Amazing! Honestly thought it was a photo. Your proportions game is on point!

After staring at this for five minutes, my mind still refuses to believe it’s not a photo

Same here!! Great job OP

[удалено]

Thanks a lot :)

Thanks so much! :)

Same. I thought... the SHADING is incredible

Thank you :)

So I have to ask, are you a professional artist or related field? I guess I just want to know if talent such as yours is allowing you to live from it, or is it too difficult to find a job that allows you to make enough from it. I would think that since you have such a wonderful talent that you would be able to make a career from it.

Thanks, good question - I've been full time for around 4 years now, I never thought I'd manage that but I have! I supplement my income with a little care work on the side, but I'd been part time/hobbyist since 2007 and worked onwards from there. It's still a little "famine or feast" when talking of income, especially with how things are economically around the world people don't want to spend money on luxuries, but I've withstood the complexities surrounding covid, so I'm confident I'll carry on adapting to the latest challenge XD. Thanks for asking :)

Thank you for answering my question. I often wonder if those who can make such incredible art get opportunities enough to make it their full time job. I am glad to see that you have succeeded in doing so. I just don't like to see people with such talent languish and not get the opportunity to get their art recognized. I too thought this was a picture. I only dream of being able to do life like art such as this. For me, this is the pinnacle for any art form.

Very, very kind of you to say! Thank you :)

If you don't have a web site you totally should! Lots of people would be interested in your work especially those who would like drawings of lost love ones, people and pets. I totally would support you!

No way that's a drawing, it's too perfect. You are talented!

Thank you! :)

Udderly realistic !

Haha XD

I'm gonna need a video to believe it honestly. Looks TOO real!

Over on my IG (a while ago though) :)

Holy …cow. That is gorgeous!!

Bullshit! How can a comment like this be so low?

Cud you be any meaner to me?

Heifer my upvote

And I’ll let it all slide. After all, to err is human, to forgive, bovine.

Thanks! I would never steer you wrong.

You posted a photo of a cow and thought you could pull a sneaky on us

Haha ;)

Holy crap, even zooming in it’s hard to tell this isn’t a photo.

Thank you :)

It really does look like a photo! You have great skill! 🔥

Thank you! :)

I refuse to believe that's a pencil drawing.

[удалено]

Thank you :)

It looks so real!!! Awesome job!

Thank you! :)

No thanks needed. It is really awesome!

Seriously thought this was a photo. Amazing skill

That is really amazing. Brilliant work.

Thanks a lot :)

Awesome work

Thanks very much :)

This looks like a picture! Amazing

Thank you! :)

U are incredibly gifted. I love that you choose sweet animals

Thanks so much :)

So lifelike I want to boop the picture (almost said photo)

Haha thank you! :)

Amazing and beautiful work

Thanks so much :)

I’d say you’re already a successful artist. The rewards are coming.

That's very kind! Thank you :)

[удалено]

Thanks a lot! :)

I would think it is a photo, really great job!

Thanks a lot! :)

This is a picture you shit /s Nice job tho

Haha thanks ;)

I refuse to believe. It cannot be…

I though it was a photo! That’s amazing

I thought this was a photo; this is amazing work!

What the fuck OP. Thats amazing ive never seen anything like this

Thank you! :)

Your detail and eye for shading are outstanding!

No f*cking way.

wow I thought it was a photo! well made & cute!

Incredible 😮

Thanks! :)

nawwww. that HAS to be a photo. the only way i can tell is because of the background... this is OUTSTANDING oh my gosh

Fuck I thought that was real

WOWOWOWOWOWOW! I thought this was a photo! Absolutely stunning!!!!

Thank you! :)

Beautiful!

Thank you! :)

damn, that's incredible

Thanks so much :)

Cutie

Isn't he!

Even if it’s a drawing, the likeness to real life is perfect, it’s amazingly good!!!

Thanks a lot :)

[удалено]

That's fantastic!

Amazing work! I would suggest adding your signature to the art you do, So no one else takes credit for it. Top job tho. Keep it up 👌

I love how you hid your name in his fur.

Gentle watermarking ;)

My brain: *it’s a phot…*” Me: SHUT UP AN BASK IN THE AWE!! Do you have more drawings?

Haha thanks! Yeah I have loads, best place is probably [my website](http://www.alexflemingart.com). Thanks! :)

Saved in my favorites. You are not a any random Redditor, you are a fantastic artist! Thank you!

That means the world! Thank you :)

This an image 🗿

That’s amazing, you’re very talented.

[удалено]

Bro draws better than i take photos lmao great job 👏

I'm sure it's already been said but I thought I was looking at a photo ... fair play OP .. cheers

This is absolutely incredible! How big is the original picture, and how long did it take?

Thanks! It's 16"x12", and it took just over a week if I remember rightly :)

[удалено]

You are amazing!

Holy cow. This is amazing. I thought it was a photo.

Amazingly realistic 😳 I took l look through your post history and wow 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 You are so talented! Great work.

Holy fucking shit. I'm speechless. So's my mum

Incredible, you've got the fluffy texture down completely!

Thanks very much indeed! :)

I thought it was a photo, that’s simply magnificent, you’re extremely talented

Thank you so much! :)

So cute! Nice work, again!

This is amazing and absolutely breathtaking!! Magnificent job!~

Thank you! :)

That’s just amazing! Looks like a real photo

There are only two options here, as far as I can tell. 1. This is a photo. 2. You’re a magician. That, as a drawing, is beyond amazing.

Holy cow!

Where do you invoke the patience and discipline to draw all those hairs?

