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Even for the most skilled artist, it can be difficult to replicate hand-drawn details on a digital scale. There’s a tenderness to traditional art, where every layer, brushstroke, and line betrays hints of the person that produced them. Perhaps that’s why Bao Pham eventually moved away from digital art and gravitated back toward traditional media, whether it be acrylic, gouache, watercolor, or colored pencil.
No matter which approach he chooses for a project, the Iowa-based artist remains confident, creating vibrant canvases that explode with texture. His colored pencil drawings, for instance, are meticulously etched, capturing the soft graininess often associated with the medium. His watercolors, on the other hand, are delectable in their fluidity, each tone so transparent and so delicately placed that they almost resemble a dewdrop. Pham’s illustrative style only serves to uplift the tools with which he works, paring back any extraneous information in an effort to highlight color, technique, and subject matter above all else.
Because of this, Pham’s compositions may, at first, seem straight-forward, depicting women with serene facial features set against simple backgrounds. These qualities, though, are exactly what allow the artist’s work to succeed. This may be most evident in one of his more popular pieces, originally created last year to celebrate Tết, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year. The watercolor features a woman with massive flowers decorating her black hair, her eyes closed to reveal her yellow makeup and dramatic eyeliner. Swirling around her is a trail of golden smoke, while fireworks pop behind her.
Overall, the composition isn’t particularly complicated: there’s one central figure set against a solid backdrop, populated by a limited amount of gold details. Still, any possible distraction has been removed and, in that way, we’re encouraged to simply look and engage. Suddenly, Pham’s craftsmanship is revealed, and we see each gesture, the nuances in each tone, and the fluency of his linework. In a world often overwhelmed by visual input and stimuli, this attitude is not only refreshing, but necessary.
To stay updated on the artist’s new work, follow Bao Pham on Instagram. Select prints are also available via his Etsy shop.
Bao Pham is a master of traditional art, paring back any extraneous information so that colored pencils, watercolor, and paint have enough breathing room.
His art is deceptively simple, encouraging viewers to fully engage with the flurry of textures, colors, and sleek lines that define his illustrative style.
@baophamart I’ve tested a few watercolor paper with the Rainmaker series, but I’m in love with this RivesBFK printmaking paper ️✨. The way the paint spreads and settles into the fiber is ✨✨. Only downside is the tape pull does tear the paper a bit – Prints of this Rainmaker are in my bio! – Materials ⬇️ #gouache #acrylagoauche #winsorandnewton #holbein #workonpaper #rivesBFK #wip #traditionalart #baotpham #baophamart #baopham #rainmaker ♬ original sound – baophamart
The Iowa-based artist is also heavily influenced by his Vietnamese heritage.
@baophamart Been awhile since I put together a process vid, so here’s a fly through of this watercolor I did for lunar new year ✨✨. Prints of her are in my bio and I hope you like her!❤️ – Materials: @danielsmithartistsmaterials #watercolor @finetec_intl #metallicwatercolor #worksonpaper #archeswatercolorpaper @princetonbrush #smallworks #traditionalpainting #baopham #baotpham #baophamart ♬ Bắc Bling (Bắc Ninh) (Prod. by Masew) – Hòa Minzy & NSUT Xuân Hinh & Tuấn Cry
Bao Pham: Website | Instagram | TikTok | Etsy
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