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.