Martin Turner on what you can do with a mere pencil

June 2, 2020

Martin Turner on what you can do with a mere pencil

Roliflex Camera in Pencil

Using the traditional medium of pencil, Bristol based artist Martin Turner takes this medium to its limit. His hyper realistic pencil drawings are decisive, suffused with light and texture, and imbued with a confidence that comes from the technical mastery of his medium.
Working primarily on super smooth Bristol Board, Turner uses both traditional and mechanical pencils as well as graphite powder and blending stumps to create his unique style. Anyone who has seen his work up close will appreciate the incredible level of detail. Turner can often be seen using sandpaper to taper the end/lead of a pencil to ensure the finest of points!
Born in 1975, the astonishing fact that Turner only picked up his pencils in 2016 simply adds to the wonder of the story. Following a decade of award winning photography, Turner returned to his childhood interest of drawing. Although more used to creating images in hundredths of a second than the 40 to 180 hours that his pencil drawings now take he found that, despite the change in medium, his eye for detail remained the same. Turner is completely self taught which has allowed his work to be become distinctly recognisable up close.
Turner describes his current work as being more akin to taking the time to read a novel – investing in slowly connecting with the emotion, suspense and detail. These monochrome drawings capture a moment, a freeze-frame, engaging the audience with enough detail to be fully absorbed, while promising more in every viewing. It’s impossible to tire of Martins creations – there’s always something to appreciate that you missed the time before. Turners works of art lend themselves perfectly to the quieter zones of the house – a library wall, study or gallery. The perfect addition to a well thought through Interior Design scheme that is looking for images which require reflection.