Ryan Tepich (b. 1988) is an artist who works with pen and marker, pastel and charcoal. His drawing process adheres strictly to a set of personal rules that reflects an outlook that emphasizes the micro-scalar. Tepich’s drawings are labor intensive with obsessive attention to minute details. They are notable for their perfect finish and tactile nature. These works take shape gradually through a multi-step process in which Tepich meticulously layers lines of increasing thickness upon each other. This intensely formal technique leaves little room for the coincidental, giving it special status.

 

Despite its intense detailing, however, Tepich’s drawings leave considerable room for the viewer to fill in his or her own textures, colorings and other details–rather than presenting a factual reality, Tepich creates an illusion that, though complete, leaves just enough unstated that one is obliged to complete the image in one’s own head. Tepich’s work covers many notable images from the history of art, as well as intricate studies of human characters. The artist lives in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood and enjoys quiet activities at home, such as cooking and walking his dog, when he is not in the studio. He joined Project Onward in 2007.