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The Forbidden Enigma

The Forbidden Enigma continues my exploration of beauty, distortion, and identity in the Shattered Vanity series. While grounded in photorealism, this piece moves beyond technical replication — it’s a composition built from emotion, concept, and visual tension.

I wanted this work to feel like a tragic Italian opera — poised yet heartbroken, elegant yet fractured. At nearly 1m in height, it’s the largest drawing I’ve completed — and one of my most demanding, with around 85 hours of focused work behind it.

Photorealistic artwork titled "The Forbidden Enigma" by Australian artist Dean Spinks, drawn using Copic Marker on paper.
Hand-drawn illustration resembling a photograph, created entirely with Copic Marker using fine crosshatching technique.
Close up detail shot of photorealistic artwork titled "The Forbidden Enigma" by Australian artist Dean Spinks, drawn using Copic Marker on paper.
Artist holding a Copic Marker while working on "The Forbidden Enigma", showing the fine crosshatching technique.
Framed photorealistic print of a hand-drawn artwork made with Copic Markers and crosshatching.
Detailed crosshatched portrait in black and white, from the Shattered Vanity series by Dean Spinks.
Dean Spinks, Australian artist, standing beside his photorealistic drawing "The Forbidden Enigma".