Tampa artist creates photograph-like paintings of celebrities

TAMPA, Fla. - Michael Vahl is a visual artist based in Tampa. His area of expertise lies in what he calls "hyper-realism," paintings with so much detail, you’d swear they weren’t paintings. 

"The other day I was painting live, and someone said, ‘Oh my God, that looks like a photograph,'" Vahl recalled. "So, that was nice to hear."

His painting is so detailed you can see all the pores and skin imperfections of his subjects – many of whom are celebrities. 

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Years ago, he was offered an opportunity to paint the musical artist, Machine Gun Kelly, who was performing in St. Petersburg. Little did Vahl know, it was the beginning of a career path that found him painting many celebrities. 

He’s painted Guy Fieri, Tom Brady, Nas and Christian McCaffrey to name a few. 

"It just kind of became a permanent thing," Vahl laughed. 

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The style of painting Vahl uses is called dry brushing. There is very little pigmentation on his brush when working. 

"I can apply minimal pressure, but still create a tone or shade of the black paint. Or I can apply a lot of pressure and get a higher saturation," Vahl said. 

To see Vahl's creations or contact him about commissioned artwork, you can visit his website www.artbyvahl.com. 

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