14 December 2022 12:35 (UTC)
All I want for Christmas is McLaren fan art
I won’t ask for much this Christmas. I won’t even wish for snow. And I’m just gonna keep on waiting, underneath the mistletoe... All I want for Christmas is McLaren fan art.
It's Christmas time, and that means that you've been busy making us the greatest gift of all: fan art.
Handmade presents are always our favourite, and there are some incredibly talented creators in the Papaya Army ranks. Ahead of the big day, we sat ourselves down by the tree at the McLaren Technology Centre with a glass of hot chocolate, a plate of gingerbread and our favourite Christmas tunes on loop, looking through your creations from the past month.
We picked out our favourite pieces and have highlighted them below. Want to have your artwork of design featured on our channels? Send us your creations by tagging McLaren and using #McLarenCreators.
"I’m Mia, aka Toiletweeb. I love Manga and Formula 1. I started drawing in 2016 on paper, and in 2020, I switched to digital art, which inspired me. In 2021, my mother got me into Formula 1. I thought combining my art and F1 would be a good idea. As a Lando Norris fan, I enjoy drawing him and other McLaren team members.
"On 7 November, I checked my Instagram feed and noticed that it was Zak Brown’s birthday. I didn’t hesitate and immediately started drawing. My sister was sitting right next to me and liked the idea of drawing the CEO of McLaren Racing. She kept checking what my drawing looked like, which really motivated me and gave me more confidence to draw and then post it on Instagram. My intention was to give Zak Brown a small birthday present. I hope he liked this fan art."
"I started to do F1-related pencil drawings when I was about 12 years old, and as time passed, my passion for F1 grew, and I started to get better at drawing cars. I always try to challenge myself with the next drawing.
"I have also taught myself to draw digitally to develop my skills. I wanted to try a different composition for this drawing, and when I saw this picture from Lando's first podium in Spielberg, I felt inspired to do a collage-like drawing. In 2021, Lando saw the drawing and signed it for me, so it's a very cool piece that I have added to my collection of signed drawings."
"I'm Frankie, aka RaceCraft. I first got into F1 in 2020 and started following McLaren because the team has a friendly community around it and a lot of history.
"I love the precision and tactile nature of embroidery but wasn't hugely excited by doing lots of floral work, so I decided to combine it with my interest in F1 instead. I make each piece by drawing it digitally first before printing it onto a transfer as a guide. I then choose what kind of stitches to use. I enjoy the colour-matching part - you only have a limited palette when working with thread, so it's satisfying to get the colour just right."
"I am a stay-at-home dad for two boys and have been a self-taught artist for about nine years. In that time, I became an enormous F1 and McLaren fan because of my wife, April, who is a nurse. So family, art and a love of F1 are a real theme in our home. My artwork is digital. I like to refer to it - the helmet, the gear, the cars - as 'science non-fiction art.' The profile of Lando is one of my favourites.
"Typically, I scour the internet for great pictures and begin creating once I find the perfect one. I look for a profile position that incorporates an element of movement and action, and has the right lighting. I also print some of my favourite pieces on canvas, and add oil and acrylic for texture. We like hanging them up in our home, selling them or gifting them to friends."
"I’ve watched Formula 1 since the race in Spain in 2016 - my parents decided we had to watch Max Verstappen in the Red Bull car, and I immediately fell in love with Formula 1. I started as a Verstappen fan, but since Lando and Carlos raced for McLaren, I became a massive fan of the team. I love the atmosphere around the team and the drivers, of course. I love being a papaya fan!
"I’ve been drawing and painting since I was little, starting with cartoon drawings. I ended up drawing a lot of realistic stuff, which I love. As a huge F1 fan, I realised I could draw some of my favourite drivers, so I started with a drawing of Lando since he is one of my favourite drivers. His helmet designs are amazing, so why not make a drawing of him with his helmet on?"
"I’ve been following Formula 1 for around four years now, and I’ve been a big supporter of you guys since the beginning! I started drawing and painting to have a bit of a distraction from hard times. This way, I can do what I love, but it also helps me stay on the right path.
"My passion for art and F1 inspired me to paint this piece. The 2021 Monaco livery was my favourite one ever, so it wasn’t hard to choose a picture of that beautiful car. I loved every minute of painting, and I’m so happy with how this piece turned out!"
"I am mostly self-taught. I took an art class in high school, but I learned most of what I know through YouTube tutorials… never underestimate the power of a good YouTube tutorial. Over quarantine, I really got into drawing photos related to Formula 1, specifically, drivers either holding or wearing their helmets. I find it interesting and challenging to draw the details on reflective surfaces - the visors on the helmets are specifically fun to draw.
"With this drawing, I used a white gel pen to intensify the contrast between dark and light colours. I also attempted to make Lando look a bit blurry in comparison to the helmet, as I was trying to make the helmet the focal point of the drawing."
"My name is Fraggle, and I am a McLaren-supporting cockapoo from Norfolk, UK. The MCL36K9 was made from the contents of the recycling bin. Eight-year-old Chief Designer Leah was in charge of the paintwork, while the rest of the family constructed the chassis and pawfected the aero. We had lots of fun with it, and hopefully, I’m first on Zak’s list if McLaren ever decides to venture into Furmula 1."
"I’m 22 years old, and I’m from the UK. I’ve watched F1 since I was young, and my favourite team has always been McLaren! I’ve been doing digital drawings for the last two years, mostly F1 related, as well as working on F1-themed embroidery pieces.
"As soon as I saw the original photo, I knew it was one I wanted to try and draw! I do all of my drawings on procreate on a tablet. With this drawing, I was trying a slightly new style for myself - instead of blending the colours together to create a smooth finish, I left the colours in their own little blocks to try and give the drawing more texture. In total, it took me about 25 hours to complete, as I’m definitely a perfectionist when it comes to the details! This is probably my favourite drawing to date."
"I am a 21-year-old artist from Vienna, Austria. Formula 1 is by far the biggest passion in my life and also the reason why I started to paint. Four years ago, I wanted a Senna picture in my room, but I couldn't find the right one, so I tried to paint it by myself, and since then, painting has become a really big part in my life.
"Painting my childhood heroes and legends of the sport is the best way to combine both of my passions. The Lando Norris painting started off as a commission for a client. The idea was to create a Portrait of Lando with his beautiful Mind helmet from the 2020 Eiffel GP."
