Spanish artist Emilio Ferrari creates extreme, hyperrealistic drawings with just paper and some pencils. Every drawing has photographic qualities within the details, and it can take the self-taught artist up to two weeks to complete one of his visually complex creations. In contrast with the realistic accuracy of each piece, Ferrari includes a touch of surrealism in his illustrations. For example, a wide-eyed man's moustache grows unexpectedly upward and a scared young man has unnaturally perfect drops of blood trickling from his nose.
The artist gets creative when determining the perfect type of charcoal for his illustrations. He says, “I usually make different charcoal bars for every drawing, because I like different shades of black. I burn willow branches in my kitchen to use as a tool, and for blending, I like to use tortillons, cones, towels, and textured papers.” You can watch the video below to learn more about Ferrari's creative process and to see one of his drawings come to life on a blank page.
