The Ultra-Realistic, Three-Dimensional Paintings of CJ Hendry

CJ Hendry is a talented artist whose detailed three-dimensional pencil drawings are virtually indistinguishable from high-definition photographs or computer-generated images.

More: Instagram h/t: odditycentral

Australian-born CJ Hendry is able to draw just about anything, from crumpled designed paper bags, to leather boxing gloves and magnified flowers showing off their every detail. She spends between 80 and 200 hours working on a single piece, and it shows. A close inspection of her drawings shows incredible attention to detail and an ability to make the subjects depicted almost life-like, as if they are merely placed on the canvas, not drawn on it.

There is no denying CJ Hendry’s talent, but one of the things that set her apart from other incredibly talented hyperrealistic artists is her ability to leverage social media to reach collectors directly, instead of through art galleries. She is part of a new wave of young artists who have already made millions by selling their artworks through social networks like Instagram.

“In the past, artists had to wait for a gallery to do your show and people couldn’t just see your work. They had to come to the exhibition when the gallery allowed it to happen. Now you can show people whatever you want at any time you wish,” Hendry told CNN.

The 33-year-old self-taught artist took the art world by storm in 2013, when she started posting her hyperrealistic pen and pencil drawings on Instagram. She quickly built a loyal fan base and it wasn’t long before she started getting contacted by collectors about her work.

CJ, real name Catherine Jenna Hendry, has worked with fashion designers like Christian Louboutin, and made a custom art piece for Kanye West, and she did it all by herself, without relying on agents and galleries.