Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading

Double Dutch: Artist draws with both hands at once

Dutch artist Rajacenna van Dam is pictured while drawing with both hands simultaneously at her house in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - Some artists draw with their left hand and some with their right, but Dutch artist Rajacenna van Dam manages photo-like accuracy drawing with both simultaneously.

"I can go faster and it's also less boring," she says of her ambidextrous artistry.

It has also been a success, with views piling up on a YouTube time-lapse video of the 25-year-old artist drawing singer Taylor Swift and actress Selena Gomez simultaneously.

Dutch artist Rajacenna van Dam is pictured while drawing with both hands simultaneously at her house in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

Her most photo-like portraits in colored pencil take roughly 40 hours to complete.

As she draws, her eyes focus on one hand, then the other, as she moves from one picture to the other.

She began drawing seriously with colored pencils and gel pens at age 16, inspired by an Italian street artist.

Dutch artist Rajacenna van Dam is pictured while drawing with both hands simultaneously at her house in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, March 14, 2019. Picture taken March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

Naturally left-handed, she began drawing with her right hand about six months ago.

In addition to drawing famous people, she enjoys drawing fantasy scenes and also does commercial work, including a current commission for a line of Spanish merchandise.

Drawing has become her profession, but she is not ruling out developing other skills.

Dutch artist Rajacenna van Dam draws photo-realistic pencil portraits with both hands simultaneously is photographed at het house in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, March 14, 2019. Picture taken March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

"Recently I'm learning piano," she laughs. "But I'm not Mozart."

Dutch artist Rajacenna van Dam is pictured while drawing with both hands simultaneously at her house in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, March 14, 2019. Picture taken March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Jason Neely)

Photo-realistic pencil portrait made by artist Rajacenna is seen at her house in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, March 14, 2019. Picture taken March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.