Skip to main content

Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

REALIST STYLE

Realist art attempts to portray its subject matter without artifice. Similar to naturalism, authentic realist paintings and prints see an integration of true-to-life colors, meticulous detail and linear perspectives for accurate portrayals of the world. 

Work that involves illusionistic techniques of realism dates back to the classical world, such as the deceptive trompe l’oeil used since ancient Greece. Art like this became especially popular in the 17th century when Dutch artists like Evert Collier painted objects that appeared real enough to touch. Realism as an artistic movement, however, usually refers to 19th-century French realist artists such as Honoré Daumier exploring social and political issues in biting lithographic prints, while the likes of Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet painting people — particularly the working class — with all their imperfections, navigating everyday urban life. This was a response to the dominant academic art tradition that favored grand paintings of myth and history. 

By the turn of the 20th century, European artists, such as the Pre-Raphaelites, were experimenting with nearly photographic realism in their work, as seen in the attention to every botanical attribute of the flowers surrounding the drowned Ophelia painted by English artist John Everett Millais.

Although abstraction was the guiding style of 20th-century art, the realism trend in American modern art endured in Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and other artists’ depictions of the complexities of the human experience. In the late 1960s, Photorealism emerged with artists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes giving their paintings the precision of a frame of film.

Contemporary artists such as Jordan Casteel, LaToya Ruby Frazier and Aliza Nisenbaum are now using the unvarnished realist approach for honest representations of people and their worlds. Alongside traditional mediums, technology such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and immersive installations are helping artists create new sensations of realism in art.

​​Find authentic realist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.

to
75
273
105
67
29
23
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
5
63
286
144
7
7
12
26
13
9
16
20
18
20
5
5,018
3,359
581
389
320
254
212
206
165
150
55
49
47
43
274
208
13
384
215
173
145
120
73
55
52
50
31
27
25
24
20
19
18
14
14
14
13
243
234
215
129
99
18
18
14
12
11
190
47
260
222
Style: Realist
On the walk
Located in Oslo, NO
A minimalist but masterfully executed monochrome watercolor. The work is striking in its lightness - although there is nothing on it except the figure of a child, from the way he is ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Codependent love
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece speaks of love that loses its freedom and becomes a cage. Of a bond in which a person dissolves, forgetting themselves, living through another’s needs, pain, and fears. It...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil

Sitges beach Barcelona Spain charcoal drawing
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Francesc Ferret Farreras ”Bruno” (1921-2000) - Sitges Beach - charcoal Measurements drawing 44x59 cm. Frame measures 65x79 cm.
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

"The Long Walk Home". Orientalist Gouache and Watercolor on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th century orientalist watercolour on paper by Aiveill, signed bottom right. In art history, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

The Watercarrier, Orientalist Gouache and Watercolor on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th century orientalist watercolour on paper by Aiveill, signed bottom right. In art history, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction ...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

'The Working Class Enjoying a Meal', Satire of Capitalism, Proletarian
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left, 'A. Manganaro' for 'Antonio Manganaro (Italian, 20th Century), and titled lower center, 'Ability of the Working Classes to Enjoy Meals Under Humble Surroundings'. ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Gouache, Pen, Graphite

1937 Academic Female Nude Charcoal Drawing "Head in Hand" UC Berkeley
By John Ayres
Located in Arp, TX
John Ayres Head in Hand May 1, 1937 Charcoal on Paper 25"x19", unframed $1250 Signed and dated in charcoal top right *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect fr...
Category

1930s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, India Ink

Filipino Women and Children in a Pastoral Scene Drawing
Located in Houston, TX
Pastoral pencil on paper sketch by a celebrated Filipino artist, Jose V. Blanco. The drawing depicts Filipino women and children sorting out mangoes...
Category

1980s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Françoise Gilot, “On the Wheel of Fortunes” A Woman's Balancing Act
Located in San Francisco, CA
A superb expression of a triumphant free spirit, and the balancing act required to maintain it, this watercolor was created by a woman who embodied female independence—especially rem...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Malua Rosea Multiplex (drawing paper monochrome Botany girl braids monochrome)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
keywords; surrealism, portrait, oil painting, earth tones, figurative painting, strangeness, contemporary surrealistic, unsettling, contemporary figurative painting, dreams, symbolic...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Color Pencil, Paper

