Using only colored pencils, 19 year-old Texan artist Jose Vergara (a.k.a. Redosking) creates these optometric masterpieces, seen below. His close-up shots are visually stunning and almost unbelievable, having you stare for several minutes before realizing no digital photography or computers were used. One of the hardest parts of the body to draw is the eye, and Jose has perfected it.

At only 19, Jose’s weapon of choice is the colored pencil. No #2 pencils, no pens, strictly colored pencils. He has masted the art of blending and realism, all exemplified in his work here. The artist also does portraits and other body parts as well, so his work is far from confined to one section.

The eyes are truly one of the best tests of an artist’s capability to mimic reality because we hold them to a higher standard. During our evolution, it has been critically important to be able to follow a pair of eyes’ gaze and to be able to see eyes that are observing us. This is part of the reason that some people say they need to look someone in the eyes to trust them and why getting the eyes wrong in a realistic drawing can ruin the rest of it for us. And all of this is, of course, why the eyes are often called the windows of the soul.

Connect with  Jose Vergara (a.k.a. Redosking):
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