I came across the reference image while scrolling through Instagram and reached out to the photographer for permission to use it as the basis for this work. After some discussion, we agreed not to publicly credit him here, as linking his name to my site would redirect SEO traffic away from his own portfolio.
I was drawn to the technical challenge of rendering the different textures within the image. The okra has layers of color and fine, hair-like details, while the tongue was unexpectedly complex in the way it reflects light and carries texture.
I chose to leave parts of the portrait unfinished, creating contrast between the tightly rendered elements and the ghosted linework surrounding them. The result sits somewhere between a finished hyperrealistic drawing and a sketch still in progress, balancing presence and absence within an otherwise surreal image.
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