These Are PAINTINGS And No, I’m Not April Fooling You.

hyper-realistic portraits by Eloy Morales

I thought this would be the perfect post for the first of April, a day when most people are punking, pranking, and just plain joking, because this artwork is pretty hard to believe. But it’s for real.

Hyperrealistic Portraits by Eloy Morales

Eloy Morales working on his 9th Paint In My Head portrait

At first glance, Eloy Morales’ “Paint In My Head” series looks like an exploration in photographic self-portraiture, but what is so phenomenal is that these works, created from 2009-2013, are not photographs, but are large scale oil paintings and in one case, a pencil drawing. Eloy created 9 large scale images (averaging a little over 5′ x 5′) of his own face covered in everything from mud to paint. Here they are in chronological order.

Paint In My Head #1, 2009, oil on panel, 160x160cm (62.4 x 62.4 inches):
Paint in my head 1, 2009

Paint in My Head #2, 2011, oil on board, 160x130cm:
Paint in my head 2. 2011. oil on board 160x130 cm

Paint in my head #3, 2011, oil on panel, 160x160cm:
Paint in my head number 3. oil on panel 160x160 cm

Paint in my head #4, 2011, oil on board, 160x160cm:
Paint in my head 4, 2011, oil on board 160x160cm

Paint in my head #5, 2012, oil on panel, 160x160cm:
Paint in my head number 5, 2012. oil on panel, 160x160 cm.

Paint in my head #6, 2012, oil on board 160x160cm:
Paint in my head number 6, oil on board,2012. 160x160 cm copy

Paint in my head #7, 2012, Pencil on paper, 70×100 cm:
PAINT IN MY HEAD 7. 2012. PENCIL ON PAPER. 100X70 CM. HOWARD TULLMAN COLLECTION

Paint in my head #8, 2012, oil on board, 160x160cm:
paint in my head 8

Paint in my head #9, 2013, oil on board 130x160cm:
Paint in my head 9, 2013 copy

Seeing the artist working on or around his pieces, and looking at close up details of his work, gives them both credibility and scale. Not only does Eloy Morales paint stunningly realistic self-portraits but his portraits of others will also blow you away.

Here are some large scale oil paintings of other subjects by Eloy.

Harriet with Purple Hair, 2013, oil on canvas, 120x120cm:
Harriet with purple hair, 2013, oil on canvas, 120x120 cm

Megan with Googly Eyes, 2013, oil on board, 60x40cm:
Megan with googly eyes, 2013, oil on board, 60x40 cm

Maria in the Forest, oil on canvas, 120cmx120cm:
Maria in the forest, oil on canvas, 120x120 cm

Swimmer number 11, 2009, oil on panel, 160x160cm:
Swimmer, number11, 2009, oil on panel, 160x160 cm

Estela with Skull’s necklace, 2013, oil on canvas, 60x40cm:
Estela with skull's necklace, 2013 oil on canvas, 60x40 cm

Harriet with White Hair, 2012-2013, oil on canvas, 130x97cm:
Harriet with white hair, 2012-2013, oil on canvas, 130x97cm

Francisco with Butterflies, 2013, oil on board 160x160cmL
Francisco with butterflies, 2013 oil

Below Michelle Buchanan interviews the artist for poetsandartists.com:


all the images in this post are courtesy of the artist.

eloy morales at work hero

Eloy Morales