If you've ever had a hankering to draw Batman and Thor but hate traditional pens and paper and don't have the wherewithal to make a tattoo, consider artist Daniel Croiser's approach. Croiser has worked on comics, including Bluewater's "Bartholomew of the Scissors" with writer Chad Helder and "Distortions Unlimited" with inker Peter Palmiotti. But he's also made a woodpile of badass artwork featuring Ghost Rider, Batman, Hellboy and other characters, and the results aren't like anything else you're liable to have seen in Artists Alley.

Crosier has posted portraits of Hawkman, Cassie and Vlad from "Hack/Slash" and The Maxx in a gallery on his deviantART account, which is full of numerous examples of his burning and etching skills across wood, steel, leather and other media. He's also shared an artist's statement on his personal website.

Anyone who has ever run afoul of a kiddie wood-burning kit will likely be happy to shed their notion of a craft that coupled a cheap soldering iron with popsicle-stick quality wood. As much fun as it would be to sear Spider-Man and Hulk stencils with electric heat, Crosier elevates the practice exponentially with his truly impressive renderings.

Mystical characters like Doctor Strange really look appropriate when rendered with Crosier's methods. Other's like Thor and The Maxx just get more intimidating than they already are thanks to the wood's texture and the mythic vibe he gives them. Feast your eyes on some examples and weigh in with your thoughts below.

Ghost Rider


Firebreather

Doctor Strange


Batman


Swamp Thing


Batman (mixed media)


Iron Man


Too Much Coffee Man, Drinky Crow and Cornelius Bear


Batman


Hellboy


Cassie Hack


Croiser on TV demonstrating his skills:


[Via Geek-Art]