Phillies fan draws pencil artwork of Bryce Harper, other sports icons
WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) -- "It starts with a blank piece of paper," said Ed Rini. "And a lot of different pencils."
That's sort of how Rini's history with art started as well. He grew up scribbling in notebooks to stay busy, eventually being inspired to draw by watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He was introduced to more styles of pencil art in high school, but ultimately did not pursue art beyond graduation.
"As you get older, you know, your priorities change," he said. "I stopped drawing for about 14-15 years."
After getting a job and having children, Rini was looking for a hobby with which he could challenge himself. He picked up the pencil again and has been drawing consistently for six to seven years.
"After I did the first baseball one, it just blew up," he said.
Now, Rini's bedroom is filled with hyper-realistic images of sports icons that he sketched with little more than pencil and paper.
One of his latest masterpieces depicts Bryce Harper, who recently helped the Phillies beat a franchise record of six home runs in a postseason game. This tied the MLB record set by the Chicago Cubs in 2015.
"I just love watching the Philadelphia Phillies, great team," said Rini. "I've been watching them since I was a little kid."
Rini hopes his pencil artwork will help the Phillies stay sharp and take home their first World Series win since 2008.
"Pencil and paper's pretty much as basic as it comes, so hopefully the Phillies can keep on perfecting their basics," he said.
To follow Ed Rini's art, follow him on Facebook or Instagram @ERiniPencilArt.
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