PaperFaces project
PaperFaces was an illustration project by designer Michael Rose — hey that’s me! For two years I drew the faces of strangers everyday using only an iPad, a stylus, and the app Paper by WeTransfer.
The following gallery of drawings shows how my technique has evolved over the years. Most posts include work in progress screenshots or time-lapse videos showing my process.

Hair Scarf

Unstoppable Hand

Bokeh Behind that Purple

Unfinished except the nose

Broken Neck Lines

...I feel cold. Death.

Bearded skull of the night

White Eyes Glow Sometimes

Driving Sunset

Red vs Green

The Battle Within

Live long and prosper

Rosebuds in Blur

Flipped Shirt

Oh Eye Dunno

Bubble Bubble

Violet Moon

Rabbit Rabbit

See Right Through Me

Drape Fold the Shoulder

From Blue to Fuchsia

Pull My Lips

The Dark Knight Rises

Tiger Style

The Killing Joke

Hooded Girl that Hides

You Need a Mouth to Mumble

Let's get spooky

Winter ready

A beard that hides

Rosebuds in the pumpkin patch

White room with gray

He Did It. No He Did It!

Landscape of the Apocalypse

A face that hides

Beer and Pretzel

Portrait winner number 3

I Really Enjoy Gray Part 199

Portrait Winner Number 1

Revisiting the first PaperFace

Groomed Beard Blur

Still Faking Pencil with Pencil

Faking pencil with Pencil

Blue green grin

Fine Line Glasses

Lid Flip

Wind Blown Guile Hair

LEGO Man

Soft and Light

Vampires that Sparkle

A Drawing of a Ghost

By himself

Data is such a card

Visible pencil strokes

Chalkboard Words

Ska Killer

The Littlest Avenger

Blue is the Warmest Color

Bright Yellow

Girl and Cat

Watercolor Shades

Fuzzy Sweater

Isn’t easy being green

This Dog Stole My Hat

Half and Half

Wild hair

The twins turn two

This Shirt Has a Lot of Lines

Very Painterly

Faking a bokeh again

Hoodie Fight

Architecture in Gray

Hats up glamour shot

Suited up beardo

Union Jack

Hint of a bird’s wing

White Rooms Always

Black tie on white

What do you see?

Chalk Lines

Earbud buds

Mountain Posing

Orange and blue beart

Pixelated glasses

Ripped jeans

Smile directed at 270 degrees

Red stripe

Smiley beard

White ringed eyes

Four lights

Get to the choppah

Riddle me this

The darkness

A classic pose

Off camera glance

Rosey cheeks, green shadows

Sharks have fins

Heard you like eyes

White light blur

Cloud dancer

Hoodies and architecture

Wall of light

How much is that doggy in the window?

Foliage lurking in the dark

Balancing act

Stop staring at me

Chloe, 22 months

Everly, 22 months

Thumbs up, cool hat

Glasses cast shadows

Sideways drawing

Toss of the hair

Glasses of the gray

All alone

I am utterly alone

Zombie face

Curls of orange

Coffee mug bokeh

All for money

Brick wall

Public transportation

Smoke if ya got ’em

Happy doll

Lurking behind Domo

Your shirt is unbuttoned

Grumpy cat

In a gray room

Plaid against the wall

Stripes and shadow

Ukulele and bikes

Beard chin on green

Guitar shredding

Sass in shadow

Days of Future Past

Eyes up

Half lit diagonals

Sun hat

An unlit cig can't kill you

Blue eyes wrapped in blue

Cloud and mountain pr0n

Open the Pod bay doors, HAL

Intense eye

Live long and prosper

Scruffy beard revisited

Soft spot light

Stylin' pose

Artist in gray

Scarf and blazer

Flipped lid

Hair in your eyes

I'm the firestarter

Crazy eye

Sniff sniff

Die, Jedi, die!

Hand on hand

Here goes nothing

It's a trap!

You were the chosen one!

And now, young Skywalker... you will die.

Jedi scum

I know

Black cat Cadillac

An upward tilt

Matilda Jane Rosebuds

Soft blur to the right

Snake bites

45 degree tilt

Open eyes

Beard over the shoulder

Lip lick

Vintage cool

Warm Face

Buttoned up in a sweater

Hello face

Wearing Glass like a boss

The Declaration of Independence is mine

Beard envy

Posterized in yellow

Spelling mistakes

One year

Hug the moon

Jean jacket rock

Blank stare

Collars up

Hold up

Graduation Two

Causing chaos

The sun casts pale light

Hoodie and a glow

A hair flower without color

Beauty is in the moment

Climbing mountains

Le hockey sur glace

Cello, is it me you're looking for?