Jaguar E-Type. Figurative acrylic on paper car painting, Polish art
Located in Warsaw, PL
Acrylic on paper contemporary figurative painting by Michal Wojtysiak. Artwork depicts Jaguar car in realistic style. MICHAŁ WOJTYSIAK (ur. 1984) Graduated of Academy of Fine Arts ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

"L'intrus" - Satirical French Illustration - Hand Colored Lithograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Comical illustration by Gaston Hoffmann (French, 1883-1977). A doctor is giving a shot to a female patient, while a nurse tries to prevent a man from barging in. Pencil signed "G Ho...
Category

1950s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Lithograph

"Back At The Stables (II)" (2024) By James Van Fossan, Original Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
James Van Fossan's "Back At The Stables (II)" (2024) is an original handmade charcoal and graphite drawing on paper that depicts a cowboy leaning against a sawhorse in a moment of re...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Graphite

A girl II - XXI century, Contemporary Realistic Figurative Mixed Media Drawing
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary realistic figurative mixed media drawing PROVENANCE Exhibited at Katarzyna Napiorkowska Gallery. The Gallery is a primary representative for this artist. The Gallery o...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk, Pastel, Pencil, Cardboard

Lying Boy / - Fragile childlikeness -
Located in Berlin, DE
Alfred Fuchs (1925 Saarbrücken - 2003 Prague), Lying Boy. Charcoal drawing on strong paper, 30 x 41.5 cm, signed A.[lfred] Fuchs and dated [19]96. - smal...
Category

1990s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Portrait of Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Outstanding male portrait by 20th-century American artist, Vito Tomasello. Portrait of a young man, c.1950. Charcoal and pastel on paper, sheet measures an impressive 11 x14 inches...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Nude. Contemporary Realistic Figurative Mixed Media Drawing Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary realistic figurative mixed media drawing on cardboard by Polish artist Andrzej Szypluk. Monochromatic drawing of a female in nude. PROVE...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Chalk, Cardboard, Pencil

Untitled (Man Undressing)
Located in New York, NY
Graphite on paper Signed, c.l. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake City, now live...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Nude. Contemporary Realistic Figurative Mixed Media Drawing Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary realistic figurative mixed media drawing on cardboard by Polish artist Andrzej Szypluk. Monochromatic drawing of a female in nude. PROVE...
Category

Early 2000s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk, Pastel, Cardboard, Pencil

"Back At The Stables (I)" (2024) By James Van Fossan, Original Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
James Van Fossan's "Back At The Stables (II)" (2024) is an original handmade charcoal and graphite drawing on paper that depicts a cowboy about to lean against a sawhorse. James Va...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Graphite

Untitled (Standing Male Nude Facing Right)
Located in New York, NY
Ink on paper Signed and dated, l.c. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake City, now...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Wroclaw - Contemporary Watercolor & Ink Landscape Painting, Architecture
Located in Warsaw, PL
Mariusz Szalajdewicz (b. 1974) Studied at the Faculty of Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology, where he mastered the drawing skill. Architect and urbanist, illustrator. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Paper, Watercolor

1920's Historical Fashion Illustration of Lady in 17th Century Dress
Located in Soquel, CA
Finely detailed historical figurative fashion illustration painted in watercolor in 1921, of a lady in 17th century dress; complete with a full blac...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Fishing Village, Scotland
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Fishing Village, Scotland" c.1930, is a watercolor on paper by British artist Ken Cherrington, 1886-1969. It is signed at the lower left corner by the artist. The artwo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Morning stretches
Located in Zofingen, AG
A quick live sketch is always a little imperfect - too little time and too much adrenaline in the blood at this moment, but it perfectly conveys the delight of beauty and, as the Fre...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Permanent Marker

