The artist who brings his self-portraits to life - PHOTO+VIDEO

Sebastien Del Grosso, 33, from Paris, first came up with the idea when he wanted to update his Facebook profile picture and has since developed a quirky collection of images.After taking a self-portrait, the digital artist started to sketch himself into the picture. But rather than completely transforming his pictures into a complete sketch, the artist only partially adapted the original pictures, creating an interesting composite effect.This is then used to make the photographs appear in part like black and white paintings.Mr Del Grosso, who was taught to draw by his grandmother, uses the sketches to illustrate his life and events that have been important to him. He said: 'My grandmother taught me to draw, and by watching her drawing and painting made me want to do the same. 'It's always important to remember the history behind an image, as it helps to produce a quality image.'When I make a creative image, I try to attract the attention of the viewer and hold it.'The whole process, from the shooting to the final image, can take a few hours to several days.He said: 'The pencil strokes are fast and nervous, and so give the impression of a construction.'Then, my "dodge and burn" effect is used a lot in the final rendering. 'It is in fact a multitude of brush strokes, black or white, which serve to highlight, or rather mitigate some facial features, and clothing.'This treatment is intended to look like a little more like a painting than a photo. This allows me to make it more pleasant to the eye.'He added: 'All my pictures are taken inside my apartment, using only natural light.'The drawings are done with a simple pencil on a sheet of paper. Then the drawing is scanned, cleaned and added to the picture with Photoshop tools.'I take thousands of images using a remote control, and then choose a selection of my favourites.' Following his sketching success, Mr Del Grosso now hopes to to develop his series further.He said: 'I have many more creative and innovative ideas in my head and they will be challenging. But I hope I will be successful in achieving them all.' (dailymail.co.uk)Bakudaily.Az