Wasseem Tayssir

Wasseem Tayssir is a portrait artist known for lifelike pencil and charcoal work — the kind of realism where, as one collector put it, “you can see every hair.” He draws people and pets, couples and children, and often combines loved ones photographed separately into a single portrait.

Each portrait is drawn entirely by hand and takes between 16 and 20 hours. He works on site at the Cleopatra Luxury Resort in Makadi Bay, where guests from across Europe watch him draw each evening and take home a portrait of the people and animals they love.

Wasseem lives in Hurghada, Egypt, with his wife and their two children. Today his portraits travel far beyond the resort — request from anywhere in the world: send your photos, approve the plan, and receive a hand-drawn heirloom shipped to your door.