Meet Dylan Eakin, a master of pencil artistry known for his incredibly lifelike portraits. Through his hyper-realistic drawings, Eakin captures not just faces but the essence of human emotions.
These portraits look like photos initially but are detailed artworks made with charcoal and granite pencils. “I’ve been training myself in photorealism since 2016. It’s been a bit of a journey, but I’m finally at a place where I’m truly proud of my work,” the artist shared with Architecture & Design. Scroll down to see the captivating creations, where each stroke tells a story.
More info: Instagram | Website
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Eakin creates detailed and incredibly realistic pictures by referencing photographs. He primarily uses charcoal and graphite in his drawings, sometimes adding tiny bits of white paint for notable highlights. He hopes to try color hyperrealism someday.
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Photorealism occurs when an artist looks at a photo and tries to make a copy that looks real differently.
Eaking shared that, on average, it takes him about 100 hours to complete each of his artworks, with one piece demanding 205 hours.
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“I enjoy long-winded, detail-oriented projects. I have a very singular mindset, and my work allows me to have a purely meditative experience while focusing on trivial, minute details,” Eaking told us.
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“Photorealism is the perfect vessel for relaxing the mind. Even without my imagery, the genre fulfills my needs as a creator. I can be very flexible with the types of pictures I draw because the images have never been my priority. I seek out challenging textures and compositions to keep myself engaged, but the process inspires me.”
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How do you like these hyper-realistic pencil and charcoal drawings? Let us know in the comments.
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