Commedia dell'arte – Four Character Studies in Watercolor, 1920s
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Unidentified artist, 'Commedia dell’arte' – four character studies (Arlecchino, Pantalone, Pantalone giovane, Tartaglia), watercolor and pencil, c. 192...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

Sunset Sailors is a Watercolor by Swedish Artist Carl L Lindqvist, Painted 1898
Located in Stockholm, SE
Discover this watercolor "Sunset Sailors" by Carl L. Lindqvist (1856-1941). Step into the enchanting world of the Swedish artist Carl L. Lindqvist with his captivating watercolor pa...
Category

1890s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

"Lounging Nude" 1940's Charcoal Nude Drawing Bay Area Artist
Located in Arp, TX
John Bowers Lounging Nude 1940s Charcoal on Paper 25"x19", unframed Came from a portfolio from the estate of John Bowers John Henry Bowers September 9, 1921 - January 30, 2017 Joh...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Man in Thought
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Robert Bliss (1925-1981). Man in Thought, 1964. Graphite on canvas, 11.5 x 46 inches. Signed and dated lower left. Right piece of basic wood strip frame i...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Canvas, Graphite

"Boating on the Morin River"
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Pen, ink, watercolor and wash on paper by André Dunoyer de Segonzac, France, 1922-1924. Boating on the Morin River. Measurements : with frame: 52.5x65x2 cm - 20.7x25.6x0.8 inches / w...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor, Pen

Fleurus Airship French Army
Located in Middletown, NY
A portait of the first Allied airship to perform a bombing raid from the sky by a celebrated artist whose work hung on the Titanic. Watercolor and ink on heavy wove watercolor paper, 10 5/8 x 15 inches (270 x 380 mm). Signed in black watercolor in the lower right image area. In very good condition with minor surface soiling on the verso. Titled "Verdun" in pencil on the verso in the artist's hand. Adhered on the verso to matboard at the extreme margins with non archival tape. Presented handsomely in a simple, period maple frame. Titled, dated, inscribed and initialed by the artist on a label on the frame back. Born in Cambridge in 1898 and educated at Southsea School of Art, Norman Wilkinson is known for his graphic art, specifically his British Railway poster images, and also for something quite incredible; Wilkinson revolutionized the art of naval camouflage. Having been assigned to submarine patrols in Dardanelles, Gallipoli, and Gibraltar during WWI as a member of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, Wilkinson was deeply troubled by the unprecedented success the German submarine fleet had torpedoing British ships. He hoped to find a solution to this gaping vulnerability, and in a lightning bolt moment, he had an epiphany that would change everything. Wilkinson says in his autobiography, A Brush With Life (Seeley, 1969), that he realized a ship could be painted to hide its shape against the sea and sky. In his own words, Wilkinson states that the hull of a ship could be camouflaged "not for low visibility, but in such a way as to break up her form and thus confuse a submarine officer as to the course on which she was heading." After some preliminary testing, the theory Wilkinson called "dazzle camouflage" was accepted by British Admiralty and Wilkinson was placed in charge of the naval camouflage unit. The unit, which was headquartered in the basement of the Royal Academy of Arts, consisted of Wilkinson and about two dozen "camoufleurs;" they were artists, students, model makers and consultants, including a zoologist. The dazzle schemes were tested on models and then distributed to artists who were stationed at the docks, where the ships would be painted. At the end of the war Wilkinson was formally declared the inventor of dazzle camouflage and awarded for his contribution. Wilkinson went on to enjoy a long and celebrated career as a painter of maritime scenes, naval vessels, and warships. He served as the president of the Royal Institute of Painter in Water Colours (RI) from 1936 until 1963 (having been elected a member in 1906); he was elected Honourable Marine Painter to the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1919, and he was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Society of Marine Artists, and the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour. In 1918 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and a Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1948. In January 1920 he was appointed knight (chevalier) of the Belgian Order of the Crown. Among the many notable points of interest regarding Wilkinson's career is that his painting Plymouth Harbour, which was commissioned by Cunard White Star Lines for the first class smoking room of the RMS Titanic, was lost at sea when it perished with the ship. Wilkinson had also created a comparable painting entitled The Approach to the New World, which hung in the same location on the Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Portrait of a Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Vito Tomasello. Portrait of Wayne Herman, 1971. Pasel on paper, 18 x 24 inches. Signed and dated upper left. A lifetime NYC resident, Tomasello is best known for his male nude draw...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Male nudes II, sketch by Keith Vaughan
Located in London, GB
Keith Vaughan Male nudes II Ballpoint pen sketch 17 x 13 cm Born in 1912, Keith Vaughan was a British painter known for his modernist and semi-abstract depictions of the male fig...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

