Photorealism Art — What It Is and How Artists Make Paintings Look Like Photos
Some photorealistic paintings can fool your eyes and a camera. That shock—seeing paint mistaken for a photo—is exactly what photorealism aims for. It’s about copying real-life light, texture, and tiny details so precisely that the result feels like a captured moment rather than a painted one.
Photorealism started in the late 1960s and grew from artists using photos as the base for ultra-detailed work. Artists don't just trace pictures; they study reflections, focus, depth of field, and how light hits surfaces. The goal is believable detail: wet glass, skin pores, individual hairs, glints on metal.
How artists actually do it
Most photorealist painters follow a clear process. First, they shoot or choose high-resolution photo references. Then they transfer the image using grids, projection, or freehand drawing to maintain exact proportions. Common tools include fine brushes, airbrushes, and sometimes masking film for sharp edges. Oil and acrylic are the usual paints because they allow smooth blending and layering.
Technique matters: underpainting sets value and tone, middle layers build color, and final layers refine tiny highlights and reflections. Artists often use glazing—thin translucent paint layers—to create luminous skin tones or clean reflections. Sharp edges and soft transitions are balanced carefully; too many crisp lines make a painting feel flat, while too-soft edges lose realism.
Spotting great photorealism
Want to tell a top photorealistic piece from a good one? Look for believable lighting and depth. Check reflections and tiny distortions—real mirrors and chrome rarely reflect things perfectly straight. High-quality photorealism keeps subtle imperfections: dust, fingerprints, tiny wrinkles, or slightly uneven paint texture that match the reference.
Also watch for scale and focus shifts. A convincing piece reproduces the way a camera lens blurs background details and sharpens close objects. Brushwork should be nearly invisible but still present on close inspection. Provenance and the artist’s process notes or photos help confirm authenticity when you consider a purchase.
If you’re starting as an artist, focus on observation: practice drawing small sections of a photo, study how light wraps around form, and learn to mix exact colors. Use quality photos, steady lighting while you paint, and patience—photorealism is detail-heavy and time-consuming. For collectors, prioritize works that show control of light and honest texture over mere photographic copying.
Photorealism can feel like a technical skill and an optical trick, but the best pieces also carry a viewpoint—a chosen scene, an emotion, or a quiet story inside the detail. If you want examples, check our Top 10 Photorealism Artists list on this site to see different styles and uses of the same technique.
