Blog

  1. Tracee Ellis Ross

    February 19, 2019
    I have wanted to paint another realistic portrait of an actress I admire and respect for a few weeks. Now that I am on vacation I have the time to dedicate to creating a portrait like this. I chose to paint Tracee Ellis Ross because she’s a great actress and…

  2. Willow Smith

    February 13, 2019
    I’m back to creating celebrity portraits in my artwork. This painting of Willow Smith is a spiritual successor to the piece I did on Solange last year. Using the Procreate app I sketched the figure using the HB Pencil tool. Once I got all of the proportions right I moved…

  3. Animated Superman and Lois (Homage)

    February 5, 2019
    I love experimenting with different styles and just seeing what I can accomplish as an artist. Growing up I watched Superman, Batman and The Justice League. Bruce Timm’s style never made it into my own cartooning work (I gravitated towards Bryan Hitch, Greg Land and Leinil Francis Yu) but I…

  4. Sora (Kingdom Hearts III)

    January 30, 2019
    As an avid gamer I make an effort to carve out time for games I enjoy. The Kingdom Hearts series has been one of my favorite franchises since I was a kid. The last numbered entry came out on PlayStation 2 thirteen years ago. Yesterday Kingdom Hearts III dropped for…

  5. Looking

    January 30, 2019
    I can appreciate how much detail I can squeeze out of painting on my iPhone. Painting on a smaller canvas causes me to stick to the essential details and focus on creating. I like that aspect about using the Procreate Pocket app. This piece was based on a photo I…

  6. Venice

    January 27, 2019
    The last day I spent in Los Angeles was in Venice. I loved how vibrant and colorful the waves and beaches were. It felt like being in a film because everything was so pristine. While on the Venice Pier I created this speed painting on my iPhone. I like using…

  7. DTLA

    January 24, 2019
    I painted this just before my girlfriend and I visited The Broad Museum in Los Angeles. Typically I don’t paint anything on my phone but it seemed like a good idea to give Procreate Pocket another go. Sometimes I enjoy creating art that’s a little ambiguous. It allows the viewer…

  8. Visual Rap

    January 22, 2019
    This is a painting inspired by the release of my friend, C-E-O’s new single, Visual Rap. The video features the Animoji feature on iPhone X so I recreated one of the stills in my style. I used the oils brush to paint the portrait and the turpentine brush to blend…

  9. Leo Chan & The Suited Racer

    January 7, 2019
    After a long hiatus over the holidays I am rejuvenated and inspired to continue portrait painting. I’m starting a brief series based on menswear influencers. Fashion is the second big passion in my life (after art) so I love when the two intersect. I paired these two pieces together because…

  10. Chinatown in Montreal

    December 11, 2018
    This fun, little speed painting was made after I got back from a trip to Montréal, Canada. I had only been there for a layover two years ago so I welcomed the chance to explore. Painting created using Procreate on iPad Pro. 

Copyright © 2018, Raheem Nelson. All rights reserved.
Using Format