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Artist’s Giant Pencil Drawings Blur the Line Between Hyperrealism and Surrealism

Hyperrealism Art by Jono Dry

Self-taught artist Jono Dry brings his imagination to life with a pencil and paper. In his awe-inspiring hyperrealism drawing style, the South African creative fuses an incredible attention to detail with a surrealist point of view—making his work both technically stunning as well as conceptually compelling.

Dry’s photograph-like artwork showcases often-overlooked characteristics like the delicate folds of the skin and the glisten on a single water drop. He leaves nothing out, although his drawings are often devoid of a background. This gives them a dramatic, almost theatrical feel, and this lack of context allows us to impart our own opinions about what the work means.

This idea of freedom is at the forefront of how Dry thinks about his drawings. In an interview with ArtBookGuy he explained, “I enjoy the idea of having no limit with my work. When the only limit is your imagination, it becomes a wonderful challenge to see how far it can stretch,” Continuing, “It feels like I'm constantly exploring and pushing the boundaries of my own imagination with the goal to find something worth spending time, bringing to life in the form of a drawing.”

Self-taught artist Jono Dry explores a surrealist point of view through hyperrealism art.

Hyperrealism Art by Jono Dry

The attention to detail is impressive, so it's no surprise that one large drawing can take him six months to complete.

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Art by Jono Dry

Along the way, Dry is happy to share his works in progress.

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Art by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Art by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Hyperrealism Drawing by Jono Dry

Jono Dry: Website | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [Twisted Sifter, Reddit]

All images via Jono Dry.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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