Authored By seanphippster

A rising local artist is using a nostalgic toy to create iconic images of Chattanooga.

Ryan Burton’s platform is the famous Etch A Sketch, which was marketed as a toy for children when it was released in 1960. But like many others, he realized the potential of using the toy as a way to create actual art.

Burton’s pieces-several of which are on sale at Winder Binder Gallery and Bookstore-feature images of the Tennessee Aquarium, the Walnut Street Bridge and AT&T Field. He also has drawings of cartoon characters from “The Simpsons” and “Beavis and Butt-head.”

All his artwork can be viewed on his Instagram page.

Burton has lived in Chattanooga for seven years, but he only recently started drawing local landmarks with the Etch A Sketch.

“I was always interested in art when I was younger, and I would doodle as a kid, but I didn’t really have any skill,” Burton said. “About six months ago, I started Etch A Sketching, and I made something that looked like what I was trying to make. It just kept getting better and better.”

Typically, Burton will snap a photo with his phone or use an existing photograph to create his etchings. He said the process involves more of a technical eye than an artistic one.

But every Etch A Sketch is different. Burton said he’ll buy 10 or 20 at a time to find a suitable one. The differences are internal; each of the devices contains a complex pulley system, stylus and aluminum powder.

Etch A Sketch was created by André Cassagnes, a French inventor, technician, kite maker and more. The toy was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998 and remains one of the most iconic toys from the baby boom era. The toy is still produced by the Ohio Art Co. and comes in a variety of colors, including the classic red.

In order to make the sketches permanent, Burton has to cut open the interior without damaging the picture. It involves removing the aluminum powder by either drilling holes or removing the back of the toy. The process is explained in detail here.

The idea is for Burton to begin supplementing his income by selling these permanent drawings. The smaller Etch A Sketch renderings retail for between $30 and $40. He sold three pieces this week and is already hearing from others who want specific drawings.

Burton said he can complete a drawing in 45 minutes, depending on the subject. Some sketches are more difficult than others.

“The harder ones are buildings,” he said. “It takes more time to study the lines and look how I want them to look.”