Doodle Dood paints between lines of business and art with Iron District mural, apparel
October 14, 2019 | Elyssa Bezner
Evan Brown refuses to draw out his accomplishments — or even the failures behind them — as he paints the career of a budding illustrator and muralist, he said.
Evan Brown, Doodle Dood
“I don’t really dwell. … That might be the reason I’ve been getting more and more projects within the past year,” said Brown, KC-based maker and founder of Doodle Dood. “It’s definitely a plus and a minus because I never really spend time patting myself on the back, but I’m always kind of staying on the tip of my toes.”
A commissioned mural on the side of a former shipping container at the soon-to-open Iron District in North Kansas City, for example, was plagued by late-summer heat, he recalled as he outlined a Doodle Dood-styled skyline on its metal canvas. As the south-facing container absorbed rays from the sun, the resulting heat slowed his progress, but Brown worked long hours to paint and repaint the mural to his satisfaction, he said.
Click here to learn more about Doodle Dood, which spans apparel to colorful flourishes at some of Kansas City’s newest hot spots.
Despite its creative origins, Brown’s work is driven by a love of the business of art, he said.
Evan Brown, Doodle Dood
“I’m honestly more of an entrepreneurially-minded person than I am an artist — I have that Type A personality and I like to plan everything out beforehand,” he said. “That creative element of being an artist, I think, has allowed me to be more creative in my marketing and in the way I run my business than perhaps other business owners.”
“I’ve probably studied business more than people who are in business school,” he joked, noting that he enjoys listening to podcasts on social media marketing while painting.
This dual focus allows for freedom in the way Doodle Dood is structured and eliminates the need to outsource creative work, even as Brown balances increased artistic demands with limited capacity and the in-and-outs of his business, he said.
Doodle Dood began in 2016 with Brown sharing daily drawings on social media — gradually building an audience that supported his work and requested more and more commissions over time, he added.
Having studied illustration at the University of Kansas, Brown originally set out to create a children’s book, but found himself experimenting across a range of mediums to finally land on a focus for mural work and community art, amongst other pastimes, he added.
“I think the vast majority of what I want to do is like galleries, art fairs… that kind of thing, but I also do apparel, paintings, stickers, and community work,” he said.
“Right now, I’m starting to see a lot of word-of-mouth, which is my favorite part because it requires the least amount of effort,” Brown added, laughing.
Evan Brown, Doodle Dood
His mural work gains the most visibility, he added, noting projects at the Iron District, as well as Parlor in the Crossroads, get traction through social media leading to an uptick in commission-oriented work.
Brown’s murals achieve an organic feel despite the laborious and large-scale work, he said.
“I never sketch anything out or pre-plan or use a projector or anything like that,” Brown said. “I give [the clients] an idea of what they’re going to get and tell them, “Let me do my thing.”
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘Another tool in my tool bag’: Digital artist uses AI to collage KC Streetcar stop
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. [divide] Artificial intelligence had a hand in a new art installation at a Kansas City Streetcar stop; David Morris’ abstract digital…
Why a globally-trained Spanish chef is building his new homebase from City Market
It’s all about the pan for Carlos Saura, a Spanish chef whose new paella and tapas spot in Kansas City’s bustling and diverse City Market is set to arrive in late summer or early fall — helping bring the historic marketplace district to 100-percent-leased capacity. The Paella Mix, at 25 E. Third St., is expected…
On the map and in the mirror: 1 Million Cups contrasts international eship visitors with KC startup scene
The fail-fast mindset and high risk tolerance many American entrepreneurs employ in their quests to build unicorn startups are arguably foreign concepts to business builders on the other side of the globe, said Lucy-Llonna Larbi. Her experiences in Germany reflect a slower, security-first focus, she said, expressing admiration for the American approach. “We think that…
After coffee, calm: Messenger co-founder, partner envision West Bottoms bathhouse as retreat from what has been
Nearly a year in the works, a first floor space in an 1890s-era West Bottoms warehouse is open and envisioned as the place for a “ritual of pause.” Klā Sanctuary — with its special spa baths and body-oriented treatments — and the tea-focused Selah Lounge share the 6,000-square-foot spot at 1400 W. 13th St. Matthew…