Photo By Gail

Didn’t I promise you more Pink Barbie Things? Sure I did. This drawing of a pair of Pink Cowboy Boots, entitled Howdy, Barbie (2023) was created by London-based artist Gabriella Anouk. Part of the artist’s Barbie World series, the drawing was exhibited  for the first time at Riverside Studios in London for their premiere screening of Barbie the movie on July 21st.

Specializing in hyper-realist drawings using colored pencils, the artist considers this technique to be quite modern, compared to the use of oil paint, watercolor, and acrylic. When viewing her works, people initially assume they’re paintings, rather than drawings using multiple layers of pencil on paper. Each piece takes her hundreds of hours to complete.

Gabriella came up with the idea of drawing Barbie in 2022, before she knew anything about the movie coming out. She decided to put that series on hold, but started working on another series when press for the movie Barbie started to come out and the time was right. For six months, she frantically collected all of Barbie’s tiny accessories and began drawing them, aiming to draw as many of the accessories as she could. The pink cowboy boots are also a nod to the artist’s younger sister, who lives in Texas.

Howdy, Barbie is available to purchase in a limited addition of five prints, and sells for 6995 GBP, which includes the toy boots accessory. Likewise, if you’re interested in a one-of-a-kind drawing of your favorite Barbie accessory, Gabriella is offering a limited number of bespoke commissions for the series. You can contact her by email at info@gabriellaanouk.com.