8 Impressive Hyperrealist Illustrators and Painters
A selection of paintings, drawings, and illustrations by artists around the world
Armed with pencils, oil paint, acrylics, and their imaginations, these hyperrealist painters and illustrators inject life into artworks that are so detailed, they could easily be mistaken for photographs.
Despite the fact that lots of people have access to high-quality cameras on their phones these days, the following creatives continue to push the limits of figurative art with their hyperrealist styles, seeking to create lifelike reproductions of landscapes, objects, situations, and people. This style was seen in the United States around the 1970s, long before the term hyperrealism had even entered the dictionary.
This style can be found in the work of artists who have been active in the distant past (Canaletto), the more recent past (Edward Hopper, Daniel Ridgway Knight), and very recent decades (Antonio López, David Parrish). Today, it is employed not only in paintings, but also in sculpture, including famous works by Ron Mueck, Kazuhiro Tsuji, and Giovani Caramello.
Néstor Canavarro is an example of a celebrated hyperrealist artist working today. He is also a member of the Domestika community and teaches the course, Realistic Portrait with Coloured Pencils.
Below we have selected 7 of our favorite painters and illustrators exploring hyperrealism–the majority of whom form part of a new generation of artists. Try not to be taken aback by the level of sophistication they achieve with their technique when it comes to capturing human skin, water, and other elements, which would ordinarily prove very challenging to accurately reproduce.
Diego Koi (Italy, 1989)
This self-taught artist was born in Calabria and christened Diego Fazio. He began creating realist tattoo designs before becoming engulfed in the world of traditional figurative arts from China and Japan. After discovering the legend of the Koi carp–a symbol of friendship, love, and regeneration–he decided to incorporate the word into his artistic name.
A fan of the chiaroscuro technique–a Renaissance shading technique used by Caravaggio (his favorite artist)–he draws with just a graphite pencil.
Alyssa Monks (USA, 1977)
Born in New Jersey and based in New York, Alyssa not only explores hyperrealism, but she also creates images that have an impressionist air, always channeling a feeling of intimacy in her work that reflects on human fragility.
Her most well-known series comprises oil paintings capturing men, women, and children in the bath. The realism in the details, such as drops of water or the steam from the shower, makes a big impact.
Luiz Escañuela (Brazil, 1993)
This 27-year-old from São Paulo has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and a degree in Visual Communication and Graphic Design. His hyperrealist creations are characterized by a unique awareness and, when it comes to his technique and color choices, great precision.
Now, he prefers to use oil paints, but he also works with graphite. Luiz claims he has been “hyperrealist” since childhood, when he would pause the television, put a piece of paper over the screen, and trace the image, attempting to create a perfect photographic reproduction of what he was seeing.
Dirk Dzimirsky (Germany, 1969)
Currently one of the biggest names creating hyperrealist art, Dirk, who has won prizes and exhibited all over the world, works solely in graphite pencil. His style is marked by its extreme level of detail.
“Hyperrealism isn’t the result; it’s the medium through which you achieve it,” he says. “Translating a photograph into a painting or a drawing, I look to add new levels of comprehension and appreciation that go beyond a simple copy. They allow the spectator to submerge themselves in the image and see it from multiple perspectives.
Gina Heyer (South Africa, 1983)
Born in Natal in South Africa, this hyperrealist artist is drawn to the deterioration of abandoned interior spaces that are devoid of life but make a lasting impression.
With a master's in Fine Art, Gina uses oil paints to move the viewer with her expressiveness and realism in capturing the lights and shadows that transform the spaces she paints.
Hugo Laurencena (Argentina, 1950)
Since the mid-70s, Hugo Laurencena has made still lifes that burst with vivid colors and textures, his trademark.
While he was born in Buenos Aires, he has been living in Mexico for a long time. His subjects include everything from multi-color marble and candles to corks, stones, and vegetables–whatever the object, this artist will transform it into a unique visual using diverse techniques and materials including color pencils, pastels, acrylics, and oil paints.
Paul Cadden (Scotland, 1964)
The final artist in our selection is a well-known name in the sphere of contemporary hyperrealism. He creates his images with just a graphite pencil and succeeds in capturing fleeting emotions, transforming them into eternal works with layers of meaning.
Cadden lives in Glasgow, where he was born. It usually takes him three to five weeks to complete one of his artworks. His drawings, paintings, and illustrations have fetched up to £20,000 in galleries in London. Aside from the English capital, his works have been exhibited in New York, Andorra, and Rio de Janeiro.
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