Hannah Lipsey

Hannah Lipsey is a contemporary British artist known for creating hyper-realistic coloured pencil drawings that often look like photographs at first glance. She specialises in drawing shiny, reflective objects—think metallic surfaces, glass, and polished materials that seem like you can touch them.

Hannah Lipsey’s art focuses on textures and shine, pushing the limits of hyperrealism to create tactile illusions. Since her return to the art scene a few years ago, she has developed a global collector base with sell-out editions and exhibitions, showcasing her precision and playfulness in each drawing.

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Hannah Lipsey’s Artistic Journey

Hannah Lipsey studied Fine Art at university between 2008 and 2011, where she focused on surreal and abstract urban landscapes in acrylic paint. However, after graduating, she didn’t continue with art and spent several years doing other jobs, showing that creative paths aren’t always straightforward.

She returned to art in 2017, starting with graphite pencil drawings just for fun. One of her first drawings was a portrait of her niece:

“Just for fun I decided to try and draw my niece and it turned out okay!”

She then began creating more drawings for friends and family, building her confidence and skills gradually. She only charged £25 for those drawings – what a bargain!

In 2018, she moved to the United States due to her husband’s job. During her time there, she became more serious about her art, producing more work and starting to share it online. When she returned to the UK in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, she made a major decision—to pursue art full-time instead of going back to her job as a teaching assistant!

Today, she works from home in her own studio space and sells most of her work directly through her social media platforms. Her growth has come from consistency and visibility:

“I’ve done nothing special, just consistently put my work out there… I got lucky and had a few viral reels!”

What is Her Style Like?

Hannah Lipsey’s coloured pencil drawings focus on ordinary objects. They can be described as hyper realistic because the drawings look like 3D objects. She takes everyday items – things you might not normally look twice at – and turns them into highly detailed, visually striking artworks. This challenges the viewer to reconsider how interesting “normal” objects can be when seen closely.

She is also deeply interested in surfaces and textures. Whether it’s smooth metal, reflective glass, or glossy plastic, she uses coloured pencils to recreate surfaces so realistically that they almost feel like you can touch them. This level of detail helps bring her drawings to life.

What is Hannah Lipsey’s Drawing Process for Hyper Realism?

• 📸 Take lots of reference photos
  • She photographs her subject (often shiny objects) from different angles and lighting conditions. This helps her choose the most interesting reflections and composition.
• 🔍 Select the best image
  • She picks a photo with strong contrast, clear reflections, and interesting detail—especially important for metallic or glossy surfaces.
• ✏️ Light sketch
  • She lightly outlines the shapes onto paper, carefully mapping out proportions and key areas like highlights and reflections.
• 🎨 Build up layers slowly
  • Using coloured pencils, she applies multiple light layers rather than pressing hard. This allows her to gradually build up colour and create smooth blends.
• 🌗 Develop contrast
  • She deepens the darkest areas and preserves the lightest highlights. Strong contrast is what makes the drawing look realistic and three-dimensional.

Look at the rainbow drawing below. Where can you see a light layer of colour being added? What would be the next stage of the drawing?

Top Facts about coloured pencil artist Hannah Lipsey:

• From: Near Liverpool, UK; now based in Hertfordshire
• Degree: BA (Hons) Fine Art (originally painting, not drawing!)
• Self-taught in realism and coloured pencil
• Exhibitions: Affordable Art Fair London & New York, Hyper Realist Exhibition Cambridge
• Medium: Coloured pencil on paper
• Known for: Illusion of shine, reflections, and extreme detail
• She has over 100,000 followers on Instagram

The Joy of Coloured Pencils

Hannah Lipsey’s work shows that traditional materials like coloured pencils can still be incredibly powerful. In a time where digital art is everywhere, her drawings prove that simple tools – used with skill and patience – can create work that feels modern and impressive.

Her process highlights the importance of practice and persistence. Spending time layering and refining each piece demonstrates that high-level realism doesn’t come from talent alone, but from dedication and time.

