WATCH: Could these really be drawings?

Imagine a portrait taking almost 800 hours to complete! That’s how long it can take Italian artist Emanuele Dascanio to complete one of his creations. Which isn’t hard to believe when you watch him work. His work comes to life through his use of both graphite and charcoal, and Dascanio often illuminates his subjects with a single source of light, typical of Renaissance art. That’s no coincidence, however, since Dascanio has studied oil painting and the techniques of the old Renaissance masters. His own style ends up being an arresting blend of the old and the new.