This Twitter user doesn’t need lights and cameras when he’s got good pencils and unbelievable talent.

You might not have noticed, but we only occasionally show photos of Japanese celebrities on RocketNews24. That’s not because we’re trying to limit the spread of knowledge that there are, in fact, people more photogenic than our team of fresh-faced writers and editors, but because Japanese talent agencies are highly protective of photographs of their clients. This is especially the case with idol singers and young, good-looking actors and actresses.

So you might be a little surprised to see that this article is filled with pictures of popular show biz icons, such as Kasumi Arimura, who provided the voice of the mysterious Marnie in Studio Ghibli’s latest (and possibly final) anime film, When Marnie Was There.

https://twitter.com/shtt4881/status/719411291119423489

You might also be a little curious as to why the picture is in black and white. Did the photographer convert the full-color digital image to monochrome? Was actual black-and-white film used to give the finished product a timeless look?

No on both counts, because these are actually amazing pencil drawings from Japanese Twitter user Shinichi Furuya.

https://twitter.com/shtt4881/status/718653377962348546

We could hardly believe it ourselves. Seriously, look at the detailing on this image of actress and singer Yui Aragaki, like the tiny skin pores and glossy reflection on her eyes and lips.

https://twitter.com/shtt4881/status/720489273653338113

The whole thing was done with a pair of Staedtler-brand Lumograph carbon pencils, in 7B and 8B hardness. As proof, here’s a making-of video.

Other muses for Furuya and his considerable skills have included Satomi Ishihara, the live-action Attack on Titan’s Hans/Hange…

https://twitter.com/shtt4881/status/717561181087510530

…and Suzu Hirose, who looks almost as real in Furuya’s drawing as she does in her suggestive instant noodle commercial.

https://twitter.com/shtt4881/status/721516911050141696

It’s not just Japanese stars that catch Furuya’s fancy though. Here he is drawing an amazingly lifelike portrait of Taylor Swift, and the video’s one-hour-plus run time shows it wasn’t a rush job.

So with all this much artistic talent, Furuya must be a top manga artist or graphic designer, right? Nope. According to his twitter profile, he’s “a middle-aged businessman who wasn’t able to become a professional illustrator.”

We’ve got to say, whoever passed on giving him a job as an artist made a huge mistake.

Related: Shinichi Furuya YouTube channel, Facebook
Source: IT Media