Hand-Drawn Individual Portraits
I turn your favorite photos into realistic graphite and charcoal portraits. Each sketch is hand-drawn to capture the unique personality and spirit of the person you love.
The finished portrait of this wonderfully expressive child, drawn on a large A1 size sheet. This 32-hour project was a joy to create, capturing her playful personality.
The best reward: the real-life subject of the portrait sitting next to her finished artwork. Seeing her smile next to my drawing is a moment of pure magic.
Me admiring the final details on this large-scale child's portrait. The A1 size allows for an incredible amount of detail and impact.
Adding the final highlights to the teeth with a brush. This technique helps create a sense of depth and realism in the smile.
Using a mono-zero eraser to lift graphite and create fine highlights in the eyebrows and around the eyes. This is key for achieving a lifelike texture.
A time-lapse showing the process of adding highlights to the hair, giving it a realistic shine and dimension.
From a slightly blurry reference photo to a sharp, detailed portrait. This video shows the process of creating a man's portrait, finishing with the framed A4 piece.
Me at my drawing board working on a portrait of a woman in a saree. My studio is my sanctuary, filled with plants and natural light.
A time-lapse showing the completion of the woman's portrait. It took around 30 hours on A1 size paper to capture her gentle expression and the details of her saree.
The finished portrait under a studio light, which highlights the deep blacks and soft grays achieved with charcoal and graphite.
About Individual Portraits
When I sit down to draw an individual portrait, I am looking for the one feature that defines the person, that specific twinkle in their eye or the shape of their smile. I use a mix of Staedtler graphite and Camlin charcoal on 300gsm paper, often spending between 8 to 75 hours to layer in the textures. It is not just about copying a photo, it is about finding the life in it.
Every portrait begins with a conversation about what you see in the person. I have created over 350 artworks from my studio in Dasanapura, and I have learned that the most important part of a sketch is not just the likeness, but the emotion behind it.
My Process
I work primarily with graphite for skin tones and charcoal for the deep blacks, using Mono Zero erasers to pull out fine highlights like hair strands or light reflecting in the eyes. I use professional-grade materials like 300gsm Ivory or Strathmore paper to ensure the artwork lasts for decades.
Why Graphite and Charcoal?
Unlike digital photos, a hand-drawn piece has a tactile quality. The texture of the paper and the layered shading give it a depth that feels real. Whether you are looking for a simple A4 headshot or a large-scale A1 masterpiece, the time I put in is consistent. Small portraits usually take around 8 hours, while complex, larger pieces can take up to 75 hours of dedicated, focused work to get every detail right.
Logistics
I am based in Bengaluru and ship my art across India. Every portrait is finished with a fixative spray to prevent smudging and comes securely packaged with corner protectors. If you have an old, low-resolution photo of a loved one, I can also work with that to restore and draw a clear, detailed memorial portrait.
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