Painted nails

Breathing underwater

Cousin It

Bashful hair

Over the shoulder

Red glow

Bashful hair on Sktchy

Direct sunlight and bokeh part 2

King of pop

Direct sunlight and bokeh

Drinks in gray

The one who knocks

Thinking

Weather appropriate

Car ride reflections

Walter White look a like?

The color of ice

Illusion of the eye

Little one x2

Twinkling lights from Paris

Suit doesn't match the name

Leather jacket

Hat halo

Bright colors and bokeh

Front faced gaze

Hand tats

Killer clown

Getting realistic with gray

Killer curled stache

Green strikes the glasses

Blood prayers

A slight grin

Gray stripes in gray light

Ribbit ribbit

Sweaters are sweeter

Focusing on the glasses

Redhead in shadow

Painting contrast in gray

A gray day

A scenic view of The Mokes

An awkward stare

Smile and blush

Rugged hat in sunlight

The littlest panda

Beard at an angle

Graduation in the sun

A revisit in gray

Punch something

Rose tinted sunglasses

Eyes that pierce

Lit in profile

Weathered wood

Blood bath

Curls at the beach

Yellow shirt and blur

Peekaboo halved

Thin stripes in gray

Forest lighting

Ears covered in sounds

Looking forward

Polka dot draws

That weathered look

Blizzard protection

Details in the sunglasses

Looking soft in her blizzard protection

Black cap

Fancy shear and flowers

Bird back

Glitching out

Red sweatshirt, I think

Semi erased

Motorcycle jacket in soft focus

Feather necklace

Bundled up in red

Mirrored faces

Overhead halo

Sometimes you need to add blue

Orange you glad I didn't…

Bird cage faux forest

Upside down draws

Reflected orange light

Riding in cars with yellow and blue hues

White hair

Long locks of curl

Black and white bangs

Fake mountains

First face of 2014

Green bokeh

Pink sweater

Dolphin whisperer

Half peekaboo

Sweater weather

Rosebud twins on Christmas

Purple frames

Shoulder riders

Spiderwebs and dew drops

Winter cap in the street

Capturing all the details

Old timey brothers

Softly lit full face

Little one in the orange bow

Happy family

Movember is over

Polka dot drape

Purple strands and specs

Winter faces

Best man

Rohan robber

Not a club

Afterglow face blurs

For the flowers against pink

Grayscale and Pencil and Blend oh my!

Bright whites

SNIKT!

Undercut inspiration

Drawing in shadows

Fire tipped hair

Painterly orange wall

Rated blue for bright

Reason 2 live

The color of gravy

Time Travelers

Two fer

Zipped up by sea

Raining hearts

Eyes on the prize

Ghosting faces

Kitty on the shoulder

Only god forgives

Birdie by a cage

Drawing in the shadows

I caught a fish this big

All snuggled up

Blue beanie monkey

Drawing with DayGlo

Red brick hair

Blue cool

Thor and his big hammer

QR coded

An exercise in gray

Stylized yellow flowers

The kids and their Final Fantasies

Look up smile

Sun dress

Hairs on fire

Hey Darkman, how do you like your steaks?

Half light, half dark

Locked in a pink room

Remember kids, always wear your safety belt

Rock and roll

Yankees cap

Cat familiar

Kissy kissy

7 heads, 3 backsides, and one plumber's crack

Can you find the penquin?

Geometry down the hall

Overlooking red

Sippy sip from the big cup

Wood grain practices

5 shades of pink

The sky ran red with blood

Triforce of Courage

Yellow sleeveless

Scarfie selfies

Side hoodies of gray

Another happy couple

Dramatic lighting in a suit

Balance is everything

Drawing geometry

I want your skulls

Tilted

Three stars

Halfsies

Pink tips

Maps and earbuds

Monitor reflections

That old time photo look

Plaid is the new plaid, get it?

Scattering light through a hat

Happy Anniversary

Half a shadow hawk

Pondering

Basement dweller

Goatee at the wall

Smile for Lady Liberty

A pipe smoking velociraptor walks into a bar…

Wild and furry

Look at this view!

Wrapped around

Backlit colors

Looking up

Peace sign

Hold up your iPhone in honor of iOS 7

Jean Jacket Rocks x2

Google Glass fancy future

Hair in braids

Hat tip in gray

Magenta and beard on a tilt

Sitting in grass

Spooky kids

Woof! Cuddle in gray

Computing on a computer

Eye spy with my golf ball eye

Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin

Brightly in blue

Is that a hanging noose?

