Amazing Hyperrealism Pencil Art

Art never ceases to amaze, but it is especially true when you find work that makes use of the ordinary and creates something totally unexpected. This is what came to mind when I saw some of the work by hyperrealist artist Paul Cadden. The 47-year-old Scottish artist takes what is familiar to all of us – a pencil – and creates drawings that look like they were taken by a camera. Mere words are not enough to showcase just how jaw-dropping the drawings are.

Take a look at this drawing with men smoking cigarettes.

So what’s so special about such a drawing? Doesn’t it look like a black and white photo taken with 

nice timing? Now think that every single line in that piece was hand-drawn.

This other drawing is even more impressive. Every single wrinkle and strand of hair that you see…WOW!

 I think that this drawing is my pick of the lot. The water droplets surely have something to do about that.

The principle behind hyperrealism is to use photos as basis for drawings or paintings. Paul Cadden seems to have mastered this art, judging by his creations. As one can expect, it takes some work to finish one drawing. For Cadden, it can take anywhere from three to six weeks. I don’t think I can come up with a small one even if I were given years to do so!

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