Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
Internet sensation Kelvin Okafor has earned a legion of followers with his impressive photo-realistic images. Pictured here, this portrait of Zoe Saldana is actually a drawing, each strand of hair intricately reproduced.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
The British-Nigerian artist's preferred tool of expression -- the simple pencil. "Having that instrument, using it and playing around with it," this was what fascinated Okafor as an eight-year-old beginning to experiment with art.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
Mother Teresa is given the pencil photo-real treatment in this partially complete drawing.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
The artist's works start life as simple pencil outlines, drawn using charcoal and graphite. Shadings are used to give the illusion of color and add depth to achieve a photo-like quality.
Pictured here, Barack Obama.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
"When I draw someone it's important that they feel comfortable so you can get their natural expressions," says Okafor. Of his projects, "I'll study it, I'll dream about it, but the thing about that is it allows me to draw from memory," he told CNN.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
His latest portraits, titled "Interlude," are a series of images of women drawn with their eyes closed, to explore those moments of quiet contemplation.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
"Our technology age, as amazing as it is, it's very distracting, everyone has their [cell phones] glued to their hands. It does not allow you to have free independent thought," says Okafor. "It's about having that moment to yourself."
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
The 31-year-old graduated with a degree in fine art from Middlesex University in London. Each hand drawn image can take a jaw-dropping 100 hours to complete -- but obviously not in a continuous sitting, he's quick to add.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
kafor's fascination for drawing with pencils began at eight years old.
Pictured here, an early drawing of Adele, before the artist refined his skills.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
After graduating college in 2009, friends encouraged him to join Facebook, and the young artist started to showcase his works on websites. It sent ripples of appreciation from enthusiasts, giving the artist courage to develop his skills further. Today, he has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
Okafor's images have extended beyond social media to be featured in exhibitions. His first solo show took place in 2014 at Albemarle Gallery, London.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
His works can fetch up to £20,000 [$25,000] depending on the size.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
His devotion to the ubiquitous pencil led to an invitation by the manufacturer of his favorite pencil, Faber-Castell, to watch them being produced in Germany.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
Beyond wowing online audiences, the artist has also been giving drawing lessons to children in schools and colleges.
Courtesy Kelvin Okafor
"Along this journey I've ticked off so many things I want to do," says Okafor, "and most importantly being able to inspire others. I go into schools and I teach kids how to draw now and that's what's so important to me."

Story highlights

Each image by artist Kelvin Okafor can take around 100 hours to produce

Their photo-like quality has earned him a loyal following on Instagram

CNN  — 

If you think your eyes are deceiving you – they probably are. Artist Kelvin Okafor’s portraits are not monochrome photographs but intricate drawings etched using the humble pencil.

“Using shades of lead, you can manipulate and create an illusion of color,” says Okafor.

Each image takes the artist an impressive 100 hours to create, from either photographs or acquiescent friends and family positioned as life models.

“Before I start to draw I usually spend a few days analyzing the person or structure. It’s important that they feel comfortable so you can get their natural expressions,” he says.

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Such is the dedication to a piece that it’s not uncommon for him to dream of it: “but the thing about that”, he told CNN, “is it allows me to draw from memory.”

Okafor’s growing list of celebrities drawn in lifelike realism include Rihanna, Beyoncé, Hollywood actress Zoe Saldana, singer Adele, as well as world figures such as Mother Teresa and President Obama.

‘Art was never encouraged’

His latest portraits, titled “Interlude,” a series of images of women with their eyes closed, explore moments of quiet contemplation.

“Our technology age – as amazing as it is – it’s very distracting, everyone has their [cell phones] glued to their hands,” says Okafor. “It’s about having that moment to yourself.”

Courtesy Kelvin Okafor

Each of his subjects are drawn in full frame and in side profile to capture an inner “radiance.”

Born and raised in London to Nigerian parents, Okafor’s fascination for drawing with pencils began at eight years old. A career in art was not something encouraged by his parents.

Although sympathetic, “my parents were very much about us coming to this country [the UK] to pursue an academic career, mathematics, or law – they thought that might be more lucrative.”

But after graduating from college in 2009, friends suggested he share his drawings on Facebook. “I joined out of interest and I started to show my work on a few websites and before I knew it I’d acquired a following,” he says.

Royal appreciation

Courtesy Kelvin Okafor

His work’s capacity to be appreciated around the world led to a Threadneedle Prize exhibition in 2012 at Mall Galleries, based in London.

At the time the British-Nigerian artist was the youngest to showcase. Subsequent curatorial and solo shows soon followed as well as an army of more than 100,000 fans on Instagram. And back in 2013, Okafor’s portrait of the late King Hussein of Jordan was presented to his widow, Queen Noor.

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“I’ve [been] so overwhelmed by everything,” reflects Okafor. “It’s quite surreal for me whenever I think about it.” Today, his works can fetch up to £20,000 [$25,000] depending on the size.

His devotion to the most ubiquitous of writing tools led to an invitation by his favorite pencil manufacturer to see them produced in Germany.

“Along this journey I’ve ticked off so many things I want to do and most importantly being able to inspire others. I go into schools and I teach kids how to draw now and that’s what’s so important to me,” says the fine arts graduate, who hopes to stretch his subject matter further. “I’ve always drawn people but I hope to do more landscapes and nature.”