# Now this dude is an artist. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444 "2012-08-24T02:26:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/1 "2012-08-24T02:26:06Z")
> **[Stunning image of Russian girl is not a photograph](https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/stunning-drawing-russian-girl-not-photograph-170243830.html)** > > Samuel Silva, a 29-year-old attorney in Portugal, has shocked and delighted countless viewers online this week when he uploaded a stunning painting that many mistook for a photograph. As Colossal notes, the artwork, which was created using only Bic... If I didn’t know it wasn’t a photograph, I never wouldn’t have thought of doubting. Looking in the greatest detail I can see how the hair to the right looks unreal against the green, but absolutely amazing. The fact he does it with pens makes it seem like he is capable of doing photo realistic pixel-by-pixel printing by mind and hand. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/2 "2012-08-24T02:32:53Z")
Wow. I’ve inked other people’s drawings using Bics, and only after doing it discovered that you’re not supposed to (from a professional inker who blurted out “you’ve done _this_ in _ballpoint_?”) but those two are amazing. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/3 "2012-08-24T03:54:47Z")
Wasn’t there another Russian (I think) artist several years ago who did super realistic drawings that were almost too photographic to be believed? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/4 "2012-08-24T03:56:39Z")
Here’s the drawing and the [original photo side by side](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/23/samuel-silvas-amazing-pho_n_1822572.html) Here’s another [artist named Paul Cadden that does similar drawings.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/paul-cadden_n_1453584.html) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/5 "2012-08-24T04:07:55Z")
That is amazing. What is more amazing is that while looking at it at a larger scale they are “the same”. But if you look more carefully at the details, they are not that close, but they are “artistically close”. Or, in other words it IS NOT an attempt to recreate pixel by pixel the photo. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/6 "2012-08-24T04:28:18Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > That is amazing. What is more amazing is that while looking at it at a larger scale they are “the same”. But if you look more carefully at the details, they are not that close, but they are “artistically close”. Or, in other words it IS NOT an attempt to recreate pixel by pixel the photo. You’re right, the chin is noticeably flatter in the drawing. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/7 "2012-08-24T04:33:22Z")
Look at the hair above the subjects right eye (left on the image). And especially the thin hair “loops” on the subject left (right on the image). Visually very similiar, but from a “copy this mechanically” point of view not even close. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/8 "2012-08-24T05:00:13Z")
The byline suggests we won’t believe it. It looks like a drawing right away, especially around the eyes. I’ve heard of ballpoint art, but it still gives me admiration, especially since it’s hard to _write_ with those things. It gives me a chuckle to imagine a lawyer-artist. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/9 "2012-08-24T05:07:35Z")
What’s strange is I just discovered this artist a couple of days ago myself. Amazing! I’ve done similar stuff with India ink but much bigger, which is much easier. The most incredible thing is how small Samuel Silva works. Here’s another ball point artist. [Juan Francisco Casas](http://www.juanfranciscocasas.com/en/ficha_galeria/282/1). Also amazing but notice [how big he work](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FNOl-0GvM_A/SgR4kI0_pdI/AAAAAAAAALY/5draJZNwqxU/s400/5.jpg)s. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/10 "2012-08-24T05:55:16Z")
My neighbor does this in black and white. Results are _even better_. I saw 3 pieces and asked her when she started doing photography. She told me to look closer. I was stunned! I don’t know if she uses ballpoints however. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/11 "2012-08-24T12:26:09Z")
This is a [youtube video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX-9iH5IzMs&feature=youtu.be) of still life pencil drawings by my partner’s sister-in-law, who’s Greek. She had an exhibition of them in Athens recently. The music is composed and played by her husband (my partner’s brother) It’s a beautiful and relaxing seven minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/12 "2012-08-24T12:45:42Z")
Then there is Miguel Endara who does sort of the same thing but using ink dots: [The making of Hero](http://animationpitstop.blogspot.dk/2011/12/hero-drawing-of-father-in-32-million.html) - a portrait of his father. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/13 "2012-08-24T15:27:13Z")
I may not be popular for saying this: I think this guy is very technically skilled, however I don’t think reproducing a photo is art. Very cool, though.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kjckjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/14 "2012-08-24T15:44:22Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I may not be popular for saying this: I think this guy is very technically skilled, however I don’t think reproducing a photo is art. Very cool, though.🙂 Not to impugn your popularity by questioning you, but, why not? If I look at a tree and then paint what I see, that can be art, but if you paint what you see in my painting, it isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/15 "2012-08-24T16:12:13Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I may not be popular for saying this: I think this guy is very technically skilled, however I don’t think reproducing a photo is art. Very cool, though.🙂 I think it’s art, but not particularly GREAT art, not is he a particularly great artist. He’s incredibly skilled though, and the pictures are neat. Not bad, but not life changing (for me). To each their own though! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/16 "2012-08-24T16:13:00Z")
[Youtube comment] Fake [/Youtube comment] ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/17 "2012-08-24T16:13:01Z")
> [@kjckjc](#): > > Not to impugn your popularity by questioning you, but, why not? If I look at a tree and then paint what I see, that can be art, but if you paint what you see in my painting, it isn’t? I appreciate artistic style, unique to every artist. But a photo is a photo and a painting that’s indistinguishable from a photo seems unnecessary to me. (I also don’t like super realistic paintings either, although I do have a soft spot for Richard Estes, who does super realistic paintings of layers of reflection in building windows. I think those paintings kind of see beyond the realism.) ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/18 "2012-08-24T16:21:55Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I appreciate artistic style, unique to every artist. But a photo is a photo and a painting that’s indistinguishable from a photo seems unnecessary to me. [It’s a full-fledged art movement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photorealism). That said, the artists usually take the photos themselves. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/19 "2012-08-24T17:19:38Z")
I don’t have a link to his picture, but a student at our school entered the art contest last year and I was on the judging committee. He had a picture of the face of a very old Asian man. I noticed he wasn’t getting many votes and said, “Gee, what is wrong with you people?!” One of the judges said, “It’s a great photo, but some of these other works are better.” I said, “Look closer - it is not a photo, that is a charcoal sketch!” Once they realized it was not a photo, they were blown away by the detail and quality. He won. By landslide vote. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444/20 "2012-08-24T17:39:05Z")
Is this guy an artist, or an illustrator? Apparently there are those of the opinion that Norman Rockwell was not an artist, as discussed in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=662497). How would these people wielding their Papermates compare/contrast, in that discussion? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-dude-is-an-artist/632444.md?page=2)