Celine Kanaan: Rendering Presence

Celine Kanaan’s work is grounded in patience, discipline, and a sustained attention to detail. At first glance, her portraits appear as exercises in technical precision, highly controlled renderings where skin tones, light, and texture are meticulously constructed through layers of coloured pencil. Yet beyond this technical clarity lies something quieter and more personal: an insistence on presence.

A young Lebanese artist and art student, Celine began drawing at an early age, but it was during the 2020 lockdown that her practice took a decisive turn. What began as a daily activity evolved into a structured and rigorous process, shaped by observation, repetition, and self-teaching. Through consistent practice and the influence of international artists discovered online, she developed a strong command of realism, particularly in portraiture.

Her choice of medium, coloured pencils on paper, is significant. It demands time, control, and restraint. Unlike more immediate forms of expression, it does not allow for shortcuts. Each layer must be built carefully, each transition between light and shadow negotiated with precision. This slow construction becomes part of the work itself: a reflection of endurance, focus, and commitment.

What is particularly striking in Celine’s portraits is her attention to the eyes. They are not treated as a simple anatomical feature, but as the emotional centre of the image. Her process often begins there, anchoring the entire composition around expression and gaze. This approach transforms the work from reproduction into interpretation. While her references are photographic, the final image bears the trace of time spent looking, of decisions made, of details emphasized, and of emotions projected.

Her subjects, often celebrities, are familiar, yet they are reconstituted through her process. The result is not a copy, but a translation: from image to observation, from observation to drawing. In this shift, something subtle occurs. The portraits gain a sense of intimacy that is less about the identity of the subject and more about the act of rendering itself.

At Kulturnest, we see Celine Kanaan’s practice as one that sits between learning and affirmation. It is the work of an artist still in formation, yet already defined by a clear direction: a commitment to realism not as imitation, but as a way of understanding how images are built, perceived, and felt. In a context like Lebanon, where instability often interrupts continuity, her consistency becomes meaningful in itself. Drawing, for her, is not only a practice; it is also a form of persistence.

Interview

Kulturnest: Can you introduce yourself through your artistic journey rather than your biography? What key moments or shifts have shaped your practice?

Celine Kanaan: Back in 2020, during the lockdown, I was bored, and my only activity was drawing. I had already created an art account in 2019, thanks to a friend who saw potential in my drawings. I started drawing portraits of people I knew from school and family, and I began posting them on Instagram. At that time, I was still a beginner with weak colouring techniques.

Then, a simple video I saw on Instagram featuring international artists pushed me to make more effort. I started observing every small detail - colours, light, and shadows -and tried applying them on paper using coloured pencils. That’s how I moved into realism. I fell in love with this technique, and those artists truly inspired me.

I began practicing daily, and within a month, I could already see progress in how I coloured skin, eyes, and details. After a year, my work had improved significantly, and I started to feel proud of how quickly I had progressed. Each year, I have felt myself becoming more professional in rendering realistic portraits.

Kulturnest: How would you describe your artistic language - your mediums, techniques, and way of working? What draws you to these forms of expression?

Celine Kanaan: I am an artist specializing in realistic portraits using coloured pencils on paper, usually in formats like A4, A3, and sometimes A2 or A1.

I use blending techniques with Prismacolor pencils, which are very soft and allow colours to merge smoothly, creating a more realistic result. To complete a portrait, it usually takes me between 7 and 24 hours of continuous work without breaks. I work slowly because I focus on very small details that require time and precision. However, my speed also depends on my mood; when I feel motivated, I can finish faster, especially if I enjoy the subject.

The materials I use give me a sense of happiness, a safe space, and peace.

Kulturnest: What themes, questions, or inner tensions are currently driving your work? Are there ideas you find yourself returning to?

Celine Kanaan: As a realism portrait artist, I focus on putting my emotions into my work, especially when drawing the eyes. As people say, “the eyes are the window of the soul.” All my portraits have something in common: the expression and the eyes.

My work is not simply copying a picture. It is a way for me to bring the paper to life, as if the drawing could speak. By focusing on the eyes and capturing them accurately, I give life to the portrait. In this way, I transform the act of seeing a picture into something more personal by adding my emotions and feelings.

Whenever I look at my drawings, I remember how I felt while creating them.

Kulturnest: Can you walk us through your creative process - from the first impulse to the final piece? What part of this process feels most essential to you?

Celine Kanaan: First, I choose my reference depending on how much the person matters to me. Most of my portraits are fan art, as I draw celebrities I like.

After selecting the reference, I start by sketching it lightly with a pencil. Then I soften the sketch and begin colouring the eyes, focusing on every detail. Once the eyes are complete, I move on to the lips, nose, and skin tone. Hair, clothing, and background, if needed, are done last.

My favourite part is drawing the eyes and lips because I can express my emotions through them. The most difficult part is details like jewellery, because they require a lot of precision and attention.

Kulturnest: How does your context - whether in Lebanon or as part of a diaspora - impact your work? What challenges and opportunities does it create?

Celine Kanaan: During times of war, I have noticed how universities, schools, and people sometimes lose motivation or pause their activities. This has encouraged me to never give up on drawing what I love. In difficult moments, drawing becomes my way of saying that I am still here, still creating, no matter the circumstances.

I am proud to be Lebanese, and I hope to inspire other young artists to develop their skills. I have not yet drawn Lebanese celebrities, but I would like to explore that in the future.

One challenge I face is finding the coloured pencils I use locally. I hope that Prismacolor pencils will become more available in Lebanon, so more artists can access and experiment with them.