Á: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

OC: I’m 24 and a proud Moroccan based in Holland. I am a full-time artist who creates hyperrealistic portrait drawings and I am also a content creator. I like to take the audience with me through the process of creating my artwork. I’m the type of person that loves to be challenged and learn new things.

Á: Could you tell us more about type of art you create?

OC: The artwork that I make falls into the genre of hyperrealism, so I make art that is almost indistinguishable from a photograph. I use charcoal and graphite and focus on capturing human beings. For me it’s not just about creating drawings that are so realistic that it’s fascinating but also about telling a story. That is my main goal.

Á: Are you self-taught?

OC: Yes. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I have always been creative and was always picking up pencils, brushes and colours. I then came across hyperrealism and started reading into it and watching videos. That’s when I started practising. Back then, there weren’t as many videos as there are today. I had to teach myself. Even if you watch lots of videos there is a limit to how much your skills can develop by just doing that. The best way for your skills to develop is by actually drawing. You need to practise, and that’s what I did. I practised for an incredible number of hours for years, and I still do to this day.

People are often surprised when they find out that I didn’t actually study art at university. I studied fashion design and as I was studying it, I found that I was developing skills that I wanted to have to become a full-time artist. So once I graduated last year, I committed to being an artist full time.

Á: How have you found being a full-time artist so far?

OC: I am so grateful for the year I’ve had. I have been able to reach a lot of people worldwide. It’s been great but at the same time it’s been quite challenging because it takes a lot of work to be fully independent. You have to be very entrepreneurial and for now I don’t have a team, so I do everything on my own. I’m learning as I go and I make mistakes which is ok because I’m learning from them. Overall, it has been really positive. I get to live out my passion every day which I am so thankful for. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Á: When did you start creating hyperrealist artworks?

OC: Around when I finished high school. I used to come home and practise in the free time I had. So for around 3 or 4 hours a day. I was really determined to achieve my goals. This genre of hyperrealism takes a lot of practise. I think a lot of aspiring artists within this genre can sometimes underestimate that. They begin and realise it takes more time than they imagined to create this type of art. It takes a long time to get into it, at least a couple of years.

Á: What inspires you to create the art that you make?

OC: I try to capture the essence of a human being. The thoughts and emotions we have. I’m really fascinated by human psychology and mental health. I take inspiration from my own experience and things that I’ve been through. These are things that people around the world can relate to. One of my pieces is called Self Sabotage, and self-sabotage is something that a lot people struggle with. It’s something that I have struggled with and still deal with from time to time. I wanted to capture that in an art piece. I capture emotions and put them down on paper. When people see my artwork, it means something unique to them. Each person has a different interpretation.

Á: Could you talk us through the idea of making a piece of art, from idea to execution?

OC: It usually begins with me doing something simple, like watching a movie, listening to music or thinking about world events. That’s usually what sparks the idea in my head. Once I have that idea, I am able to see the exact image I want to create in my imagination. I add the idea to my list of potential artworks and note down words describing the image in my mind. So when I’m creating a piece, I usually pick an idea from that list or start with the idea in my mind. Whichever is the most interesting or that I feel the most connected to. After that, I create a reference photo. A friend of mine is a photographer, so I explain the idea to them, we find a model and capture the photo. I then add elements into it that will make the artwork interesting, unique and that challenges my skills, as I am always trying to improve. I pick which size the drawing will be and then begin sketching the outline. The process after that is what you see in my videos. I start sectioning everything, so if I’m working on a face for example, I will section it into eyes, nose, mouth etc. I then work on the individual sections.

Depending on the size and complexity of the piece, a drawing can take me between 100 and 300 hours to complete. I spend anywhere between 4 to 8 hours a day drawing, and I tend to draw every day. If I’m trying a new technique, I have to sit down and figure it out as I go. I work on one piece at a time over a few weeks or months. I do commissions on the side as well, so sometimes I take breaks from the piece I’m working on to complete those.

Á: What is the most complex piece of art you have created?

OC: My most complex artwork is always the piece I’m working on at the time. With each piece I’m adding new elements and challenging myself. I’m adding in texture and elements that I haven’t done before. The piece I’m working on at the moment is a size A0, which is pretty large. I hope to go bigger in the future. My art gets more complex as I create.

