The Best Photorealistic Drawings

Photorealism is an art form in which artists create drawings or paintings that look like photos. However photorealistic a drawing may be; the artist's personality will leak into the art work, giving the finished result a unique essence of its own.

Fantastic Photorealistic Drawings

Truly fantastic photo realistic drawings use a combination of perspective, proportion and lighting to create a realistic effect. If any of these design elements are not adhered to, the finished work will not withstand close scrutiny. Shading and highlights are especially important, as they define the 3D realism of the drawing. If the shading is not smooth, the drawing looks less like a photo and more like an art work.

Above: Jono Dry is a young artist from South Africa who draws photo realistic drawings based on his own photos. With no artistic training, Jono is an example of true raw talent and artistic passion. 

Above: Another example of Jono Dry's photorealistic pencil drawings. Both of the above art works are from a series of nudes celebrating the beauty of the female form. Dry's realistic figures stand in stark contrast to their black backgrounds, a style that emphasizes the effect of light on skin.

Photorealistic Drawings as Home Decor

Photo realistic art works are quickly becoming popular media online, and as a result, many prints of photorealistic drawings are finding their way onto online shopping sites like Etsy.com. These interesting pictures of photographs are fast replacing actual photographs as home decor, as a photorealistic drawing of a portrait or favorite photograph is visually more interesting than the actual photograph.

Above: Linda Huber's photorealistic pencil drawing of Michelangelo's famous sculpture, David. The art work includes the imperfections in the weathered sculpture, such as nicks and scratches.

Above: Another photorealistic pencil drawing from Linda Huber, this time of a lightbulb. Glass is difficult to draw realistically, because it is both translucent and reflective. Huber is an expert at manipulating the eye into believing that what it is actually seeing is a photograph.

Above: A beautiful photorealistic animal portrait of a cat, drawn in pencil and graphite. Fur is extremely difficult to draw photo realistically, yet artist Paul Lung seems to have discovered the secret of drawing convincing hair.

Above: Another photorealistic animal portrait by Paul Lung. The use of highlights and shadows creates an image that seems almost 3D, with a clarity usually only found in high quality photos.

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Incredible Tattoo Designs

The art of tattoos has become increasingly popular over the last two decades, with about 36% of 18-25 year olds sporting at least one tattoo. While many tattoo artists simply use designs from books and portfolios, some tattoo artists go above and beyond, creating distinctive artistic styles that result in incredible tattoo designs.

Amazing Tattoo Designs

The difference between a mediocre tattoo and an incredible tattoo is in the quality of the design and the level of the tattoo artist's skill. Great tattoos have clear lines, smooth shading and correct proportions. When these three design elements are in balance, the result is a pleasing piece of body art. The best tattoo designs don't necessarily need to be photo realistic or filled with color; even a linear tattoo design in black ink can be pleasing to the eye. The composition of the design, the position of the tattoo on the body and the balance of the design elements all contribute to whether a tattoo is a work of art or not.

Above: An incredible photo realistic tattoo of a woman's eye. Italian tattoo artist Alex De Pase uses beautiful shading techniques to achieve the effect of photo realism, and has included flower petals to give the finished tattoo design a surrealist effect. The pink shades of the flower petals can be seen in the pink of the woman's eye shadow. This creates a feeling of balance in the design.

Above: This tattoo artist has inked an owl into the skin in such a way that it looks like an oil painting. The effect is tricky to achieve, as the brushstrokes in the tattoo design have to be created with the vibrating needle of the tattoo gun. The result is a dramatic art work inked into the skin.

Above: This tribal tattoo design uses symmetry and clear outlines to create balance. The design is based on birds' wings and works with the shape of the woman's arms and wrists. Even though the tattoo design is fairly simple, the clear, smooth outlines, near-perfect shading and symmetry make this an amazing tattoo design.

Above: A cute cartoon tattoo that uses clear outlines and contrasting colors to create depth and visual interest. The tattoo artist edited the design to make it appear that the worm to the left of the image is about to eat the guy's nipple.

Tattoo Art as a Symbol of Freedom

Tattoo art has limitations that are not found in many other art forms. The smaller the design, the less detail there can be in the tattoo design, because over time, the ink will spread under the skin, slowly turning the art work into a mess of color. Tattoo designs can be distorted by the shape of a body part, and the movement of the human canvas. So even though tattoos have become a symbol of personal freedom and choice, the art form itself is fairly limited.

Above: A tattoo of this size is incredibly difficult to create, especially on an area made of cartilage, like the ear. The skull tattoo in this woman's ear is an exceptional art work because of the amount of detail achieved at this size. The artist has used white tattoo ink to highlight parts of the skull.

