Watch the Beastie Boys Speed Painting Video

Watch this Beastie Boys speed painting video by contemporary artist Bart Carels. This time-lapse captures the creation of a portrait of hip hop legends Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock through fast brushwork and bold color.

The video on this page shows the full painting process, from the first background layer to the final highlights of the portrait.

Title: ‘Three MCs and No DJ’
Artist: Bart Carels
Year: 2020

Process Behind the Speed Painting

This Beastie Boys speed painting pays tribute to Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock — an explosive trio that helped define the sound and attitude of hip hop in the ’80s and ’90s. The portrait was created using a limited color palette: Magenta, Primary Yellow, Cyan, Titanium White, and Oxide Black.

This deliberate constraint brought out the contrasts and textures that make the piece so punchy.

The background began with a bold magenta base, setting a vivid tone right from the start. I ditched the original reference background and focused solely on the three MCs to emphasize their presence.

The outlines were drawn freehand using a multiliner, then layered with confident brushstrokes — jackets, shadows, facial highlights — all captured in quick, energetic moves to reflect the group’s own rhythm and spontaneity.

Want to see how it all came together? The full speed painting video is embedded on this page.

This work is part of a larger series of hip hop portraits . I often experiment with minimal palettes and expressive lines to distill the essence of a subject. If you enjoyed this video, check out my speed painting of The Weeknd .