Welcome to the Matthew Bell Collective Gallery After more than 10 years of sharing my art with customers across South Africa and around the world, I am excited to say I have opened my own...

Birdwatching is something I have been passionate about since I was young and is a hobby I find very rewarding. South Africa’s biodiversity makes it one of the world's best birdwatching destinations, offering an incredible...

In light of the recent (ish) release of my 'Collection Of South African Birds' poster I thought it would be fitting to focus this months blog on an aspect of my art that I really love, drawing...

My latest original drawing: ‘Lioness Portrait’ is of a beautiful lioness, photographed in Chobe, Botswana. Chobe also happens to be one of my favourite places in the world to visit, with its incredible array of...

My process of drawing a beautiful African Wild Dog portrait. I generally do not have a specific, strict process in completing my original drawings, however over time I have developed certain skills and techniques that...

I love travelling. I have been lucky enough to see many different parts of the world and I always say that travel is one of the best forms of 'life education'. However, still the best...

One of the most recognizable characteristics of my art is that it is very realistic. I have always enjoyed the challenge of making a subject look as realistic as possible and this is also one...

The above title is one of the most common questions I get asked about my art. I used to jokingly answer: no, I just ask the animals to please stand still for me but after...

Many pencil artists use only graphite (greyscale, the 'HB's etc.) pencils for their artworks and stay well away from colour pencils. Personally, I love the variation of using both, and most of the time will...

I often get asked if I do commissions and unfortunately, most of the time the answer is no. I am very specific about what I choose to draw and therefor spend a lot of time...

Fun fact: the only other medium I use, apart from pencils is a milky pen! Sometimes this just does the trick, especially with certain finishing touches. In the photo you can see the light streaks...