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These beautiful Japanese portraits aren't photos or even computer graphics

Photo: Twitter (@yasutomooka)
Photo: Twitter (@yasutomooka)

“Such an extraordinary photo capturing the very essence of a Japanese woman,” one might think. But you would be wrong – no part of this image has come from the lens of a camera.

How about computer graphics? Technology these days is so amazing and makes characters so life-like. But no, nothing about this image is technology-driven, either.

In fact, it is actually something so basic that you would not even think of: Oil painting.

These stunning portraits are the masterpieces of Japanese artist Yasumoto Oka.

According to Oka, he used real-life models for his paintings but altered them to create the images he had in mind. These exquisite pieces were intricately crafted, with some even taking 20 days to complete!

But what makes Oka’s works so “alive” is most likely the soulful eyes of the subjects. This is also the part he is most nervous to paint, as not only are the eyes the most important part of a portrait, they determine whether the painting is good or bad.

To top it off, Oka also dabbles in pencil drawings, which might make people think they are monochrome photos. But of course…

…they are not.

Although Oka just ended his art exhibition in February, you can check out his website (Japanese only) for information on upcoming exhibitions. After all, seeing is believing.

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