Portraits in ink and water.

I'm Tracey Smith. I paint faces by hand in ink and watercolour — one wash at a time, following where the paint runs.

The work

I'm an award-winning fashion illustrator and live event artist based in Hackney, London, and a contributor to SHOWstudio. I've painted faces in ink and watercolour for years — each one begins wet, and I follow where the paint wants to go. No two ever come out the same.

Inky Faces is the series I keep coming back to. Originals are for sale and prints are available on request, and I run regular Inky Faces workshops — I post the dates on my Instagram.

The faces

Simone — watercolour ink portrait — Simone

Ophelia — watercolour ink portrait — Ophelia

Cicely — watercolour ink portrait — Cicely

Magda — watercolour ink portrait — Magda

Sylvie — watercolour ink portrait — Sylvie

Ottilie — watercolour ink portrait — Ottilie

Viola — watercolour ink portrait — Viola

Maude — watercolour ink portrait — Maude

Zelda — watercolour ink portrait — Zelda

Astrid — watercolour ink portrait — Astrid

Briony — watercolour ink portrait — Briony

Eloise — watercolour ink portrait — Eloise

Marchesa Luisa — watercolour ink portrait — Marchesa Luisa

Boudicea — watercolour ink portrait — Boudicea

Freya — watercolour ink portrait — Freya

Twiggy — watercolour ink portrait — Twiggy

Ariadne — watercolour ink portrait — Ariadne

Aurelia — watercolour ink portrait — Aurelia

Nanushka — watercolour ink portrait — Nanushka

Cordelia — watercolour ink portrait — Cordelia

Follow along

I post new faces and workshop dates on Instagram — come and watch them happen, from first wash to finished face.

@fashionbunnysmith