This is Venezia Monroe, a nurse from Ocala, Florida. Venezia had been a healthcare professional for over 30 years, before contracting COVID mid last year while working during the pandemic. Sadly, she developed pneumonia and passed away last October. This picture has been drawn from her graduation photo from nursing school, and has been undertaken as part of The Hero Art Project run by @arthouse.nyc, a project honouring healthcare workers from around the world who lost their lives while selflessly serving others. Please check out their profile to learn more about this amazing project. - - #heroartproject #theheroartproject #healthcareworkers #nursessavelives #nursesareheroes #healthcareheroes #nurses #nurse #everydayheroes

I figured a self-portrait was a bit overdue. It’s been two and a half years since I gave one a go, and this is only my third overall. And yes, that’s what my real hair looks like at the moment haha, when I can be bothered to gel it up in the morning at least. Seems a bit pointless at the moment during lockdown. Is anybody else looking forward to the end of lockdown just so someone can appreciate their hair? 😂 - - #mohawk #mohawkstyle #mohawks #selfportrait #selfportraits #selfportraitdrawing #photorealism #punkart #punkartist #graphitepencil #punk #punkstyle #graphitepencils #staedlerpencils #portraitartist

Redraw of a portrait I did of actress Zoe Lund, which I first attempted back in 2018. You can find that version if you dig back far enough on my profile, but needless to say this one is much better. I hope everyone is keeping well during these crazy times. We’ve been in lockdown for nearly a month in Newcastle now. Thankfully it hasn’t been much trouble for me as I can do my day job from home. Ironically I’ve had so much extra work with that and also finalising my upcoming podcast that I haven’t been able to make half as much time for art as I’d like to. But you can expect to see a couple more portraits over the next few days. - - #zoelund #zoetamerlis #photorealism #portraitsdrawing #pencildrawing #pencilportrait #fabrianopaper #portraitsofwomen #graphiteportrait #graphite #photorealistic #contrastart #pencilartist #pencilandpaper

For my very talented friend, musician and model @rosesinbl00m. 💖 - - #pencildraw #portraitart #instadraw #onlineartgallery #sketchbook #pencildrawing #photorealism #mydrawing #pencilandpaper #drawingskills #graphiteartist #worldofpencils #pencilacademy #graphiteartist #portraitsofwomen

So this handsome little critter is called a squirrel glider. They’re a native of the east coast of Australia, often mistaken for the similar-looking and more well-known sugar glider, and are able to glide over 50 metres (160 feet) from tree to tree, using their tail as a rudder to steer. I’ve drawn this guy as part of a fundraiser for @hunterenviro, trying to raise awareness and funds for a community-led campaign aimed at habitat conservation across the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Central Coast regions of Australia. @hunterenviro currently has an artist call out accepting artworks of squirrel gliders until January 9, 2022, for an exhibition as part of the fundraiser that will be held either late February or March 2022. Check out their bio for more details if you’d like to get involved or come along. This artwork will be for sale at the exhibition, with all funds going to the cause. - - #squirrelglider #artfundraiser #newcastleartist #environmentalart #marsupial #portraitsofanimals #drawingsofanimals #animaldrawing #animaldrawings #environmentalactivism #graphitepencil #graphiteartist

In between commissions, exhibition pieces and surprising friends with portraits, I do enjoy challenging myself when I see incredible photos, trying to see how well I can replicate them. The reference photo for this was a photoshoot for @alexanderwangny. It was an amazing shot and the contrast with the shine on the jewellery was something I wanted to see if I could capture in graphite. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. - - #fashionart #alexanderwang #graphiteartwork #graphiteportrait #graphiteportraits #contrastart #pencilandpaper #pencildrawing #pencilart #handdrawn #aportrait #artsanity #portrait_viral #pencilshading #photorealism

Time for another commissioned pet portrait 😊. This is Kelsey, another Kelpie. I like doing all kinds of pet portraits but I particularly love drawing dogs. I’ve always been a dog person. I’m that guy in the street always patting any dog that’s tied outside a shop, sometimes blissfully unaware the owner has retuned and is waiting for me to stop so they can take their pet home 😅. - - #artcommissions #commissionedart #artist_calls #makingart #kelpiesofinstagram #kelpiegram #kelpiesofaustralia #kelpie #customart #customartwork #art_realism_ #petportrait #petportraitartist #dogdrawing #dogart