Portrait of Young Man
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Outstanding male portrait by 20th-century American artist, Vito Tomasello. Portrait of a young man, c.1950. Pencil on paper, sheet measures 14 x 17 inches. Excellent condition. S...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

The Prince's Room
Located in Buffalo, NY
Born in Szeged, Hungary, he became one of the better known and successful illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration, completing over 100 books. Among them are "A Treasury of Verse for Little Children," "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam," and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." He is probably best known for pen and ink drawings of mythology subjects geared towards children. He studied at Budapest Technical University and attended art schools in Munich and Paris before moving to London at age 23. In 1907, he began illustrating children's books and did a series of annual gift books...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache, Graphite, Pen, Watercolor

Ballerina and Bugs
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Melodie Provenzano (b.1974). Ballerina and Bugs, 2006. Graphiye pencil on paper, sheet measures 14.5 x 20.5 inches. 16.5 x 22.5 inches framed. Signed, titled and dated on back of sheet. Excellent condition. Melodie Provenzano lived and worked in New York City until 2020. After receiving her BFA from Parsons School of Design in 1996, she freelanced for more than a decade painting window displays, showrooms and various commissioned projects for fashion companies including, Saks 5th Avenue, Donna Karan, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Chanel and Hermes. At this time, she sharpened her drawing and painting skills while developing her fine art. Melodie has exhibited in group shows at The Brattleboro Museum, VT, The Chelsea Art Museum, NYC, Geoffrey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, MA, and solo shows at Lyons Wier Gallery, NYC, Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, MD, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL, The University School of Nashville, TN, and Nancy Margolis Gallery, NYC. She has also written and recorded songs as "Connie Acher", releasing five LPs on Flipped Out Records and her most recent "For Giving" on UK label Golden Lab. Melodie currently lives and works in the countryside near Nashville, TN. Born in Hudson, NY, 1974 EDUCATION 1996 BFA Parsons School of Design SOLO & TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS 2020 Seeing Oneself in Others, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY, February 27 - April 11 2015 Stealth Peace, Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, NY, May 14 - June 20 2014 Raw Ribbon, University School of Nashville, Nashville,, January 9 - February 10 2012 Rock Center, Lyons Wier Gallery, New York, NY, November 15 - December 15 Selected Work 2005-2011, 5th Avenue Windows of Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, October 5-12 2011 Drawn Together: Melodie Provenzano & Philippe Simille, The Marketplace Gallery, Albany, NY, May 6-28 2010 Melodie Provenzano & Rachel...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

(After) "The Gleaners" Ink Drawing Painting Study
Located in Houston, TX
The original "The Gleaners" is an oil painting by Jean-François Millet completed in 1857. It depicts three peasant women gleaning a field of stray stalks of wheat after the harvest. ...
Category

19th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

THEO MEIER Thai Beauty - Seated Female Nude sanguine on paper 1969 Swiss Artist
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Theo Meier Thai Beauty Seated female nude Sanguine on paper. Signed and dated upper left. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist at his home in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1969...
Category

