Pencil faces so precise they could pass for photographs
- Paul Cadden, Scottish contemporary artist known for his hyperrealistic drawings that look almost like photographs.
- His style uses graphite and chalk with slow careful shading, capturing tiny skin textures, soft shadows and emotional expressions with surprising accuracy.
- He draws people, street moments, everyday scenes and quiet faces, focusing on the small feelings hidden inside ordinary life.
- Famous works include his hyperreal portraits of older men and women, city reflections, wet surfaces, and close‑up emotional studies that feel almost alive.
- His themes move around perception, reality, memory, and how a simple face or gesture can hold deep psychological meaning.
- More info about his work is on his official site PaulCadden.com.
Paul Cadden at a glance
- Born: 1964, Glasgow, Scotland
- Nationality: Scottish
- Known for: Hyperrealistic drawings that look almost like photographs
- Medium: Mainly pencil on paper, also graphite and chalk
- Training: Print design and illustration at Glasgow College of Building and Printing
- Subjects: People, street moments and everyday scenes
- Themes: Perception, reality and memory
- Official website: paulcadden.com
A watercolor portrait of a weathered elderly man with blue eyes and a white beard, in loose washes of red and blue. Paul Cadden British painter
A chalk and charcoal portrait of a smiling woman on a warm terracotta ground, drawn with quick, expressive lines. 
A pencil portrait of a lined, bearded man in a flat cap and collared jacket. 
A watercolor portrait of a laughing elderly man in a red cap and suspenders, against a loose green and blue background. 
A watercolor portrait of an elderly man with wispy gray hair in a worn brown jacket, in soft earthy tones. 
A soft pencil portrait of a bearded man in a flat cap on a rosy-brown ground. 
A watercolor of a flooded alley between orange and yellow walls, with blue sky reflected in the water. 
A fine pencil portrait of an elderly man with deep wrinkles and a full white beard on cream paper. 
A watercolor portrait of a wild-haired man with intense eyes and a frayed blue-and-orange collar. 
A graphite portrait of an older man in a newsboy cap, with a gray mustache and thoughtful eyes. 
A watercolor portrait of an elderly man with white hair and a stern gaze, in a loosely painted collared shirt. 
A watercolor portrait of a slouching, seated man in a purple vest over an orange jacket. 
A detailed graphite portrait of a woman with wavy hair and a lined, direct-gazing face. 
A black-and-white photograph of a smiling woman in a conical straw hat. 
A black-and-white photograph of a dark sea, with a breaking wave under heavy clouds. 
A black-and-white photograph of an elderly woman in a cap, raising two fingers in a peace sign. 
A black-and-white photograph of a crowded market stall at night, with shoppers lined up. 
A black-and-white photograph of a man in a flat cap and knitted vest, seen in profile. 
A black-and-white photograph taken from above of a girl swimming underwater, with ripples across the surface. 
A close view of a long-haired person drawing at a table, pencil resting on a detailed sketch. 
A graphite drawing of a hunched, bearded man in worn clothes, sitting with his arms resting on his knees. 
A graphite drawing of an elderly man in profile, crouching on his heels. 
A pencil portrait of a very elderly man with a long white beard and deeply lined skin. 
A graphite drawing of a bearded man in a cap, crouching among bundled goods. 
A loose charcoal sketch of a long-haired man with closed eyes and thorn-like strokes across his brow. 
A charcoal drawing of a limp figure supported by a crowd of men, in a composition reminiscent of a lamentation scene. 
A charcoal portrait of a bearded man with his eyes cast upward and a crown of thorns, in a solemn pose. 
A charcoal portrait of a weary, white-haired man resting his head on his hand with his eyes closed. 
A graphite drawing of a man in overalls seated with his hands on his knees, in a rough workshop scene. 
A graphite portrait of an older man in a flat cap and work shirt with a worn, weary expression. 
A graphite portrait of a very old man with wild white hair and a long beard. 
A graphite study of draped cloth, with folds and shadows rendered in fine detail. 
A graphite portrait of an elderly woman with tousled hair and a deeply lined, tired face.
