Samantha Messias is gaining a global following for her extraordinary pencil artwork which is so astoundingly detailed that her pictures look like high-definition photographs.
The lifelike nature of her drawings has earnt her the nickname ‘The Human Printer’ and her outstanding creations have been recognised with several awards and displays in galleries and exhibitions in England and the USA.
When anyone achieves this kind of success, it is natural to wonder what the stories are behind their creations. Here is an insight into what motivates Samantha to create her drawings:
Connecting To The Subject By Listening
“I always go deeper into the subject,” Samantha explains. “As an artist, as a creative being, I want to really feel the person I’m drawing. A lot of it comes from emotion.”
The artist has a few different methods for connecting with her subjects. When it comes to inspirational celebrities, she likes to listen.
“When I was drawing Princess Diana, Oprah and Will Smith, I listened over and over to their interviews. Doing this gets me emotional and allows me to not only draw these people on paper but feel them and really understand who I’m drawing. It enables me to capture their soul and the essence of who they are.”
Gaining Insight From Descriptions
When Samantha is drawing a loved one for a client, she asks that person to describe the subject in a way that gives her an idea of what they are like.
On one occasion, she drew a picture of a client’s mother who had died of cancer more than a decade earlier. The lady described her mother as the life and soul of a party who was known by everybody for her laugh. She was also kind, liked to pray and was very in tune with nature.
“To have this information about the subject that I draw makes it a much more profound experience,” Samantha explains. “And not only for me, but also for the client because it means I’m capturing the essence of who they’re asking me to draw. And then when they see it, it’s like ‘wow’. That’s one of the joys for me.”
Watching Pets In Action
Samantha is particularly fond of drawing animals, so she is always happy when a client requests a drawing of their beloved pet.
“When I’m drawing dogs, I love to meet the dog in real life and get a feel for them. I love to play with them and get a sense of their character.”
Art Should Be Meaningful
“When I was listening to an interview with Princess Diana, I was crying while I was drawing,” Samantha recalls. “I ran into the other room and said to my partner, ‘I can’t believe this happened to her and I can’t believe that happened.’ But it gave me a sense of the person I was drawing and I love to find out who I’m drawing. I’m not just going to draw a person for the sake of drawing.”
“This is really important for me, because if I don’t feel the emotional connection to what I’m drawing, I don’t want to draw it.”
The sense of meaning in her art also applies to things Samantha has no interest in drawing, such as things she does not believe in.
“I live my life very much based on morals and principles. I’m plant-based, so if someone said to me, ‘Will you draw a big, hyper-realistic beef burger?’ I would probably say no.”
If you would like to see Samantha’s amazing drawings, check out her portfolio.