1960s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk

"Lady in White" (2024) By Bunyod Suvonov, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Lady in White" (2024) by Bunyod Suvonov is original handmade oil painting done on canvas. This piece depicts a portrait of a woman with long brown hair wearing a white dress on an a...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled (Coastal Scene)
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Untitled (Coastal Scene)" c.1990, is a watercolor on paper by noted Canadian/Japanese artist Suezan Aikins, b.1952. It is signed at the lower right corner by the artist. The artwork (image) size is 10 x 28 inches, framed size is 17.25 x 35.25 inches. Custom framed in a silver metal frame, with double off white matting. It is in excellent condition, the frame have some minor rubs and scratches. About the artist: Born in Montreal in 1952, Suezan was influenced early in her life by the works of modern Japanese woodblock printmakers which hung throughout her parents’ home. She attended the Fine Arts programme at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick (1969 - 1971), The Ontario College of Art (1971-73), L’ ecole du Musee des Beaux Arts (1974), Nova Scotia College of Art and Design -BFA (1975) as well as a very intensive year of study with Toshi Yoshida in Tokyo (1984-85). She has exhibited extensively in both public and private galleries throughout North America and Japan. Recent exhibitions include solo shows in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa, and Boston with group exhibitions at the Wenniger Gallery, Boston, Royal Canadian Academy in Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Her paintings and woodblock prints are found in many collections such as The Canada Council Art Bank, The Nickle Art Museum, The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Royal Bank of Canada, Prince Takamanonamiya Norihito, the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, The Thomas Moore Institute as well as private collections. Suezan Aikins was awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant in 1983, Nova Scotia Department of Culture - Development Grants in 1980, 1987 and 1988. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1990 and received the Canadian Progress Club- Women of Excellence Award for Culture in 1993. Her work has been featured in a number of television documentaries as well as many Canadian magazines. STUDIES: Yoshida Woodblock Print Studio Tokyo, 84-85 Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, Halifax, 74-75 BFA Ecole du Musee des Beaux Arts, Montreal, 74 Ontario College of Art, Toronto, 71-73 Mt. Allison University, 69-72 SELECTED SOLO SHOWS: 25 Year Retrospective of Woodblock Prints traveled to three Public Galleries in Germany: Dornum Castle; Tollhousverein, Leer; Rastede Palace, Oldenberg 2000-2001 color catalog and reviews. Private Exhibitions, Falmouth, Mass., July 1996; Montreal, November 1996; Gibson Island, Md., April 1999. Gold Paintings and Woodblock Retrospective, travelling: Kabutoya Gallery, Tokyo; Genkan Gallery, Tokyo American Club; Blue Nile Gallery, Osaka; Kanda's Gallery BOQ, Okinawa; May 1994 (color catalogue) Edo Gallery, Boston, November 1992, Private Exhibitions, Chatham, Mass, July 1992, Toronto, Oct. 1991 New Paintings and Woodblocks Kabutoya Gallery, Tokyo, May 1991, and also in 1987. Japanese Garden and Pavilion Foundation, Montreal, September 1990, Ownens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University 1988 Zwickers Gallery, Halifax, NS, 1979; Gallery 78; Fredericton, November, 1983; Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, November, 1982 SELECTED GROUP SHOWS: "A New Leaf" 30 foot instalation of mixed media/ goldleaf reliefs, Artsplace, Annapolis Royal, N.S., 2000 color catalog "Far and Wide" Juried Bienials, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; 1996 to '99, travelling, catalogs "Moku Hanga Travelling Exhibition: Contemporary Japanese...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

19th Century Loch Tay Scottish Landscape
By Aaron Edwin Penley
Located in Soquel, CA
Masterful Scottish watercolor landscape of Loch Tay with boats and small figures on the short by Aaron Edwin Penley (English, 1826-1897)....
Category

1870s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Male nudes, sketch by Keith Vaughan
Located in London, GB
Keith Vaughan Male nudes Ballpoint pen sketch 17 x 13 cm Born in 1912, Keith Vaughan was a British painter known for his modernist and semi-abstract depictions of the male figure...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

Female Nude, Pastel and Chalk Study for a Sculpture
Located in Cotignac, FR
A chalk and crayon study for a scuplture by French female artist Marie-Josèphe Bourron. Presented in modern frame with mount under glass. Though not signed the drawing was acquired d...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Chalk, Crayon, Pastel

Polo Match At Cirencester Cotswolds The First Chukka Framed Original Watercolor
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Polo Match, Cirencester, The First Chukka. Watercolor On Paper. Signed Lower Right. Image size 11.2 inches x 15.6 inches ( 28.5cm x 39.5cm ). Frame size 16.9 inches x 20.7 inches ( 43cm x 52.5cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The watercolor is presented and supplied in a glazed sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The watercolor is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Bottle Bag (Lady Selborne, Pretoria, South Africa)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tshidiso Andrew Motjuoadi (1935-1968) Bottle Bag (A Penny for a Bottle). 1963. Ink on handmade paper laid down on plywood board, panel measures 20.5 x 28.75 inches. Signed and dated ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Forest
Located in Riga, LV
Karlis Miesnieks (1887.31.I – 1977.25.X) Studied in the studio of J. Madernieks (1910), in Petersburg society of Imperial art promotion school (1911) and he graduated class of theat...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Etching

"Waiting" (2023) By Bunyod Suvonov, Original Charcoal and Graphite Drawing
Located in Denver, CO
"Waiting" (2023) by Bunyod Suvonov is original handmade drawing made with charcoal and graphite on toned paper. This piece depicts a portrait of a woman with long flowing hair laying...
Category

20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Graphite

'The Thief from François Villon's Christmas', San Francisco Bay Area Illustrator
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'James March Phillips' (American, 1913-1981) and painted circa 1965. Displayed in an original card mat decorated by the artist. Signed lower right, in pencil, 'J. M. Phillips' and titled, lower left, ''The Thief' - from Francois Villon's Christmas'. Mat dimensions: 16 x 13 inches. Born in California, James March Phillips first studied in San Francisco at the Jean Turner Art Academy and, later, under Alfred Owles...
Category

1960s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache, Illustration Board

Gentleman in Black-Tie, sketch by Keith Vaughan
Located in London, GB
Keith Vaughan Gentleman in Black-Tie Ballpoint pen sketch 17 x 13 cm Born in 1912, Keith Vaughan was a British painter known for his modernist and semi-abstract depictions of the...
Category

Mid-20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

Katya
Located in Zofingen, AG
This is one of those sketches where Evgeniy Monahov first used an industrial marker together with tempera - the thick velvety black of his lines expands the tonal range of the delica...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Permanent Marker

Maxwell Armfield - 20th Century British Theatrical watercolour
Located in London, GB
MAXWELL ARMFIELD, RWS. (British 1882-1972) Costume Design for Geranos Signed l.l.: MAXWELL ARMFIELD, inscribed u.l.: Costume, PHEONIX CEREMONY/ IAN (?) VALO as DAVID, and further i...
Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Untitled
Located in New York, NY
Charcoal with red and white conté crayon on Rives BFK paper Signed and dated, recto This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Wax Crayon, Rag Paper

Untitled #257
Located in New York, NY
Graphite on paper Dated in pencil, l.r. Numbered 257 in pencil, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. John Button (1929-1982) was a fine draftsman an...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite, Paper

