When you see Alessandro Paglia’s work for the first time, you’ll be hard-pressed to determine whether the image in front of you is an especially grainy photograph or a fantastic 3D drawing. But a closer look will reveal the thousands layers of inked pen that Paglia uses to compose a perfect play between light and shadow. The Milanese artist, mostly known for his hyper-realistic drawings of pop-culture stars and more recently iconic cars, spends anywhere between 50 and 250 hours creating one of his large-format pieces due to his extreme method of drawing and meticulous technique. His latest creations include two stunning black and white drawings of open wings and a series of luscious paintings of gold-dyed hands which show that he’s brilliant with color as well.
By “superimposing a layer of chaotic lines on top of another”, Paglia is able to create intricate pieces that look so alive, natural and smooth but communicate powerful intensity. Obviously gifted with a superhuman degree of patience, he applies small strokes overlapping each other until he gets the desired effect, then works hard to make sure everything blends in perfectly. But besides being incredibly aesthetically pleasing, each of his pieces tells an original story, often underlined by a last-minute twist by the artist.
Check out his one-of-a-kind gallery and enjoy!
