Jessica Dailey is a Melbourne based portrait artist who specialises in realistic pencil and charcoal drawings. Drawing from a young age, her talents were encouraged by friends and family who would ask her to capture their children, pets and other loved ones on the page. Further encouraged by awards in local art shows, Jessica decided to offer her services to a wider audience and started taking commissions from the public.

“I am essentially a self-taught artist, and whilst I have experimented with other mediums, I love the simplicity of the tones achieved with graphite and charcoal. My main focus is to achieve a likeness of the subject, which isn’t always an exact replica of the source photo. I enjoy capturing the emotion and the expression in the subject, there is always something beautiful in the details of a face or body; be it a newborn baby’s hands, or an elderly man’s wrinkles. Secondly, I aim to recreate the textures in the subject, the feel of a dress, the softness of baby hair, or the rough stubble of a beard. I am happy with a portrait when all of this comes together.” 

Commissioning a portrait is a simple process. In consultation with Jessica, a photo or photos are agreed upon for the drawing. Jessica will advise of an estimated time frame for the production of the work and will provide a preview of the portrait before delivery.

For pricing and ordering details please see the Commissions page.