Talented Young Artist Draws Incredibly Realistic Portrait Of Kevin Hart, Can’t Believe He Actually Responds On Twitter
There are so many talented people out there, creating breathtaking works of art that deserve the attention of the whole world. But the art scene can be a snobby and fickle place, sometimes it seems that the right ‘names’ get far more attention than their talents merit. So it’s refreshing to see a truly gifted young artist get their big break and be catapulted into global attention.
Nigerian art is thriving, with this diverse and dynamic country producing an array of creative talents that demand wider attention. One particular area of interest is hyper-realistic pencil drawings, with artists like Ken Nwadiogbu producing the kind of portraits that are so detailed you’d swear they were photographs. Young artist Eli Wuduba Yusuf, based in Kaduna state in north-central Nigeria, is a pencil magician who can conjure up hyper-realistic portraits using nothing more than a simple lead pencil and some paper.
He recently reached out on Twitter to Kevin Hart, his favorite comedian, hoping to show the astonishingly accurate portrait he drew of The Upside actor. After thousands of retweets hoping to gain Hart’s attention, the comedian saw Eli’s piece and was so impressed by the young artist’s obvious talent and initiative, he offered to buy it. Not only that, but he commissioned Eli to do 3 drawings of his friends, giving Eli a nice little public portfolio to kickstart his career.
Posted by Eli Waduba Yusuf on Wednesday, February 27, 2019
It’s fair to say that this represents Eli’s big break and shows the power of social media for young artists who wish to gain exposure. People all over the world are now admiring Eli’s work, it’s truly a life-changing event for him. “We have basically over 70% young people in Nigeria right now and a large amount of them are gifted, talented or into painting, drawing and sketching,” Nigerian journalist Yaron Mudi told Bored Panda. “Many have taken to social media to push out their craft because that is the only voice we the youth have. It has opened our talented young people’s skills to many new eyes.”
Eli knows this and used Twitter cleverly to gain the attention of his idol. People quickly recognized his talent and were happy to help him reach his goal. A few days after his original tweet, it all kicked off. “Isn’t God amazing??” he wrote. “I just joined Twitter a day before yesterday and my work just went viral, my phone can’t stop buzzing.”
The hyper-realist scene in Nigeria first grabbed the world’s attention back in 2016, when Lagos-based artist Oresegun Olumide’s oil paintings went viral. People couldn’t believe that they weren’t photographs, and his success inspired a new generation of hyper-realist artists. Using a simple pencil and some paper, artists like Eli spend hours crafting and shading these incredible portraits, often of famous people and incorporating themes such as gender equality, African cultures and black power. The genre has really taken off and given the youth a real outlet for their creative talents.
Bored Panda has contacted Eli for further comment, we are eager to hear how he is experiencing his new-found fame and his plans for the future.
Here’s how people reacted to Eli’s work
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These pictures are absolutely amazing!!! I'm currently trying to work my way to more realism in my art pieces, and these pictures are stunning examples of what I'm going for!
Whoah. These are so good!!!!! I don't know how he does it, but these are stunning!
What amazing talent this boy has. I am elated that Kevin Hart took the time to offer this boy more work with the 3 new drawings he would like. It takes a village to raise a child and he has had his hand in helping this young man.
There are plenty of hyperrealism artists around the world. A lot like Eli. But, of course, still admitting his skills, I'd like to point out that big soul of Kevin Hart that give to this young man the occasion of his life. He started his pro carrier and we all hope Eli will have a long journey in a life full of joy, satisfaction, wealth and happy to support is family for long long time.
Cry for joy at his talent, don't cry that you don't feel you're good enough. Your talent is different from his. My talent is very simple drawings, nobody is offering me commissions, but that's OK. We all have different strengths. <3
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Also please take into account that regular Black people rarely see themselves in Art, paintings, or sculptures, especially if they themselves are not artists, frequent museums, or the artistic community. I know when I was drawing I got lots of commissions to draw them and their family members. So for us it’s just always a delight to see ourselves depicted in art with happiness and dignity!
With all the misery in our world, this story warms my heart tremendously, to see someone take notice and help this extremely talented boy, has made my day !!!
I am the tail end of the Baby Boomer generation. However, I'm plugged in enough for me. I even telecommute from home. :) I watched Bethany Mota (I had to google her) on 'Undercover 𝙱oss Celebrity Edition'. She has over 10 million subscribers to her YouTube channel and wanted to help up and coming social media artists. It showed the power of social media in a positive way, similar to this Bored Panda post about this Nigerian artist.
I am in so much awe of his talent, how wonderful he is getting the recognition he richly deserves.
I've never seen art like that. Incredible! He definitely deserves this.
These pictures are absolutely amazing!!! I'm currently trying to work my way to more realism in my art pieces, and these pictures are stunning examples of what I'm going for!
Whoah. These are so good!!!!! I don't know how he does it, but these are stunning!
What amazing talent this boy has. I am elated that Kevin Hart took the time to offer this boy more work with the 3 new drawings he would like. It takes a village to raise a child and he has had his hand in helping this young man.
There are plenty of hyperrealism artists around the world. A lot like Eli. But, of course, still admitting his skills, I'd like to point out that big soul of Kevin Hart that give to this young man the occasion of his life. He started his pro carrier and we all hope Eli will have a long journey in a life full of joy, satisfaction, wealth and happy to support is family for long long time.
Cry for joy at his talent, don't cry that you don't feel you're good enough. Your talent is different from his. My talent is very simple drawings, nobody is offering me commissions, but that's OK. We all have different strengths. <3
Load More Replies... Also please take into account that regular Black people rarely see themselves in Art, paintings, or sculptures, especially if they themselves are not artists, frequent museums, or the artistic community. I know when I was drawing I got lots of commissions to draw them and their family members. So for us it’s just always a delight to see ourselves depicted in art with happiness and dignity!
With all the misery in our world, this story warms my heart tremendously, to see someone take notice and help this extremely talented boy, has made my day !!!
I am the tail end of the Baby Boomer generation. However, I'm plugged in enough for me. I even telecommute from home. :) I watched Bethany Mota (I had to google her) on 'Undercover 𝙱oss Celebrity Edition'. She has over 10 million subscribers to her YouTube channel and wanted to help up and coming social media artists. It showed the power of social media in a positive way, similar to this Bored Panda post about this Nigerian artist.
I am in so much awe of his talent, how wonderful he is getting the recognition he richly deserves.
I've never seen art like that. Incredible! He definitely deserves this.
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