Every face has a story
Portraits but not just likenesses. These are distortions, echoes, and emotional imprints. Each face tells a story, whether it’s rendered in visceral brushstrokes, crisp digital lines, or something in between. Some stare straight through you, others offer a warm welcome. Expressions caught between worlds, moods shifting like light through a prism. Familiar, yet slightly off. Because a face isn’t just what we see, it’s what we feel, what we fear, and what we’ve forgotten.
Two hour and thirty minute portrait study. The reference image doesn’t have any of the glowing face plate lines. Them and the background were added to give the woman more of an android aesthetic. Which plays upon her already futuristic, android looking image.
One hour and ten minute digital portrait study of some whimsically witchy looking lady found on Pinterest. The original was just a black n white photo, I added the red and and white markings for extra 60s horror witchy vibes.
One hour and fifty minute portrait study of some pissed off vampire lady, found on Pinterest. 🧛♀️
Two hour and five minute digital study of model Sweet Mary Jane. Very loose study, with most of the detailed focus being on the eyes and mouth. This ones more about the over all feel, than technical flexing.
Two hour and forty seven minute digital portrait study of a post apocalyptic, zoot chuffin swamp princess named Deva. Original photo was in colour. I like turning portraits into monochromatic tones so I can add a splash of one bold colour, usually red, in the form of some kind tribal war paint.
One hour and forty two minute self portrait study.
Four hour and thirty eight minute digital portrait study of Mariya Mamoto. Original photo was in colour. This was turned into a black n grey to emphasise the red lipstick she's wearing in the picture. It was a difficult one to draw as Mariya has such striking features that mange to be soft, yet chiselled and all perfectly balanced. So nothing drawn could possibly come as close to how uniquely stunning her face is.
One hour and twenty minute digital charcoal portrait study of Naomi Campbell from back in the 90s.
One hour and thirty nine minute digital charcoal study of the musical legend Bob Dylan. Drawn whilst watching the recent bio pick of him A Complete Unknown.
Two hour and fifty six minute drawing of the late and formidably great Amy Winehouse. Drawn whilst watching the biopic of her Back To Black.
One hour and forty eight minute digital charcoal sketch study of the lyrical legend, powerhouse of a human, mr Chuck D.
Two hour and twelve minute digital charcoal study of Mark Hamil aka The best womp rat shooter on tatooine and handy with a laser sword Skywalker. Drawn in homage to him for Star Wars celebration May the 4th 2024. even tho star wars has been going down hill of recent years and Hamil has developed a taste for shit politicians, Sleven still loves you Hamil and Star Wars!
Fifty six minute digital portrait study of the alien space queen and general sci-fi queen, mrs Sigourney Weaver. Drawn in homage of the 45th anniversary of the best sci-fi horror to ever grace the silver screen, alien 👽
I’m Batman, no I’m Batman, Nooo I’m BATMAN! Very quick forty minute digital charcoal study of Robert Battinsons portrayal of a rather emo Batman in The BATMAN. Drawn whist watching The Batman. even tho he was a tad emo as the Bruce & Batman, guess that's down to the writing and the director and not just him as an actor, still a solid, well made film in the Batman film mythos. How many times can you say batman in a paragraph?
One hour fifty two minute digital study of some random image found on pinterest. With a added blood stains and Sleven dub.
One hour and twenty two minute digital airbrush study of another delightful pintrest find. With added sleven hand styles.
Three hours and eight minute digital study of Zoe Kravitz in the film KIMI. Original image was in colour, the face was changed to black n grey to emphasise the blue hair she has in the film and the clothes that match she wore that match the hair. This ones a tad more illustrative and the even tho she looks a bit gaunt, she doesn't so much in the original photo but it helps emphasise the fear n paranoia she's going through in this scene in the film. Decent little thriller, definitely worth a watch.
Ten hour and twenty eight minute digital portrait study of a model called Core Suicide. Really pleased with how this turned out. Original image was in colour, I turned it into a monochromatic piece so he could emphasise the blue in her eyes. And then added a solid blue background to make them pop even more.
Three hours and fifty nine minute digital study of model Core Suicide. Again, this was turned into a black and grey piece, to emphasise the colour in here eyes and hair, which happened to match the colour of her eyes. Adding the war paint marking added to accentuating her striking cheek bones and cat like eyes.
Three hours and nine minute digital study of model Juniper Keiko Naranjo.
