This portrait goes all the way back to 2009. It’s the only celebrity drawing I’ve ever done, not because I was a huge fan, but because I wanted to practice drawing hair, jewelry, and all the little details that come with them. It also has a funny place in my personal history with hyperrealism. I once brought it, along with a few other drawings, to a university professor for critique. He praised the technical aspect but told me the same thing many hyperrealist artists hear: don’t finish everything, leave sketchy parts, too much realism has no soul.

That idea comes up a lot in conversations around hyperrealism, people ask why you wouldn’t just take a photo, or why bother with that level of detail. But no one would walk up to an abstract artist and tell them to start drawing portraits. So why ask a hyperrealist to leave things unfinished?

Clearly, I didn’t follow the advice. And I’m glad I didn’t.

Private Collection
Year: 2009
Size: 12″ x 20″
Graphite drawing on Paper