Would you have the patience and persistence to put in 250 intense hours to create a pencil sketch? Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? In 2020, Keegan Hall, a well-known artist, awed netizens with his mesmerizing pencil sketch. Aptly named “Taking Flight,” this marvelous sketch captures the nail-biting moment of Michael Jordan, the legendary basketball player, jumping up in the air to score a basket. It took the artist over 250 hours of intricate, meticulous, and dedicated workmanship to achieve its photo-realistic perfection!

“Taking Flight”: A Graphite Masterpiece by Keegan Hall

“Taking Flight” is considered one of Keegan Hall’s creative showpieces. It reflects his eye for detail in capturing complex intricacies while creating magic on a blank canvas. The resultant sketch is a hyper-realistic work of art that looks like a black-and-white photograph clicked with a high-definition camera. It is nothing short of perfect! If seen from a distance, it would be hard to believe that it is a hand-drawn artwork.

The drawing depicts Michael Jordan in action for his team, the Chicago Bulls, while the excited audience is on the edge of their seats, eager to see him score a basket. The details added in the background to this high-adrenaline moment are mind-boggling. Do not miss the light shining on the floor with the people’s reflections in it! If you look carefully, you will also see someone’s phone flashing in the distant background! This picture-perfect detailing deserves a loud shoutout, as Hall uses nothing other than pencils to create magic on canvas.

The Making of a Masterpiece: Keegan Hall’s Time-lapse Video

In 2020, when Keegan Hall uploaded the output of his incredible sketch on social media, people refused to believe that this was a hand-drawn artwork as it was too perfect for that to be true! They claimed it could be one of those intelligent camera tricks clicked with a high-definition camera. To prove the authenticity of his work, Keegan Hall uploaded an enticing time-lapse video that captured different stages of his impeccable creation and showcased the entire process from an empty canvas to its climax.

This five-minute time-lapse video in fast-forward mode begins with Hall drawing on a blank canvas, a white paper sheet taped to a table. He first sketches Michael Jordan jumping in the air, preparing to dunk the ball, and slowly adds stunning background details of the audience while capturing all their emotions. When the camera zooms in as Keegan Hall begins developing the outlines, you are sure to be awestruck by the perfection of this skilled artist. Towards the end, when he completes his showpiece, you can also see the panning shots of the sketch.

In his social media post, Keegan Hall mentioned that the “behind-the-scenes” video of this sketch was the longest video he had ever captured!

Keegan Hall’s Work Leaves a Lasting Impression on the Viewers

No sooner did people realize that it was indeed the authentic work of a gifted artist, they couldn’t stop going gaga over it. The output looked too unreal, and the surprised netizens were indeed awestruck and absolutely amazed by the skill and talent of the artist.

The responses to this five-minute-long stunning video were overwhelmingly positive. As of February 2023, the time-lapse video garnered over one million views. The viewers expressed their admiration for this hyper-realistic artwork and praised the artist for his exquisitely detailed sketch. Within a short span of time, the video went viral as it was shared extensively across social media platforms. The viewers praised not only his unique talent but also his dedication to achieving this output.

Keegan Hall has also drawn stunning sketches of Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and LeBron James, another legendary basketball player.