Á: What do you enjoy most about creating your art?

OC: I put in a lot of hours but because I’m so passionate about it, it doesn’t really feel like work. It takes my mind off things and is quite relaxing. It gives me peace of mind. It’s like a form of therapy for me, as well as form of expression. That’s the great thing I’ve found about following my passion, it doesn’t even feel like work. I would compare it to someone going outside for a walk or doing a workout. It gives me that time alone with myself and away from my phone and screens.

Á: How has being a woman of colour impacted your experience as an artist?

OC: Thankfully, I haven’t had a negative experience so far. It’s been very positive. The amount of people I have been able to reach worldwide has been amazing. I have had Moroccan artists reach out to me saying that they are inspired by me and feel encouraged to pursue their passion. That has been really rewarding.

Á: Are there any artists that you look up to?

OC: Marco Grassi, Kelvin Okafor, Jono Dry and Emanuele Dascanio. These are all artists who practice hyperrealism. I really admire their skills and hope to achieve their level of precision.

Á: Why did you decide to start showcasing your work online and has it been a positive experience?

OC: I started taking content creation more seriously about a year ago, when I started creating original reference photos. I have been on Instagram for a few years and knew that I wanted to use it to reach a wider audience. I started my Self Sabotage piece and began sharing the process of creating it with my audience. I then started posting on TikTok and sharing my videos there. At first, I was unsure how to do this because the platform mainly had artists showing quicker finished products and my art is large and takes months to complete. I decided to just focus on sharing my passion and the process behind the art that I was working on at the time. The videos gained lots of engagement and a really positive response. My priority with my content creation is to inspire and motivate others, whether they are artists or not.

Á: What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?

OC: First, ask yourself if this is your actual passion. Do you actually love it? Because it’s going to take you an incredible about of work and you will need to put aside a lot of time to practise. You learn by doing. You might not see any results at first and it can take you a long time to improve. It took me years to develop these skills. You need to be patient. If you really love it, you will be able to put in the necessary work and commit to the hours.

There is also no right or wrong way to do something when it comes to art. You can practise and figure it out as you go along. You don’t have to wait until you understand everything before you start creating. There is no big secret, just pick up your pencil or brush and start doing.

Á: Do you see your medium changing in the future?

OC: I want to learn how to oil paint in the future. By working with charcoal, I have trained myself to see in black and white. To analyse and translate tonal values in black and white. I would like to do this in colour with paint at some point. It’s incredibly challenging but I would like to try it. It would be really cool if I could teach myself that and then combine it with my charcoal work.

Á: What’s the biggest lesson you have learned from your work so far?

OC: I am learning to be extremely disciplined. Even though I am a naturally patient person and knew how long this type work would typically take, I am still challenged to be patient with each piece I create. It’s taught me to believe in myself and my ability. To be relentless in the pursuit of my passion. It has taught me the importance of working on myself every day. I have worked a lot on my mindset because I have struggled with my mental health in the past. I know I have to be the best version of myself as a whole to succeed in this career.

Á: What advice would you give to your high school self?

OC: I was really insecure and kept to myself, so I would tell myself to be ok with being me. You don’t have to be or look a certain way to fit in. You don’t have to have it all figured out. I would tell myself that it’s going to be ok and that it gets better.

Á: What else do you enjoy doing for fun?

OC: I love to go to the gym and I recently started horseback riding. I also read a lot of books and enjoy spending time with my family.

Á: Where would you like to travel to?

OC: I miss home and so want to go back to Morocco. That’s where I used to draw as a kid, so I’m looking forward to going back to where it all began.

Á: What are you hoping to achieve in the future?

OC: My main goal is to help other artists. I love to answer questions and reply to the messages I receive online. Even if can’t answer them all, I try and answer as many as I can. I hope at some point to launch an online or in-person school.

Á: Do you have any final words for our audience?

OC: Pursue your passion and do what makes you happy. We live in a time where we can access resources and audiences worldwide, so take advantage of it. Work on yourself and your mindset and go from there.