Lipsey also encourages artists to find inspiration in everyday objects. You don’t need unusual or expensive subject matter—interesting artwork can come from things you see around you every day, if you take the time to really observe them.

What skills can you see in Hannah Lipsey’s artworks? Think about the quality of her work and try to list 5 skills you recognise.

If you’d like some help writing your annotations in Art or Photography, look no further.

Which of the Formal Elements do you think Lipsey likes to explore in her artwork? What are the most prominent Formal Elements you can see in the drawing above, called Metelephant.

Teaching Hannah Lipsey? This free interactive artist research quiz helps art students explore Hannah Lipsey’s portraiture and drawing techniques through knowledge questions, close looking, artwork comparisons and a creative drawing activity. Suitable for art lessons or independent study.

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Hannah Lipsey

Art Detective Quiz

🏆Explore the artwork, follow the clues and make something of your own.

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Your research sessionThe minimum 15-minute study period starts when you reach the quiz or press Start.

Take your time! Look carefully at the artist's work, think about your answers and develop your own drawing. Spend at least 15 minutes on this challenge, but there's no rush — you can take as long as you need.

01

Artist detective: knowledge check

Find correct answers and clues by looking carefully at the artist's work and reading the information on this page. Some questions have several correct answers.

1. Which themes are explored in this artist’s work?

Think about the ideas behind the artworks, not just the materials.

Everyday life The natural world Stories and narratives Identity and belonging City life Dreams and imagination Emotions and relationships Social issues Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

2. What materials does this artist use to create their work?

Examine the artwork closely and read the article. Select every material supported by what you find.

Spray paint Oil paint Coloured pencil Watercolour Printmaking Graphite pencil Collage / mixed media Acrylic paint Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

3. Which techniques or artistic approaches can you identify?

Look for evidence of the artist’s process and how the work is made.

Portraiture Layering Pattern / repetition Fragmentation Surrealist imagery Abstract shapes Line drawing Mark-making Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

4. Which subjects appear in or are described as part of the artist’s work?

Consider the images as well as the artist profile.

Plants and flowers Buildings and streets Text and lettering People and portraits Animals and wildlife Landscapes and places Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

5. Which formal elements are specifically discussed or emphasised?

Look for line, tone, colour, pattern, space, shape, form and texture in the artist’s work.

Pattern Line Tone Colour Shape Space Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

6. Which subject best completes this sentence about Hannah Lipsey?

Look for what the artist depicts in their work.

Complete the idea from the artist's article

Hannah Lipsey studied Fine Art at university between 2008 and 2011, where she focused on surreal and abstract urban ________ in acrylic paint.

indoor still lifes studio portraits abstract lettering outdoor scenery Select one answer. Look for a word or phrase with the closest meaning.

7. Which material best completes this sentence about Hannah Lipsey?

Look for what the artist uses to make their work.

Complete the idea from the artist's article

Hannah Lipsey is a contemporary British artist known for creating hyper-realistic ________ drawings that often look like photographs at first glance.

spray paint clay charcoal coloured drawing pencil Select one answer. Look for a word or phrase with the closest meaning.

8. Which technique best completes this sentence about Hannah Lipsey?

Look for how the artist makes their work.

Complete the idea from the artist's article

Spending time ________ and refining each piece demonstrates that high-level realism doesn’t come from talent alone, but from dedication and time.

building up layers removing all details cutting away surfaces using one flat layer Select one answer. Look for a word or phrase with the closest meaning.

Submit my research and see my result

Take the time you need to finish every mission. You can submit after at least 15 minutes, but it is fine to take longer. Bronze starts at 60%, Silver at 75% and Gold at 90% in the automatically marked rounds.

How to create artwork like Hannah Lipsey:

Creating work with coloured pencils can be really rewarding – if you use the right colours and good quality pencils! Pencils which blend easily and give rich, intense colours are more expensive, but they will last way longer and give you better results.

Prismacolour Pencil Set

Faber-Castell Sketchbook

Derwent Metallic Pencil Set

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What is your opinion of Hannah Lipsey’s hyperrealist coloured pencil art? Do these drawings inspire you to master the techniques? Let me know in the comments!