Tell me about yourself. What inspired you to become an artist?

I’m Ryan and I’m a realism portraiture artist. I’d say I’ve always been creative ever since I can remember, however my creativity didn’t fully spark until I was about 14 years old, and I created my first ever portrait which was a special moment for me, as it introduced me to the art world and gave me a feeling that felt unique but also a way of communicating myself through art, which I was so passionate to find out more. When I was starting out and trying to find ‘myself’, I never knew I wanted to become a professional artist, I just knew I had this passion for art which I wanted to explore and overtime. I grew and decided art was a passion of mine and that I wanted to become professional in the industry. Throughout my development years I was in school and college and just wanted to learn techniques and improve myself. Once I started my university degree, this was a moment of levelling up and since then I’ve grown and matured as a professional artist.

Why is your chosen medium graphite? How does your medium reflect the narrative of your work?

Ever since I’ve started creating art, I’ve always experimented with different mediums, however graphite pencil had a unique feeling that other mediums did not, so I always knew this was the medium for me and I personally believe it’s the medium that I am most skilled in, which also helps. The medium plays a huge part of the narrative of my work because each stroke / marking that I make is each tiny piece of the whole subject I am trying to express, and the depth of detail enhances the level of emotion and feelings for each piece.

How do you capture emotion in your pieces?

I capture emotion through the pose, the movement of the body and how different parts of the body can be used to capture emotion. I also capture emotion through facial features such as the eyes and mouth which can communicate emotion even further. I also capture emotion through the physical mark makings that I make and the contrast of the light and darkness. All these factors come together and result in a certain message/ emotion I am wanting to express.

Why are you so fascinated by human psychology?

Firstly, the human form is something that I’ve always been interested in, especially art and how different parts of the body can be used to create amazing artwork. Secondly, the reason why I am so fascinated by human psychology is because it’s a way that I can express my thoughts, feelings, behaviour change and mindset through the art I create, which sometimes isn’t always clear in the work but for me it’s a way of getting something off my chest that I can visually say.

What do you think makes your artwork unique?

I think my artwork is unique in the way I make the work; my technique can come across as rough and I like how that can give my work so much depth and rawness to it, which I think other similar styles may not have.

Where do you find your inspiration? What are the attributes of an interesting face to draw?

I normally find inspiration by firstly thinking of ideas or a concept that a project or even a single piece could say, and I always like to come up with different concepts for each project. For me, personally I feel the eyes of a face really draws the viewer in and are the focal point - they alone can communicate the whole piece. Another attribute I consider is the contrast of light on the face, dark shadows can mean a lot, so for me this is also very important.

Out of all your artwork, which piece are you most proud of?

I’ve done so many pieces of artwork over the last 12 years but a few I’m most proud of are ‘Shady' and ‘FOUR' which are both from my 6th project titled ‘Duality’ (2019) and ‘Hung Up' which is from my 8th project titled ‘evolve’ (2022).

Who is your favourite artist, and why? Do they have an influence on your work?

A surprise for some people but Jean-Michel Basquiat is one of my favourite artists of all time, his work is so striking and energetic, and his creativity was mind blowing. Along with his amazing art, he was also very fearless and had no boundaries which has influenced me a lot in the way I create work and express myself through my art.

Why do you think art is important in society?

I personally think art is so important in society because it’s a way of processing emotions and your surroundings which is then expressed through the work you create and it gives a different perspective which wouldn’t normally be captured, it’s a great tool to cope with any situation, and for me being able to have this special way of communicating is so important for me and I’m truly grateful for it.

Website: www.ryanfordart.co.uk

Instagram: @ryanfordart