How would you describe your art?
My artworks consist of drawings with realistic detail.
When were you first drawn to your art form?
During my final year in high school, my art teacher opened my mind to the possibilities of drawing with realistic detail, which, in following years, became an obsession of increasing the detail within my works.
Does your studio reflect any personal traits?
My studio is very minimal at this stage. I’ve just recently upgraded to a slightly larger space, which has allowed me to work on larger pieces. It’s also an organised mess, which seems to be one of my personal traits.
Did you study fine arts, or are you self-taught?
I believe that you never stop learning your craft, and my artworks have been a staple to this mindset, progressively getting closer to the realism I desire. While self taught, I’ve learned a lot from other graphite pencil artists and their discoveries of new techniques.
What does a typical day in the studio involve?
As my drawings take numerous (sometimes hundreds) of hours to complete, the typical day in the studio normally consists of headphones in and head down for 8 hours. It’s simple, but this approach allows me to get into a flow state, and those hours pass by very quickly.
What draws you to your subject matter?
Given the beauty and grace of the human body, as well as the emotions that the poses in my works can make observers feel, the human form is my passion. I create artworks where the faces are not visible so that my audience can create personalities within the works.
What’s something people may not know about what it’s like to work with the materials you use?
When I discuss my process with my audience, there is a strong intrigue on how I get the graphite to look soft and to blend with the different shades. This is done through tools such as cotton ear buds and micropore sponges. Another item I use to get some of the finer detail of skin textures or hair is the use of an eraser to remove the graphite in a more controlled approach.
Is there anything you’re currently working on?
I am currently in between works, as I just finished a series (Ephemeral Resonance, Sculpted Sentience and Contours of the Soul) that I exhibited at The Other Art Fair, Sydney, in October. I will likely be creating another series of the human form for my next piece.
Three art-world players you would invite to dinner?
Arinze Stanley, a charcoal and graphite artist from Nigeria; Jono Dry, a graphite artist from South Africa who I’ve looked up to and whose techniques I’ve adopted; and Damien Hirst, to spice things up a bit.
What is your dream artistic project?
A dream artistic project would be to work with a popular global brand to recreate one of their products through my drawings.
Above: Artist Daniel McMahon. Photo: Mark Fitzgerald. Courtesy: the artist.