Some recent news coverage I’ve gotten in both the @newcastleherald and @newcastleweekly regarding my current art exhibition, my illustrations for @earhustlesq, and my upcoming podcast for @newcastleregionlibrary. You can find links to the online articles in the blog at my website (link in bio). So when the regional library approached me and asked if they could hold my current art exhibition highlighting the achievements of former prisoners, they caught me a little off guard by also asking if I could also make a podcast series to go with it. But I’m not one to turn down an opportunity. It was a lot of hard work, but the first season of ‘Broken Chains’ has been recorded, and the first episode is due for release on August 9. Every week I interview a former incarcerated person regarding a different topic. And on the season’s last episode, you’ll hear me chatting to @jaydefarrell.artist about creating art in prison. Updates about the podcast will be available at my website. Oh and how awesome is that photo of my dog and I? It wasn’t even planned, my dog just brought the stick over and insisted on playing while the photographer was shooting me 😂 - - #artistinterview #artistinterviews #newcastleherald #newcastleweekly #brokenchains #earhustlesq #earhustlepodcast #thisisearhustle #artistprofile #artexhibition #artexhibitions #artexhibit

This is a commissioned piece. I’ve always been a dog person (mine is currently sleeping in my bed - actually I think he considers it to be his bed 😂) so I particularly love drawing dogs. There’s just something really wonderful about helping immortalise someone else’s fur baby. This adorable little fellows name is Frank and he’s a Kelpie-cross. Commissions are currently open again, and artworks can be posted worldwide . DM for enquiries 😊. - - #artcommissions #commissionedart #artvertex #makingart #kelpiecross #kelpiesofinstagram #kelpiegram #kelpiesofaustralia #kelpie #customart #customartwork #artdailydose

I guess there has to be a favourite artwork in every collection, and when it comes to the artworks I made for the book ‘This is Ear Hustle’, this is mine. This is Lt. Sam Robinson @sarjr1972, the public relations officer at San Quentin State Prison, who approves every episode of the podcast @earhustlesq. I also assume he’ll approve this photorealistic drawing 😁. This will be my last artwork shared from the upcoming book on Instagram, so don’t forget to head over to @earhustlesq and pre-order the book from their bio if you’d like to see the rest. - - #earhustle #thisisearhustle #pencildrawing #portrait_viral #portraitart #photorealism #hyperrealism #pencilart #handdrawn #pencilandpaper #pencilacademy #drawingskills #makeartnotwar #mydrawing #pencilshading

Saving my favourites drawings I’m sharing from the upcoming book ‘This is Ear Hustle’ till last. This is @earlonnewoods and @nigelpoor, the hosts of the podcast @earhustlesq. If you haven’t listened to Ear Hustle yet, go check them out and discover for yourself why they were a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Sometimes I still can’t believe this has happened. I listened to the podcast religiously for years and never imagined I’d be playing a part in their story. It really has been the opportunity of a lifetime 🙂. I’ll be sharing two more images from the upcoming book this week. If you want to see more after that, you’ll have to pre-order the book from the link in the @earhustlesq bio. - - #graphitepencils #portraitdrawing #photorealism #photorealisticart #photorealistic #photorealismdrawing #earhustle #thisisearhustle #illustratorsoninstagram #illustrator #bookillustration #bookillustrator

My first attempt at an outdoor/landscape pencil drawing. As you’ve probably gathered from my feed, I mostly stick to drawing faces. Illustrating the upcoming book ‘This is Ear Hustle’, however, gave me an incredible opportunity to push my boundaries as an artist. While most of the drawings I was asked to do were well within my comfort zone, there were several types of images I’d never really attempted before I’d gotten the contract. This is one of them. Among 35 other requests, I was asked to draw a rowboat on the water. I’m not entirely sure why haha, but I’m sure I’ll find out the story behind this image when the book is released. You can pre-order it via a link in the bio of @earhustlesq. - - #landscapedrawing #earhustle #thisisearhustle #graphitepencil #graphitedrawing #pencilsketch #illustration #rowboat #rowboats #pencildrawing #pencilartist #artist