Welcome to Art by
ABBY PHAM
PASTEL PORTRAITS & CLASSICAL REALISM
11-YEARS-OLD-ARTIST
Abby Pham, a talented young artist hailing from Australia, discovered her passion for art at an incredibly young age. Beginning her artistic journey by picking up a pencil at the age of 2 and delving into the world of painting by age 6, Abby's artistic development was largely self-guided. Her dedication to honing her skills through keen observation and personal study sets her apart. Notably, both her artwork and poetry bear profound significance, serving as powerful expressions of her inner self.
About
My name is Abby Pham
I'm Abby Pham, originally from Hanoi, Vietnam, now live in Melbourne, Australia. I first picked up a pencil at the age of 2 and explored the world of painting by the time I was 6. Through my own keen observation and self-guided study, I developed my skills, relying on my natural talent and curiosity to excel. I work in a style of classical realism.
Abby Pham, an 11-year-old artist, has shown incredible talent beyond her years. With an unwavering passion for art, Abby strives to bring her drawings to life. Setting ambitious goals, she perseveres through challenges, undeterred by the inevitable setbacks and emotional moments that come with the creative process. Notably, each of Abby's spiritually-inspired artworks requires approximately three weeks of dedicated time to complete.
In 2022, Abby's family moved to Australia, providing a new environment for her artistic pursuits. It was there that her teachers first recognized the astonishing quality and realism present in her drawings. They were amazed by the level of skill and precision displayed by this young student, finding it difficult to comprehend such artistic ability in someone so young. This acknowledgement further fuelled Abby's determination to push her artistic boundaries even further.
Continuing to nurture her talent, Abby's drawings continued to captivate audiences, gaining widespread appreciation. Viewers were entranced by her artistry and recognized her as a promising young artist with great potential. The unwavering support and admiration she received from her teachers and others acted as a catalyst, propelling Abby towards her dream of establishing a professional career as an artist specializing in animal portraits and wildlife.
Each of Abby's realistic drawings, whether depicting wildlife or human subjects, possesses a profound ability to evoke emotions in viewers worldwide. She infuses her artwork with meaningful messages, ensuring that each piece carries its own unique significance. As Abby embarks on her journey towards a professional career, her artistic prowess continues to blossom, leaving an indelible mark on the art world and inspiring others with her talent and dedication.
She is the one of the only children in the world that was able to achieve realistic drawing at the age of 9 and 10, photorealism, hyperrealism and creative art at the age 11, in her full colour pastel paintings and colour pencil works.
Quote from Abby:
"I often find myself wishing for more hours in a day to pursue my passion for drawing. The desire to create large animal portraits and fulfill pet portrait commissions is a constant source of joy for me. I take immense pleasure in crafting intricately detailed drawings, employing high-quality colour pencils and pastel pencils. It is my dream to showcase my artwork at the prestigious NGV International Art Gallery, an achievement that would undoubtedly be awe-inspiring.
My ultimate aspiration is for my art to bring happiness to people's lives and allow them to experience the beauty of the animal kingdom each day through my creations."
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Frequently Asked Questions
What materials do you use?
For surface I like sanded paper like Pastelmat from Clairefontaine (colour dark grey). For pencils I use pastel pencils. Faber Castell Pitt, stabilo Carbothello, derwent, Caran d’ache, bruynzeel…. pastel pencils have a very limited range of colours so I need different brands for different tonalities. If you have to choose a brand to start, go for Stabilo Carbothello. I also use soft pastels for my base layers. Mainly Rembrandt, Unison Colour, Schmincke. I buy my material in artemiranda.es and mundo-artistas.es.
How long have you been painting?
I’ve been painting since I was 2. I was the type of kid that could spend hours filling up notebooks and sketching on every surface possible. I don't do training or art schools and I am self taught, It’s had a big influence in my work. I’ve been painting professionally since 2022.
Any tips on painting realistic fur?
Have a lot of patience with it. Patience is key. I am amazed when some artists don’t know what’s the issue with their portrait and they come to me to ask advice. I ask them, how long did this take you? and they say, 3 hours. Of course it won’t look good in 3 hours! Most of my portraits don’t look good for the first 5 hours, you can’t really understand much until it’s been good 10 hours in the portrait. So have patience, is the key! Another tip, make sure to focus on light and shadows. Light and shadows are a lot more important than details. Block the brightest areas of your portrait and the darkest areas of your portrait. That will give that realistic look you’re looking for.
Do you use fixative?
No I don’t, never! Fixative makes the pastels wet, being such a pure pigment it will ruin it’s quality, it may yellow them with time or just affect it’s qualities in general. I work with Patelmar Board surface and it’s a surface that doesn’t need fixative.
What do you use for the initial sketch?
I use a regular h2 pencil. H pencils are better as they’re harder and the lines will stand out when you cover them with pastel. I recommend Faber Castell pencils, it makes a difference from the other brands.
How do you sharpen your pencils?
I sharpen my pencils with a utility knife. I have tried many different alternatives, but I always come back to utility knives. Sharpening pencils makes the blades go blunt so for sharpening it’s better to use something that you can change the blades often.
How long does a portrait take?
It depends on the size and the complexity. Small portraits can take 2-3 weeks. Larger portraits can take 5-10 weeks or even more if they are really large and very complex. Every subject is different but I use a tracker and track every hour spent on my portraits that’s how I know how different is each form the other.