The young dreadlock-haired Thomas Cian continues to impress fans with his latest works of art. Many admirers have taken guesses about his technique—i.e. if the graphite was placed first or the wash. The best answer is shown visually at Behance; pencil and water-soluble graphite are used to produce monochromatic portraits of friends and family—see one of his mom and another of his grandfather. Another gem is his hypnotizing fragmented series titled “Scratches”—layered textures form depth and dimension to these faces of incomplete lips and cheeks, which Cian explains, “I think to hide part of the subject in one way or the other, gives a more enigmatic and mysterious aura.”

Images © Thomas Cian