Allen Friedlander, who lived in Cleveland, Ohio, is a self-taught artist who works in pencil on paper. He specializes in realistic drawings of legendary sports heroes and great moments in sports. The drawings, based on historic photographs, are neither copies or digitally enhanced images. Each is done free hand and take over 100 hours to complete. The pencil rendering utilizes approximately eight distinct tones and special attention is paid to the transition between the tones. This painstaking attention to detail results in realistic, warm drawings which capture the memorable moment as well as the humanity of the artist. The Butler Museum of American Art in Youngstown presented his work in a show in 2000. He is a graduate of Cleveland State University.  

About his work, the artist Peter Max has remarked, "It¹s incredible!"

His own statement about his work:
My motivations were formed early in life. Being athletically inclined, sports became my passion. At twenty-eight, while working in a coffee shop in Cleveland a co-worker handed me a pencil and asked me to make a sketch for him. It was then that I discovered my talent for drawing. I soon realized I had a natural talent and love for the craft. I began to pursue this form of art. I was immediately attracted to drawing sketches of the legendary heroes and moments of sports. One of my first original drawings, "The Sultan and His Crown Prince," elicited a very strong response and attracted significant media attention. Since then I have created numerous drawings of other legendary sports heroes which I sell in the form of signed, numbered lithographs, and, poster reproductions.

My unique style enables my work to embody the essence of the subject matter and capture the soul and personality of these great legends of sports.