Robert De Niro’s waiting, in hyper-realistic detail

You talkin’ to me?

Robert De Niro by Graham Bradshaw

This isn’t a photo. This is pencil.  Specifically, it’s the work of British artist Graham Bradshaw, whose website explains:

Hyper-realism, although photographic in essence, often entails a softer, much more complex focus on the subject depicted, presenting it as a living, tangible object. These objects and scenes in Hyper-realism drawings/paintings and sculptures are meticulously detailed to create the illusion of a reality not seen in the original photo.

Reality generally doesn’t satisfy me, hyper- or otherwise.  That’s why I lean to the abstract in my own work.  But it’s useful for any artist to spend time looking at different styles of work than the ones they prefer, otherwise there’s a danger of stagnating.

Bradshaw’s work is beautifully executed.  He also hasn’t had any formal training in the arts.  (I doubt it would have helped him much if he had, since they don’t seem to teach drawing any more.)

More of Graham Bradshaw’s work can be found on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter.