Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
PHOTOREALISM
A direct challenge to Abstract Expressionism’s subjectivity and gestural vigor, Photorealism was informed by the Pop predilection for representational imagery, popular iconography and tools, like projectors and airbrushes, borrowed from the worlds of commercial art and design.
Whether gritty or gleaming, the subject matter favored by Photorealists is instantly, if vaguely, familiar. It’s the stuff of yellowing snapshots and fugitive memories. The bland and the garish alike flicker between crystal-clear reality and dreamy illusion, inviting the viewer to contemplate a single moment rather than igniting a story.
The virtues of the “photo” in Photorealist art — infused as they are with dazzling qualities that are easily blurred in reproduction — are as elusive as they are allusive. “Much Photorealist painting has the vacuity of proportion and intent of an idiot-savant, long on look and short on personal timbre,” John Arthur wrote (rather admiringly) in the catalogue essay for Realism/Photorealism, a 1980 exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At its best, Photorealism is a perpetually paused tug-of-war between the sacred and the profane, the general and the specific, the record and the object.
“Robert Bechtle invented Photorealism, in 1963,” says veteran art dealer Louis Meisel. “He took a picture of himself in the mirror with the car outside and then painted it. That was the first one.”
The meaning of the term, which began for Meisel as “a superficial way of defining and promoting a group of painters,” evolved with time, and the core group of Photorealists slowly expanded to include younger artists who traded Rolleiflexes for 60-megapixel cameras, using advanced digital technology to create paintings that transcend the detail of conventional photographs.
On 1stDibs, the collection of Photorealist art includes work by Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Audrey Flack, Charles Bell and others.
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Style: Photorealist
Adjustable Wrench, Photorealist Graphite Drawing by Richard Stenhouse
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Richard Stenhouse, American (1944 - )
Title: Adjustable Wrench
Year: circa 1970
Medium: Graphite on Paper, signed l.r.
Size: 16.5 x 17 in. (...
Category
1970s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Graphite
Contemporary watercolor photorealist colorful neon sign retro text signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Stardust Dine-o-Mat" is an original watercolor painting by Bruce McCombs. The artist signed the piece lower center. This piece depicts a photorealist rendition of a bright and color...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Riverbank 5, photorealist graphite landscape drawing, 2021
By Mary Reilly
Located in New York, NY
Mary Reilly’s laborious method of toning her paper serves as the starting point for her intricate compositions. She begins by covering the entire sheet with up to eight smooth, unmod...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Tired Feet for a Tired Soul, Charcoal Drawing by Nathaniel Tatum
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nathaniel Tatum, American (1964 - )
Title: Tired feet for a tired soul
Year: 2001
Medium: Charcoal on Paper, signed and dated
Paper Size: 24 x 18 inches
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Charcoal
Eclipse
Located in Buffalo, NY
hrough drawings rendered in charcoal and ink, my recent work examines issues related to memory by exploring its limitations and aestheticizing the instability inherent in portraiture...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Charcoal, Paper
Vegetable Still Life No. 10 Contemporary watercolor by Ohio trompe l'oeil artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
George Mauersberger (American, 20th Century)
Veg 10, 2004
Watercolor on paper
9 x 12 inches
13 x 16 inches, framed
George Mauersberger completed t...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Contemporary female artist still life watercolor fruit realism signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Persimmons, Tangerines & Blue Kerchief" is an original watercolor painting by Alicia Czechowski. The artist signed the piece in the lower right. This painting depicts orange persimm...
Category
1960s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Scarlet Belle Pitcher Plant, photorealist floral still life drawing
Located in New York, NY
Ever-interested in delicate and often toiling labor, David Morrison’s newest body of work stems from his practice as a master gardener. David’s methodical cultivation of irises and bonsai plants...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Firewood Series No. 9, hyperrealist colored pencil drawing
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and also by working f...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
David Morrison, Wind-Up Bird No. 3, hyperrealist color pencil animal drawing
Located in New York, NY
David Morrison has extended his brand of hyperrealism to the artificial, capturing the intricate lithography that decorates his collection of vintage Kohler wind-up birds. His drawin...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
David Morrison, Firewood Series No. 1, Hyperrealist colored pencil drawing, 2018
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and also by working f...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Blue Crabs and Fishing Ball, Painting, Watercolor on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Blue Crabs on an old boat rudder with a Japanese fishing ball. :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Spine Tree
By Adonna Khare
Located in Bozeman, MT
This is a framed original drawing on paper. Adonna Khare is an America Artist mainly focused on carbon pencil on paper drawings. She received her Masters of Fine Art from California State University Long Beach. Her work has been collected by prestigious public and private collections throughout the world. In 2012 she won the world's largest art competition ArtPrize, competing against over 1500 artists from all around the world.
She has been featured in the Los Angeles Time, NPR, The Huffington Post, Daily Mail, Juxtapoz Magazine, Mashable, My Modern Metropolis, Saatchi Gallery as well as thousands of blogs, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram pages.
She has had group and solo shows throughout the country. Long Beach Art Museum, City of Carlsbad Art Gallery, Nassau County Art Museum, Yellowstone Art Museum, Grand Rapids Art...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil
Toothy Frog
By Adonna Khare
Located in Bozeman, MT
This is a unframed original drawing on paper. Adonna Khare is an America Artist mainly focused on carbon pencil on paper drawings. She received her Masters of Fine Art from Californi...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil
Bird and Arrows
By Adonna Khare
Located in Bozeman, MT
This is a unframed original drawing on paper. Adonna Khare is an America Artist mainly focused on carbon pencil on paper drawings. She received her Masters of Fine Art from Californi...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil
Riverbank 3, photorealist graphite landscape drawing, 2021
By Mary Reilly
Located in New York, NY
Mary Reilly’s laborious method of toning her paper serves as the starting point for her intricate compositions. She begins by covering the entire sheet with up to eight smooth, unmod...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Rubber Duck with Arrows
By Adonna Khare
Located in Bozeman, MT
This is a framed original drawing on paper. Adonna Khare is an America Artist mainly focused on carbon pencil on paper drawings. She received her Masters of Fine Art from California ...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil
Let It Burn
By Adonna Khare
Located in Bozeman, MT
This is a unframed original drawing on paper. Adonna Khare is an America Artist mainly focused on carbon pencil on paper drawings. She received her Masters of Fine Art from Californi...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil
David Morrison, Wind-Up Bird No. 5, hyperrealist color pencil animal drawing
Located in New York, NY
David Morrison has extended his brand of hyperrealism to the artificial, capturing the intricate lithography that decorates his collection of vintage Kohler wind-up birds. His drawin...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Flowering Hillside, grayscale photorealist graphite landscape drawing, 2018
By Mary Reilly
Located in New York, NY
In her newest landscape drawing, Flowering Hillside, Mary Reilly explores the full tonal depth of graphite. She finds all of the soft subtleties of gray in her movement from the mome...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Birch Fragment No. 1, photorealist colored pencil nature drawing
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and also by working f...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Contemporary watercolor photorealist car closeup painting reflection signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Yellow Cadillac" is an original watercolor painting by Bruce McCombs. The artist signed the piece lower right. It reatures a shiny yellow car with its doors open sitting on a suburb...
Category
1990s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Corn Field 2, gray photorealist graphite still life drawing, 2019
By Mary Reilly
Located in New York, NY
Mary Reilly explores the full tonal depth of graphite in her nature drawings and landscapes. She finds all of the soft subtleties of gray as she shifts seamlessly from branch to pebb...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Sycamore Series 6, photorealist colored pencil drawing of wood branch, 2003
Located in New York, NY
David Morrison challenges the idea of what is cherished in nature by celebrating the beauty of the over-looked and the imperfect. Found broken branches, a peeling sycamore tree, bug-...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Color Pencil
Assisi II, dramatic diptych architectural print monochromatic black and white
By Agnes Murray
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Edition of 30 + 10AP
Print unusual vertical diptych by master printer Agnes Murray
Category
1980s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Ink, Archival Paper
Firewood Series No. 3, hyperrealist nature still life, colored pencil drawing
Located in New York, NY
In "Firewood Series No. 3," David Morrison uses colored pencils to capture the finest details of a frayed and peeling piece of birch wood. With his careful and methodical handling of...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
David Morrison, Stick Series No. 14, Photorealist colored pencil drawing, 2015
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, yet abstracted, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and a...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
David Morrison, Sycamore Series No. 3, hyperrealist colored pencil drawing, 2003
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, yet abstracted, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and a...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Boy with Bow Tie, photorealist graphite graffiti drawing, 2014
By Mary Reilly
Located in New York, NY
Mary Reilly works with both powdered graphite and graphite pencil on paper. The artist memorializes tree carvings or “graffiti” found within the woods of Alley Pond Park, Queens. The...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Graphite
David Morrison, Sycamore Series No. 5, Photorealist colored pencil drawing, 2003
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, yet abstracted, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and a...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Stick Series No. 4, Photorealist colored pencil drawing, still life, 2015
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, yes abstracted, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and a...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Eagle Owl, Painting, Watercolor on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
This original painting was inspired by a young Eagle Owl who was resting on his perch at a county fair. The photograph I used was him puffing out his feather...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Bullfinches and Blackberries, Painting, Watercolor on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
I brought some blackberries in to paint and quickly decided to paint a pair of bullfinches on the prickly stems. Bullfinches really enjoy feasting on these juicy sweet berries and ar...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Chimp with Castles
By Adonna Khare
Located in Bozeman, MT
Adonna Khare is an American master carbon-pencil artist. Her style has been compared to the photo-realistic illustrations of Audubon, but the surreal worlds and strange inhabitants s...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Carbon Pencil
"Red Boxes, Chipping Camden, U.K." Watercolor signed by Bruce McCombs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Red Boxes, Chipping Camden, U.K." is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts three red telephone boxes. This painting displays McCombs' exquisite attention to lig...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Reflection 8th Street Grille, " Watercolor signed by Bruce McCombs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Reflections 8th Street Grille" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the storefront window of a cafe. This view does not allow the viewer to see much of the ...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Clown, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Jane Ferrari
Located in Yardley, PA
Based on photo of characters from the Ligia Aydar School of Arts :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Stardust Dine-o-Mat, " Watercolor Neon Signs signed by Bruce McCombs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Stardust Dine-o-Mat" is a watercolor signed by Bruce McCombs. The diner exterior has many neon lights that look bright to reflect it being painted at night. A welcoming view for foo...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"English Teddy Bear Company, " Watercolor by Bruce McCombs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"English Teddy Bear Company" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the front window display of a toy store. The window allows the viewer to peek inside but al...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Crazy Ballad - Rita Lee, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By Jane Ferrari
Located in Yardley, PA
Photo-based portrait of singer Rita Lee. Inspired by her song Balada do Louco :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by t...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Chevrolet Grille (Car), " Watercolor by Bruce McCombs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Chevrolet Grille" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the grille of a highly-polished Chevrolet car. This painting displays McCombs' exquisite attention to...
Category
1990s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
contemporary realist watercolor painting building diner close up flowers signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Diner" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the front facade of a diner with careful attention to reflection, atmosphere, and light.
22" x 29 1/2" art
25"...
Category
1990s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Contemporary watercolor photorealist colorful neon sign urban city text signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Central Cafe, N.Y.C." is a photorealist watercolor painting by Bruce McCombs. The artist signed the piece lower right. This piece features a reflection of a neon sign with some silh...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
contemporary realist watercolor painting interior red car signs colorful signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Car Museum" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the front of a gleaming car with other automobile memorabilia with exquisite attention to reflections, ligh...
Category
1990s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
contemporary realist watercolor painting car closeup parking lot signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"'59 Cadillac" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the back end of a gleaming Cadillac with exquisite attention to reflection and light.
22 1/4" x 29 5/8"...
Category
1990s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
contemporary realist watercolor painting window neon signs reflections signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Shoe Repair Window" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the front of a shop and the reflection of the neon sign. This painting d...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Oldenburg Sculpture, Cleveland, Ohio, " Watercolor signed by Bruce McCombs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Red Boxes, Chipping Camden, U.K." is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the Claes Oldenburg culpture "Free Stamp" in Cleveland, Ohio. This painting displays ...
Category
1990s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Prague, " Watercolor Cityscape signed by Bruce McCombs
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Prague" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the architecture of a highly detailed and ornate building. This painting displays McCombs' exquisite attention ...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
The Surrounding Water XII
Located in Greenwich, CT
Cuban, b. 1974
Antonio Espinosa is a Cuban Postwar & Contemporary artist born in Manzanillo, Cuba in 1974. He graduated from the Instituto Superior de Arte (University of Arts of Cu...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
"Grove Hardware" - Framed Superrealism Photorealist Watercolor Painting
Located in New Orleans, LA
A feat of superrealism masterfully done using watercolor, a notoriously difficult medium. (I apologize for the reflections on the glass - I took a couple of shots at a slight angle t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
David Morrison, Firewood Series No. 8, hyperrealist colored pencil drawing
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and also by working f...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
Birch Fragment No. 2, photorealist colored pencil nature drawing
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and also by working f...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
David Morrison, Stick Series No. 9, Photorealist colored pencil drawing, 2015
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, yet abstracted, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and a...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
2000 Toke, photorealist graphite graffiti drawing, 2014
By Mary Reilly
Located in New York, NY
In her photorealist graphite drawing "Toke," Mary Reilly elegantly merges weed culture with high art. Her drawing is a graphic homage to cannabis culture. Mary Reilly works with both...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Pencil, Carbon Pencil, Graphite
David Morrison, Stick Series No. 11, Photorealist colored pencil drawing, 2015
Located in New York, NY
Artist David Morrison creates hyperrealistic, yet abstracted, finely detailed pencil drawings of found natural objects, both by observing the object itself under magnification, and a...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Color Pencil
The Surrounding Water XV
Located in Greenwich, CT
Cuban, b. 1974
Antonio Espinosa is a Cuban Postwar & Contemporary artist born in Manzanillo, Cuba in 1974. He graduated from the Instituto Superior de Arte (University of Arts of Cu...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Little Pie, Painting, Watercolor on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Shrimp boat to the T-Head docks in Corpus Christi, Texas :: Painting :: Photorealism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to...
Category
2010s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
contemporary realist watercolor painting building house red car scene signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"San Francisco" is an original signed watercolor by Bruce McCombs. It depicts the facade of a house along one of San Francisco's famous steep hills. A gleaming red car is parked in f...
Category
Early 2000s Photorealist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Photorealist drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Photorealist drawings and watercolor paintings 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 drawings and watercolor paintings 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, red, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including David Morrison, Bruce McCombs, Mary Reilly, and Adonna Khare. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Pencil and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Photorealist drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are also available. Prices for drawings and watercolor paintings 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 $189 and tops out at $87,000, while the average work sells for $3,472.