'Napoleonic Guard at the Cathedral of Uspensky Sobor', Moscow, French Militaria
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Initialed lower left, 'C.H.' for Charles Constantine Hoffbauer (French, 1875-1957) and painted circa 1900. Accompanied by the original artist-signed mat, original backing with inscription and newspaper clipping from Los Angeles Times' review of Hoffbauer's 1949 Legion of Honor Exhibition. Mat dimensions: 12.75 x 13.5 Inches An exceptionally fine and detailed, cabinet-sized gouache showing members of the Napoleonic guard relaxing in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Uspensky Sobor during France's brief occupation of Moscow during the fall of 1812. Born in Paris in 1875, Charles Hoffbauer studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Fernand Cormon and Gustave Moreau and, during his studies, became acquainted with Matisse, Rouault, and Marquet. He was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards including an Honorable Mention in the Salon of 1896, and prizes at the Salons of 1898 and 1899. He was awarded a bronze medal at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1900 and, in the same year, a French government scholarship, the Prix National du Salon, that allowed him to travel and study in Italy, Greece and Egypt. In 1902, he won the Prix Rosa Bonheur. At the Salon of 1904, the French government purchased 'Champs de Bataille' for the Musée du Luxembourg and Hoffbauer was elected a member of the Legion of Honor. Hoffbauer served in the French Army as an official war artist during the first world war, winning the Croix de Guerre and acting as liaison officer to the American camouflage section. On the recommendation of the mural painter, James Wall Finn, Hoffbauer received the 1935 commission to paint the murals for Battle Abbey, the Confederate memorial in Richmond, Virginia. He revisited America to accept a commission for the mural in the Missouri State Capitol, and was appointed to membership of the jury of the 1937 International Exposition. Two years later, he became an American citizen and settled in Rockport, Massachusetts. Charles Hoffbauer's work may be found in the permanent collections of numerous national museums including the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. Reference: Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Peter Hastings Falk, Sound View Press 1999, Vol. 2, p. 1585; Thieme-Becker Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zu Gengenwart, Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag 1992, Vol. 17/18, p. 246; E. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, Jacques Busse, 1999 Nouvelle Édition, Gründ 1911, Vol. 7, p. 105; Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers of the U.S.: Colonial to 2002, Bob Creps, Dealer’s Choice Books, Inc. 2002, Vol. 1, p. 643; Steen, James T. "The Story of a Painting," Carnegie Magazine 31/32 (February 1957): 57-59; Charles Hoffbauer (1875-1957). Drawings, Temperas & Oil Paintings. Exh. cat. Somerville, MA: Gropper Art Gallery, 1977; Glueck, Grace. New York: The Painted City. Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books...
Category

1940s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Untitled (Male Nude with Hands on Waist)
Located in New York, NY
Ink on paper Signed and dated, l.l. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt Lake City, now...
Category

1970s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

English 20th century study of a woodpecker bird
Located in Woodbury, CT
James Williamson-Bell was a respected wildlife artist based in Newcastle and won several medals at the Paris Salon for his bird paintings. He was stro...
Category

1990s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache

Marie Palmer-Smith - 1930s British Original Graphic Design for Advertising
Located in London, GB
MARIE PALMER-SMITH (1899-1997) Fabric Inspirations Signed and inscribed with title; bears artist’s studio stamp on the reverse Gouache on pen and ink on tinted paper Unframed in mo...
Category

1930s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache

Infanta Soledad- graphite pencil drawing - woman with skulls & succulents
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Infanta Soledad,' features the face of a young woman with succulents and skulls in an intricately patterned and complex graphite drawing on Kent paper. from Japanese artist Chikako ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Graphite

Untitled
Located in New York, NY
Charcoal with red and white conté crayon on Rives BFK paper Signed and dated, recto This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Mark Beard, born in 1956 in Salt ...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Wax Crayon, Rag Paper

Oxford cityscape #1
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Oxford Cityscape #1" 1972 is a watercolor by noted architectural British artist, Ken Messer 1931-2017. It is signed and dated at the lower right corner by the artist. The artwork size is 20 x 11.25 inches, framed is 26,85 x 17.75 inches. It is custom framed in his original wooden gold and green frame. Artwork and frame are in very good condition. About the artist. After attending City of Oxford High School for Boys, where he excelled at rugby and cricket, he started work as an accountant in the city. He then moved on to become a steward for the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). In the 1960’s Mr Messer was involved in a car accident which would end his sporting career and change his working life. When he left his job with BOAC he became a graphic designer at Pergamon Press, owned by Robert Maxwell, which allowed him time to pursue his real passion which was painting watercolours. He rose through the ranks at Pergamon to become studio manager and when he could progress no further he decided to become a full time artist, a role from which he never retired. He quickly became well-known for his paintings of Oxford...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Realist figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Realist figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Frank Girard, Chikako Okada, Rosy Andreasi-Verdier, and Mark Beard. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Watercolor and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Realist figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 2.41 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $124 and tops out at $100,123, while the average work sells for $1,239.

Recently Viewed

View All