This Artist Creates Hyperrealistic Drawings Inspired By Mental Health Struggles (21 Pics)
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Art & Design, Visual ArtPublished Jun 10, 2026 This Artist Creates Hyperrealistic Drawings Inspired By Mental Health Struggles (21 Pics)
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Some artworks impress you first with their level of detail, and only then make you wonder what exactly you are looking at. The hyperrealistic pencil drawings of South African artist Jono Dry do both almost instantly.
Born in Pretoria in 1989 and now based in Cape Town, Jono is a self-taught artist known for large-scale graphite drawings that look almost photographic at first glance. But the longer you look, the more surreal his worlds become. Human figures merge with natural elements, bodies appear weighed down by impossible objects, and quiet, dreamlike scenes seem to carry something much heavier beneath the surface.
Below, we’ve gathered some of Jono Dry’s astonishing pencil drawings. Take your time with them, because these are the kind of artworks that reveal more the longer you look. Don’t forget to upvote your favorites and let us know in the comments which piece stayed with you the most.
More info: Instagram | jonodryart.com | Facebook | youtube.com
Image credits: Jono Dry
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#1“Nesting In Detail”
Year of production: 2025
POST Jono builds his images with remarkable patience and precision. Some of his larger pieces can take weeks or even months to plan and complete, with the artist carefully working through textures, shadows, skin, water, fabric, stone, and countless tiny details until the final drawing feels almost tangible. Through these surreal compositions, Jono explores themes such as identity, anxiety, depression, mental strain, vulnerability, and the complicated ways people try to express what is difficult to put into words.
RELATED:“Roots And Fingers Study 2”
Year of production: 2025
POST #3 “In Pursuit, I'm Entrapped”
Year of production: 2018
POST His creative process often begins long before the pencil touches the paper. Jono works with models, props, lighting, and reference photography to shape the final composition, using the photographic stage not only as a practical tool but also as part of the thinking process. From there, the drawing itself becomes a slow and meticulous act of translation, turning a planned image into something that feels both intensely realistic and deeply symbolic.
#4“In My Silence”
Year of production: 2019
POST #5 “Nurtured Nature Male”
Year of production: 2019
POST #6 “Berkana”
Year of production: 2021
POST #7 “Figure In Frame”
Year of production: 2021
POST #8 “Gummy Bear And Eye”
Year of production: 2021
POST #9 “Encircle”
Year of production: 2022
POST #10 “Waiting On Stone”
Year of production: 2023
POST #11 “Broken Apart”
Year of production: 2024
POST #12 “Between Roots And Fingers”
Year of production: 2025
POST #13 “Eye Marks And Measurements”
Year of production: 2025
POST #14 “Weight In Mist”
Year of production: 2025
POST #15 “The Gardener”
Year of production: 2023
POST #16 “Handle”
Year of production: 2017
POST #17 “Mask”
Year of production: 2018
POST #18 “Discomposure”
Year of production: 2020
POST #19 “Solitude”
Year of production: 2020
POST #20 “Ruin”
POST #21 “Goliath”
Year of production: 2025
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Pamina Pamina Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 days ago These are really astonishing works of art! Thank you for sharing.
0 0points reply Forrest Hobbs Forrest Hobbs Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Amazing - thank you. (how do you go about developing talent like this? I have no idea. I could practise for 50 years and still be incapable of anything like this).
May you like
POST Pamina Pamina Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 2 days ago These are really astonishing works of art! Thank you for sharing.
0 0points reply Forrest Hobbs Forrest Hobbs Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Amazing - thank you. (how do you go about developing talent like this? I have no idea. I could practise for 50 years and still be incapable of anything like this).
0 0points reply
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