This artist creates detailed portraits using creative ‘hand stamping’ technique

Artist Russell Powell has developed a creative technique for painting beautifully detailed portraits.

The technique, which he calls “hand stamping”, sees Powell paint a black-and-white picture onto his hand, then transfer it onto paper.

Powell, a teacher in California, refined the technique over two-and-a-half years, and showcases his incredible work on Instagram.

The artist started painting 16 years ago when he became a teacher, and developed his hand stamping technique after experimenting during his classes.

Powell said: “I started painting when I started teaching 16 years ago. I would pull supplies out during our after-school programme and just experiment with the kids.

“That led me to wanting to give a go at acrylic and oil on canvas. I then started the road to teaching myself how to paint.

“I credit my students as a major source of inspiration for my work.”

Powell founded Pangaean Studios in 2012, where his artwork is showcased and sold.

He said: “I create a portrait on my hand and then transfer the image to paper. Hand stamping, which took over two-and-a-half years to refine, utilises both colour and black-and-white ink.

“Although each portrait is created on a raised surface, each piece is incredibly detailed.”

The artist now has over 118,000 followers on Instagram.

Powell said: “By reaching a lot of people through social media, it has affected me more on a personal level.

“I’ve had people reach out all around the world to me to tell me how my art has touched them… telling me my artwork and videos have help them stay strong through dark times, bringing them a little light.

“That is when I really started to realise how much the arts, and specifically mine, could mean to people.”