Above: This full back tattoo of the Indian God Ganesh is colorful and attractive. The tattoo design incorporates the busy, almost animated nature of Indian art works while still keeping the subject of the design recognizable.

Above: Another truly amazing tattoo design by Alex de Pase. The tattoo artist has combined photo realism with paisley and other decorative elements, finishing off the art work with splashes of color that are reminiscent of a watercolor painting. This portrait tattoo is reminscent of the sugar skull designs used in Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration known in English as Day of the Dead.

  

Above: This incredible tattoo design uses the shape of the hand in the design, especially in the knuckle area. The effect is a sci-fi styled art work with a fantasy flavor.

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Beautiful Tattoo Designs for Girls

Feminine tattoo designs are made up of images that represent women, such as lace, ribbons, butterflies, flowers and birds. Tattoo designs for women often include intricate detail and delicate colors, design aspects that add to the feminine appeal of the design.


Birds in Feminine Tattoo Designs
Birds represent beauty, freedom and flight. Some birds have cultural significance, whereas others are simply prized for their beauty. Most bird tattoo designs are chosen because the bird in the design has a personal meaning to the person being tattooed.

Above: This colorful tattoo of a peacock is completed with flowers. The artist has based the design on curves, so that the tattoo compliments the shape of the girl's body.

Rose Tattoos for Women

Roses are associated with love, romance and femininity. As Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". The flower petals of roses naturally occur in a variety of female shades; pinks, reds, and oranges. 

Above: The tattoo designer has used symmetry to give a sense of order to this woman's back tattoo. The darker colors and art style give the finished tattoo a gothic feel, which compliments the bows on her thighs.

Lace is for Ladies' Tattoo Designs

For hundreds of years, women have worn lace to accentuate their feminine nature. This delicate clothing decoration is tricky to create in tattoos, because the ink tends to spread under the skin over time, blurring the fine lines of the lace. 

Above: This lace garter tattoo design is a perfect way for women to show off their feminine side. It is both classical and sexy, a combination of the old and the new.

Butterfly Tattoos for Girls

Butterflies boast a mosaic of colors and patterns, and the only limitation a butterfly tattoo design has is the designer's imagination. Butterfly tattoos are often chosen to represent beauty, freedom and lightheartedness. 

Above: This girl has chosen to keep the natural colors and patterns of these butterflies in the tattoo design.

Blossoming Branches Tattoo

The image of the blossoming branch is a symbol of spring, renewal and new beginnings. Tattoo designs of this kind are often based on the cherry blossom tree, honoring the tree's interesting branches and beautiful flowers.

Above: Tattoo designs of blossoming branches have an interesting aesthetic make-up. The colorful flowers on the linear background of branches creates a detailed, feminine silhouette that is hard to mistake, even from afar.

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Flower Tattoo Design Ideas

Flower tattoo designs can be symbolic or purely decorative in nature. Floral tattoos are often a symbol of femininity and are placed on the body in specific areas that compliment and flatter the female form.

As Pretty as a Flower

Flower tattoo designs can be small, simple images, or large, detailed art works. Most flowers are easily recognizable, yet there are a few that are more popular than others, such as roses, lilies and daisies.

Above: This flower tattoo design incorporates birds and butterflies to create a feminine garden on this woman's back.

Above: Abstract flower tattoo designs, such as the one above, mimic the elegant curves of flower petals to create a floral effect. Each petal is placed to draw the eye to the focal point of the design; the center of the flower. In nature, the structure of flowers draws nectar and pollen seeking insects and birds to the center of the flower by having the petals "point" to the center of the blossom.

Above: Cherry blossoms are a popular subject in Japanese art and design. The juxtaposition between the dark, angular branches and the delicate, soft flowers create an attractive image off the balance between opposing elements.

Above: This flower tattoo design uses soft shading for the lotus flowers and crisp, curling lines as a background. 

The Feminine Arts

For centuries, women have sought ways in which to highlight the sensuality of their bodies, turning to cosmetics, clothing and hairstyles to accentuate their femininity. It is only in the last few decades that it has become acceptable for women to have tattoos inked into their skin, and many women have taken advantage of this trend to use their skins as a canvas.

Above: Daisy flowers became a popular symbol for peace during the hippy revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Daisy tattoo designs are fun and elegant, symbolizing peace and innocence.

Above: Roses are one of the most popular flowers used in floral tattoo designs. The rose flower represents passion, sensuality and love and is found in both male and female tattoo designs.

Above: The tattoo artist has used water in this design to compliment the lotus flowers. The contrast between the blue of the waves and the warm colors of the flowers balances the design and makes the flowers stand out.

Above: This Japanese tattoo design boasts a butterfly in a garden of flowers, both of which are symbols of femininity. The blue colors of the butterfly design stand out against the orange shades of the flowers, turning the butterfly into a powerful design element.

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