There’s a lot of talk these days about the photorealism of AI image generators like Midjourney and Flux, but every now and then we discover an artist whose work reminds us that humans can create even more realistic images using relatively traditional techniques.
Japanese artist Nana creates incredibly lifelike 2D drawings using a fairly simple mobile app (check out our picks for the best drawing apps for iPad Pro and the best digital art software for more options), and the results have stunned thousands of people online.
Her bio simply states, “I’m someone who loves to draw.” Nana has captivated some of X’s remaining users with hyper-realistic drawings of human hands, everyday objects, and flowers. What has amazed people most is that the images were created using MediBang Paint, a free drawing app for PC, Android, and iOS. Nana’s time-lapse videos of hand paintings make the process look effortless, but the artist says it took her a month to complete one of the drawings because of how long it takes to draw each individual wrinkle.
For more examples of impressive hyperrealism in art, check out our selection of the best realistic pencil drawings.
