By Olivia Putnal Posted March 19, 2010 from WomansDay.com
Rev Your Engines
George Ramos spent two weeks on this intricately designed Lamborghini––he used Sharpie markers to create the design and then topped it off with a clear coat of paint to protect the pattern. The car was displayed at the Concorso Italiano, a festival celebrating Italian style, in Monterey, California, and received plenty of appreciative nods. Photo courtesy of George Ramos.
Lend a Hand
The talented (and patient!) Jennifer Hammitt gave herself a very artistic manicure. First, she applied a base coat polish to her nails, then followed with two layers of colored enamel. Then, using fine-tip Sharpie markers, she began drawing directly onto the nail, outlining the shapes and then filling them in. To keep her work smudge-free, she finished everything off with a clear coat of polish. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hammitt.
Rock and Roll
Peter Bragino created a custom design on his Ibanez guitar using an industrial-strength Sharpie marker––no sanding or topcoat was needed to preserve the long-lasting design. He penned this intricate work of art at his Brooklyn, New York, art gallery, THECEEFLAT. Photo courtesy of Peter Bragino.
Space Out
For the 2007 Star Wars Celebration Europe, Jon Burgerman created this one-of-a-kind Darth Vader helmet. Burgerman—who’s been a fan of the movies since childhood––used a silver Sharpie to color the helmet, including Star Wars references in the design. Photo courtesy of Jon Burgerman.
Detail Oriented
California artist and 
Feet First
Okat can always go barefoot thanks to his custom trompe-l’oeil shoes. Tracing his own feet over a pair of slip-on Vans first with pencil, he then drew over the lines with a black Sharpie. He used acrylic paint to fill in the feet with a shade close to his own skin tone. At first glance, you wouldn’t even know these were shoes—they almost look like the real thing! Photo courtesy of Iamokat.com.
Speed Racer
Inspired by Ramos’ work (above), artist Travis Todd decorated his BMW using only two Sharpie paint markers and finished in just under 12 hours. Believe it or not, Todd did no planning or sketching before creating this masterpiece—he just went to work with the Sharpie. After the success of the car, he now carries a Sharpie on his keychain to create custom artwork on the fly. Photo courtesy of Travis Todd.
Off the Wall
One day Charlie Kratzer took a look at his basement’s bare, cream-colored walls and decided to spice things up a bit. Instead of using wallpaper or paint, the lawyer picked up $10 worth of Sharpie markers. He used famous people and works of art as inspiration for this grand illustration. And Sharpie artwork was the just the beginning for this budding artist—he learned to paint, and now displays his works upstairs as well. Photo courtesy of Charlie Kratzer.
Hot Wheels
Jesse Lockhart and Nick Schuman spent 50 hours creating this custom-designed motorcycle. They each chose a side of the $10,000 Honda sports bike and worked on their drawings at the same time. They used only two markers each for the whole project—one fine-tipped for outlining and one fat chisel-tipped for filling in. Among the designs on the bike, you’ll find the Michelin Man and Woody the Woodpecker. Photo courtesy of Jesse Lockhart and Nick Schuman.
Royal Treatment
Artist Immy Mellin is known as the “Sharpie King”—he even wears a marker around his neck. He starts off his drawings and murals with small lines, then adds to the design with a variety of Sharpie markers until each evolves into his unique “graphic, geometric, complex, abstract and surreal” style of art. Photo courtesy of Immy Mellin.
