never became an artist, what do you think you would be doing today?

Evan:

I was a realtor for 8 years but I could never go back to that now.

Definitely not a hand model as I have Kuato growing out of my middle finger. Some times I wake up to ‘Quaaaaaaaid. Start the reactor.’

"The Iceman" Chuck Liddell by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

What other MMA projects are you involved in other than drawing?

Evan:

 I write for Mma Authority Magazine and am a host for Tapout Radio with Ryan Loco and Crooklyn. Truth be told I’d work for a mma company named ‘The Massacre of Innocent Bunnies and Puppies’ if they paid me.

Dan Henderson by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

Have you ever had the chance to spar with any fighters?

Evan:

 Hell no. I’m 37. A heavy bag is who I spar with. No one should be punched in the face unless it is their job. Except Spencer Pratt.

Kenny "Kenflo" Florian by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

 Is there anyone that you haven't met in MMA that you would like to?

 Evan:

 I’ve met mostly everyone in this sport but meeting people based on their skill isn’t intriguing to me. I don’t care about meeting fighters. I want to meet the people who love their kids unconditionally or are just good people. Guys like Nate Quarry, Josh Barnett, Miguel Torres, Gabe Ruediger, Kendall Grove, Cub Swanson, or Cody McKenzie are just a few of my friends in mma. All are hilarious, sick, twisted, love their kids (if they have them), they are uber nerds, but most of all they are great people. So if anyone meets those requirements, they can be in our 1 man wolfpack.

Legends of Pride by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

 What is your top-5 MMA fights of all-time?

Evan:

Fights I stood up and cheered were:

Henderson killing Bisping, Diego Sanchez vs Nick Diaz, Wanderlei vs Chuck, Gokhan Saki vs Daniel Ghita (k-1, but the greatest FIGHT I’ve ever seen), and Nick Diaz vs Gomi 

Thiago Alves by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

 Has Dana White ever considered hiring you to draw UFC fighters exclusively?

Evan:

I have done everything I could to try and convince him. Emailed him. Twittered him. Spoke with him in person on multiple occasions. I just don’t think he sees it as a sound investment. You have to understand, he is a businessman looking to generate the most dollars for his business. He’s not small time and looking for small deals. He is big time and trying to conquer massive deals. I get it. If I was generating 100’s of millions I wouldn’t waste my time on a rinky dink pencil artist. No matter how dope he is and how sick he draws.

Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

 What is the best/worst compliments you have received as an artist?

Evan:

"That isn’t pencil" covers both best and worst and it happens every time I post a new piece on a forum.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

 What charities are you involved in other than taking care of Ryan Loco?

Evan:

 I have donated 1000’s of prints the last few years to help people raise money for their causes. I keep mum on that kind of stuff because unlike Angelina Jolie I don’t give a shit about people praising me for my generosity.

Jason "Mayhem" Miller by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

Do you think your son is ready for a rematch with Jason"Mayhem" Miller and if so, what is your prediction?

Evan:

Jason has man strength now so I think he’d over power my 9 year old. At this point their maturity level is about the same so I’d imagine they watch the same shows and have the same interests. That said, I see them hugging it out and cruising for Asian chicks after.

(You can find the first matchup with "Mayhem" via www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FjANOgIkYo )

Randy "The Natural" Couture by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

Who are currently the 5 best fighters that never fought under the Zuffa flag?

Evan:

 Fedor. Eddie Alvarez. Hector Lombard. Mo Lawal. Luke Rockhold

Brock Lesnar by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

Steven Seagal has been praised a lot by Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida for helping them perfect their brutal front kicks that have helped them achieve knockout wins in their last fights. If Chuck Norris were to square off versus Steven Seagal, who would win the epic battle and how would it go down?

Evan:

Seagal is a farce. If you have to talk about how great you are and take credit for other’s success, you aren’t shit.

Plus he runs like a sissy. Norris all day.

"The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

Would the winner of Norris/Seagal stand a chance against an in-his-prime Fedor?

Evan:

No one beats Fedor in his prime. In fact no one DID beat Fedor in his prime. 

Only person who stands a chance against a prime Fedor would be Blanca. He was low to the ground so his sprawl would be excellent. If Fedor was forced to stand with him he'd have to deal with getting electrocuted. It's hard to punch a guy who has a lightning shield.

Anderson "The Spider" Silva by Evan Shoman

Kevin:

Thank you Evan for taking the time to answer these questions, letting us have the opportunity to get to know you a little bit more, and for sharing your gift with the world.

Is there anything else you would like to add or give a shout out to?

Evan:

You, first of all. Thank you for even considering me as an interview.

Thanks to all the people who support me in what I do. The positive people are the only reason why I stick with mma because this business is a very tough one.

Go to my site www.shomanart.com where I have more autographs than anyone else on the internet as well as prints, and original pieces.

Also, pick up Authority Magazine where I have a column called '5 Minutes You'll Never Get Back... with Evan Shoman'.

twitter.com/shomanart and facebook.com/evanshoman

Miguel Angel Torres Being Drawn by Evan Shoman

Evan Shoman, Speed Drawing of Miguel Torres

Make sure you take time to check out www.shomanart.com to view and purchase your favorite MMA fighters.

Also check out www.tapoutlive.com to listen to the best radio show EVER, featuring Evan Shoman himself, that airs live Monday and Thursday at 3pm EST/6pm PST.

Pick up an issue of Authority Magazine to check out Evan's column!

To witness the superhuman skills of Evan Shoman, watch this speed drawing of Miguel Torres!