One hour forty four minute digital study of a pinterest find. This one lead toward a more illustrative flex to keep it quick and impactful.
Three hours and forty one minute digital piece created of a friend for her birthday. this lady has a pretty dark sense of humour and often wears light pastel colours, so here she is giving you a kiss of death in a rainbow of pastel shades.
One hour and fifty minute digital figure/portrait drawing of Nadia Lee Cohen
One hour and a half, digital figure study of some old pinup photo, found on Pinterest.
Twelve hour and thirty nine minute digital piece of David Suchet as Inspector Poirot. The piece utilises the main physical objects Poirot is easily recognised for, such as his pocket watch, cane, armless spectacles and magnifying glass. With some nice stylised cursive script and the finger print in the background, that notes his work as a detective, brings the piece together as a whole.
Three hour digital piece of a Adidas & Prada tracksuit collab. I went a bit more illustrative with this, hence the bold outline. To give it more of a stylised graffiti character look, to pay homage to the adidas tracksuits history with hip-hop culture. The lilac splashes and crown bring it all together to give it that blod hip-hop/graffiti aesthetic. This is available as an A3 print in the shop.
Three hour and fifty minute digital study of UK hip-hop legend Skinnyman. Donning a council estate crown on his head.
Two hour and twenty minute study of the beat maker extraordinaire, cold as ice MCing, shoe cobbling sole man.......Chillman!
Quick forty five minute digital pencil study of the multi talented, multi tasking, musical hip-hop king......Habitus. Not only does he rap in two different languages, he's also a beat maker, producer, crate raider, sound engineer and DJ, with an extensive knowledge of hip-hop culture.
Biro, pencil and ink piece, on A4 paper, of south west rapper RPK. This mans tongue is possessed by something sick and otherworldly!
Biro, pencil and water colour, on A4 paper, of one of the most technically skilled UK lyricist the ever grace the M.I.C, known for melting mic tops and setting fire to booths across the land, It's the GOOSE! The strike of water colour on this adds to energy and direction of his arm and hand, it's almost like you can here spitting molten hot lava!
Biro, pencil and water colour on A4. The original reference of this was a colour photo, choice of not doing this in colour and then adding the streaks of watercolour over the eyes draws attention to the tense, pensive melancholy in her eyes. And in turn enhances them emotions.
Polk on a Polk painting
Do you smelll what the rock is brewing! Pencil sketch of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, on a paper, for a friends son. Who's a massive Rock fan.
On a mission, your worst enemy is idle time! Pencil sketch on A5 of the legend Nipsey Hussle. I has no idea how long it takes him to draw or paint portraits. He drifts of into a space of channeling, where the rules of man do not exist. He's only able to state how long his digital drawings are because the time is automatically recorded on the file.
Painting of the SWEG LAWD Black Josh, on canvas. This was painted for an event that Black josh was performing at. It started out with the intention of the face being more realistic but that ended up going down more of a expressionistic path. The markings were planned, as well as markings like these can be planned. A graffiti writing mop was used to create the letters, crown, stars, arrows & dashes. And the cartoon chain, with his ape mascot and BLAH records logo on it, finish off the piece.
Acrylic on canvas portrait of Amy Winehouse, for a private collector. Sleven really loved painting this, being able to carry that zebra print into the background with such loose and freeing brush strokes. Really adds depth to the piece and bring focus to Amy in the centre.
Acrylic on canvas commission for a private collector. This was a self portrait of the collector. I believe the prompt for the piece was bright and colourful and that's what he got. A very bright and colourful expressionistic portrait.
Acrylic painting, on A4 paper, of Theresa May as the Emperor from Star Wars. Painted for a May the 4th Star Wars exhibition, held at the Matchbox Gallery back in 2017.
Acrylic painting, on A4 paper, of Jeremy Corbyn as Yoda from Star Wars. Painted for a May the 4th Star Wars exhibition, held at the Matchbox Gallery back in 2017. during the year this and the Theresa Emperor piece were painted, both politicians were up for election against each other and it truly felt like a classic battle of good vs evil and a pairing of such fictional characters, as yoda battling the emperor, represented the political tension perfectly.
Acrylic on A4 paper, of Hip-Hop & Grime MC Sylla B. Painted back in 2017, for an E.P cover of his.
Ink and alcohol marker portrait, on A3 paper, of theatre actor Winston Pyke as Dionysus. The piece was then edited on photoshop and sent off to be used for poster promotion in the play he was playing the character in.