Patterns of plaid

Gray values in a four inch square

Happy in red

Missing plastic chairs

America Eff Yeah!

Beard by the beach

It's hard to stare without eyes

Lean back and relax

Shirtless in gray

Spooky sepia lighting

Cyborg

G is for Grrrape

Long hair and lips

Naturally lit with sunlight

War paint

Feet up relaxin'

Lower right corner

Overlooking the water

Think Different

Going light on the color

Pixelated beard

Stripes in the trees

Back to drawing color

White highlights in gray

Fiesta!

Smile, you're on candid camera

Dramatic mustache

Hooded figure

Some of my favorite colors

Summer popsicle

Curls in the sun

Mohawk in gray

A birthday bokeh

Folding a menu in a gray room

Hoodies from the future

Looks like an airplane window

Painterly backdrop and beard

Plant something

Invisibility is a white shirt on a white wall

A gaggle of big headed hipsters

Low contrast is the best contrast

Mountains or hill tops?

Sitting on the beach at sunset

Sidewalk stroll

Blurry foliage portrait

Intersecting lines and long hair

Tying ties in the woods

A pixelated hoodie and face

Long walks on the beach

Drawing hairs before midnight

Half of this drawing is blonde hair

A face of pixels

Trading drawings for a feature

Another eye and half face

A full face in low contrast

Curly hair in a knit hat

Posterization

Dramatic contrast and a hint of smile

Curly hair on the grass

Rotated the composition

Chillin' at the game

Painterly skylines

Shading hair with blue and magenta

Holding a bottle by a wall of mellow light

Look ma, I'm a SIM!

Wanna fight?

Full half face

Ghost faces by a spiraling staircase

Blurring backgrounds and curling hair

Busy streets drawn less chaotic

Faking light leakages and green hats

No eyes, 95% face

Hats in a car

Some sort of furry

Flickering lights of rain

Wind blowing blue green skies

All flipped up

Blue tinted eye

Look up, the sky is falling

Long hair in black and white

On the gray everything is enhanced

Using your imagination to see a smile

Neon look of blue and green

Horse head drinky the beer

Nose ring smirk

Winking, but you can't tell

Blanket party with puppy

Eye eye captain

Orange and blue

PaperFaces portrait of Mates of State

Hey, my eyes are up here!

Hungry for a knuckle sandwich?

Long hair in a dark room

Please excuse the face, sometimes I draw them

Shirt and tie in black and white

Sun lights the hair in a bokeh filled afternoon

Google Glass, I am from the future

PaperFaces portrait of a Go master

Brand New shirt pulling a light switch

Floating head in grayscale

Long hair near them stairs

Look up, graffiti wall and sunglasses

A PaperFaces Thank You for FiftyThree

Work shirting it

Overcast day at the beach

She said yes

PaperFaces self portrait of Michael Rose

Brightly colored by the sky

For my next trick…

Glowing glasses made from glowsticks

Purple glow

365th PaperFaces portrait

Blouse made of turquoise

Kind of looks like Slenderman no?

Working in grayscale is totally my jam

Grinning in front of a red curtain

PaperFaces portrait of Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk

At the salon

Goatee reflected glasses

Scarf beard

Put a bird on it

Deal with it

A Mother's Day PaperFaces portrait of @veganwendy

A couple of war paint faces

Hold the iPhone steady as you frame your shot

Muted tones in a cozy sweater

Long hair with a slight curl

PaperFaces portrait of Iron Man

Remember to always wear a helmet

Long flowing fire hair

Dressed up all fancy

Mute colored wall

Thumbs up Giants

PaperFaces portrait of Boba Fett

PaperFaces portrait of Chewbacca and Princess Leia

PaperFaces portrait of Darth Vader

PaperFaces portrait of Slave Leia and Jabba the Hutt

PaperFaces portrait of Yoda and Luke Skywalker

Blazer and t-shirt

Long hair outside in nature

Pew Pew Pew!

Pink mohawk

Speaking at a conference

Blonde hair in red

Dark hair in gray

Faux pipe smoking in a sweet hat

Glasses in red hair

Grayscale mustache

In a blue wintery scene

Mail Chimp shirt at the bowling alley

Pretty sunset

Sideways down on a red leather couch

Tattooed in trees

Wearing a cheetah print headband

Bride and groom posing by a trolley car… I think

Curly hair drawn in sepia tones

In shadow on an overcast day

Restaurant green lights the hair

Shirtless military

Getting grabby at those heart shaped glasses

Glasses wearing a pair of headphones

In shadows with dramatic lighting

Long brown hair

Neon green short sleeve shirt

PaperFaces portrait of the in-laws

Shag cut in plaid

Beard wearing a bowtie

Glasses wearing houndstooth

Slenderman look a like?