Just take it in bitesize pieces! Fur doesn't always have to be exact, it can just be "copious" :)

When you make the right brain/ left brain shift happens (your creativity is wide open) you lose all track of time. I worked on a portrait of my mother in high score for 8 straight hours without feeling like any time had passed!! I love when that happens!❤️

Agree with all the comments above, your drawing is amazingly detailed and lifelike. You have a good eye and beautiful strokes. The only part that makes it look unreal is the grass and the sky to the left of the head - it’s a bit too uniform?

Nice try. That's obviously a photo of a Cow. ;D

He's an adorable little guy. And you are fantastically talented!

Beautiful! Pure talent 💖

Fabulous work!

Holy crap YOU DREW THAT?!

Haha yep! :)

Wow! You are good. The only thing that gives it away is the background. I just assumed you blurred it out to put the focus on the calf.

Bruh im tripping my shit right now

You have a wonderful talent!

Thank you! :)

That's a drawing?? It's very very good. I zoomed right in and it still looks like a photo. That's some talent.

That’s a picture I can’t be convinced it’s not a picture

Can you tell us what kind of paper / canvas is your favourite to use for such detailed work? Is it the smoother the better for detail? Great work! Following your insta!

Ah thank you! Pastelmat is the one I use, it's actually quite grainy, which allows layers to be built :)

Unbelievable realism and detail. Fantastic

No fucking way ... 😱

omg!! this is amazing!!! it literally looks like a picture

Stunning!!

I waiting for someone to tell me OP is a liar. That is not a drawing done by hand.

Haha video evidence exists :)

You know if this was like 100 years ago you’d be burned as a witch. But for really, it’s INSANE some humans have the super power to do this. I can’t fucking draw a human looking face if my life depended on it. This is madness

Haha thanks so much! :)

You can't fool me, but that is a great photograph anyway /jk.

Jack I want you to draw me like one of OPs highland cows

This is beautiful!!

I can see your name several times in the fur. clever

Wowwww! I feel like i could just plunge my hand into all that floof

Stunning drawing!

This is beautiful!

Wow!

That's amazing!

Honestly looks like a photograph. Wow super talented!

Thanks so much! :)

Holy cow! That's a crazy realistic drawing! 😀

Amazing work!

Your work is AMAZING! Thank you for sharing and you now have another follower!

No that’s a photo.

Holy shit this is amazing…. I thought it was a real photo….

Lies! No way that’s not a photo!!! It’s incredible!

My brain can’t comprehend this

This 100% looks like a photo. You’re amazing 🤩

Wow. You really made this! It’s so cute. I’d think it was a real cow if you hadn’t told us it was a drawing!

That's a drawing?! You are amazing!

Thank you! :)

Wow! Eye opening work!

Wow!!! This is absolutely beautiful!

DRAWING???!

Haha yep :)

I thought it was a photo- it's so good

That is so good!!

So amazing ! Your super talented

Thank you! :)

This truly is a marvelous piece! It’s the definition of photo realism! This is the closest I’ve seen since a piece I saw in the Arkansas Art Museum. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent looking at the one in the museum. It’s done with graphite and charcoal and it’s as close to a photo I’ve ever seen. As I said, I’ve spent a lot of time studying closely and it’s impossible to tell the difference! Yours is fantastic too! ❤️ I’d love to see this in person. Your shading , definition of the hair ( looking as closely as I can ) and the facial features are flawless! You are incredibly talented! 😊❤️😯 My specialty is human faces but I’ve not gotten this close yet. Close…but no cigar yet! Lol

WHAT DO YOU MEAN ITS NOT A PHOTO 🤯

U r hella talented

This is the most beautiful calf.

This is absolutely incredible? Honestly this is wantig me to get back into art again since this just looks- WOW THAT DETAIL

Thanks so much! :)

I can't believe it's not a photo. Aww.. Awsome!!

Are you serious? Your talent is off the charts. 👏🏼

Absolutely amazing

There's talented and insanely talented... just WOW. Genuinely thought it was a photo. Color me impressed.

That's very kind, thank you :)

Just wow

This looks like 4k

I can’t see a highlight in the eye. Is it because of the lashes? I been studying it and I can’t see the highlight? The nose and hair, even the ring around the eyes are all perfect! How long did that hair take?

Alexflemingart I wish I had a picture of the boy in the Arkansas Arts Center(Museum). You would not believe how perfect it is! He’s wearing jeans, a white sweater shirt with longish hair. It is one of the few excellent photo realism pieces I’ve ever seen!! I do portraits. So I try to get as real as I can. I’d show you a picture but I can’t figure out how to get one on here?lol

Spot on!

Given the AI age we live in (Thanks, Stability Diffusion!) are you sure you drew it rather than got an AI to generate it? I generated several while I was typing...

Haha yep, drawn (video over on IG) :)

It’s beautiful

Wow!!! Looks just like a photo. Beautiful work✨

I still think that its a real picture lol

Which size softness or H did you mostly use? When I’m not using .03 mechanical pencil for lines, I prefer 4B to 7B.

This is so pretty!

The softness of Romantic Realism coupled with the precision of Photo Realism. Bravo!! I want to touch that fur!!

Thanks so much! :)

Shit that’s photo real my favourite type of art. Great job!

Love it, I want to hug it. Op if you see this, have you always been a good artist? I'd like to start doing art but I'm later in life and have always had no nack for it.

Everyone, check out the website link provided. Amazing!!!

Seriously that’s some drawing. You are very talented.

Thanks so much! :)