Plenty of folks out there can draw, each with their own unique style and skill. But recently, a Japanese artist named Cocomaru (@Cocomaru_S) blew up on X with a creation that's truly next-level. Their subject? None other than the iconic "Liquid Metal Slime" from the classic RPG series, Dragon Quest. What's wild is that the entire piece was done using only colored pencils, yet the hyperrealistic 3D texture makes it look anything but hand-drawn. This incredible artwork has captivated countless netizens.
Cocomaru is no stranger to crafting hyperrealistic pieces with colored pencils. The inspiration for this particular Liquid Metal Slime? A super cute crane game prize that was just begging to be drawn! While the artwork itself was actually completed back in 2021, Cocomaru recently reshared it with the hashtag "#アナログはいいぞ" (Long Live Hand-Drawn Art). The photo shows five colored pencils (plus one black pencil) next to the drawing, though the artist admits to using a few more. All in all, the masterpiece took roughly 50 hours to finish.
The most meticulous aspects of the drawing are undoubtedly the 3D and transparent light and shadow effects. Take the "protruding" upper edge, for example: it's not actually a separate piece of paper. Instead, Cocomaru cut away the surrounding area, leaving a blank space, then subtly blended in a touch of brown. This clever trick allows the color of the table underneath to naturally show through, making the slime look incredibly lifelike.
As soon as the piece dropped, it was met with a flood of amazed comments: "This is too good! It can't be a drawing, right?" and "That transparency is divine!" Cocomaru themselves was pleasantly surprised by the massive reaction, stating, "I've shared my work before, but this is the first time it's gotten such a huge response. I'm really happy!"
To recreate metallic luster and texture to this degree truly puts Cocomaru in the master class. You can find plenty more of their incredible work on their X account, so if you're impressed, definitely go check it out!