Glasses wearing v-neck

Guy and gal all bloodied up

Long curly hair in a red scarf

Red hoodie and glasses in the shadows

Against striped walls

Backpacking in a scarf

Black and white face in shadow

Glasses in a washed out palette

Violets and purples

Blue Man Group look-a-like

Cat face bathroom selfie

Developer slash designer

Knit hat wearing sunglasses

No eyes, bright red lipstick

Painted joker smile

Side swept in a hoodie

Don't I know this guy from somewhere…

Hair drawn like fire

Holding a Twister DVD

Lips in a dull green hoodie

Scuba mask underwater

Blonde in the dark cuddling a white pussy cat

Blue dress curved

Bug furry hat

Holding a camera in front

Illustrated in purble and blue tones

Long hair wearing a fashionable scarf

Mouth open in muted tones

Red and purple illuminated side

Tight winter hat

Bacon mustached

Circles behind grayscale

Drinking from a red plastic cup

In a suit

Long hair and blue striped shirt

Orange tones

Large goggles in black and white

Mustache sitting in the dark

Pink hoodie hearted hand

Rosey cheeks against an illustrative background

Winter wonderland couple outside

Blonde up against a dark red background

Bowtie and nerd glasses

Long hair purple and red highlights

More metal than a toaster

Van dyke moustachio drinking cat

Beard in golden yellow tones

High contrast beautiful long hair

Long black hair and dark clothing

Tony Stark look-a-like

V-neck in black and white

Dark jacket looking downward

Playing strings in the forest

S basecball cap in black and white

Glasses with red headphones

The king has risen

Dramatic looking gray bricks

Glasses wearing a plaid scarf

In front of an ornate frame and candle holder

Pink and bright violet tones

Plaid shirt leaning against a blue wall

Sunglasses in black and white

Black and white 3/4 view

Guy and his gal in Washington DC

Happy couple and their two dogs

Long hair against a bright red background

Purple long sleeve dress shirt

Sunglasses chilling in the street

3/4 pose

Fire fighter

Happy couple sitting on the grass

Three boys sitting side by side

Couple in front of water

Plaid in front of some architecture

Suit in a landscape

In a hat, but not a cowboy

In sunglasses

Light orange toned background

Long hair in grayscale

In shadows, black and white

MiemZzz drawn in black and white

In a black motorcycle jacket

In a gray hoodie

Jumping really high in the blue sky

Long hair and red lipstick

Long hair wearing a striped shirt

Black and white beard

Glasses and short hair

In a hat

Yellow and violet tones

Glasses in front of green water

Short hair and red lipstick

In a scarf thinking lots of orange hues

In a suit and hat talking mobile phones

Sunglasses with green stuffed animal

Hand eyes with a curly mustache

Laying on a blanket at the beach

Listening to music, window style

Yellow and blue tones

Batman and his girl

Blonde hair taking a selfie

Sunglasses with side swiped hair

Yellow lime colored shirt

Ferris wheel at night

Furry hat snuggling a Siamese cat

High brightness front view

Self portrait of the scruffy artist

Standing in a field of sunflowers

Swallow neck tattoos and glasses

Wearing a bright orange knit hat

A couple

A man and his dog

Big grin on those orange hues

Camo hat and floral wallpapers

Dramatic lighting in a brown room

Fancy pants hat tip

Flower girl in a grass field

Frosty blue snowflake bokeh

Goatee earlobe tugging

Gray and blue striped hoodie

Gray tones and striped shirts

Holding a baby on a leather couch

iPhone holding purple blouse

Just married mustache lip disguises

Long hair in violet

Long hair leaning forward

Raiden wins. Flawless victory!

Steam punk aesthetic, in a hat

The big man in red

Framed stuck tongue

Plaid in glasses

3/4 view against an orange background

3/4 view in rust tones

A study in gray

Cap, eye glasses, and tie

Drawing in black and white

I wear my sunglasses at night…

In a blue dress shirt

Long flowing hair in a red tank top

Looking at a mobile device intensely

Man of Steel

Muted Tones in an Earthy Room

Pasta strainer over the head

Plain white T, another study in gray

Sitting in the dark wearing a hoodie

Yellow and blue stripes, view from below

Bearded sir in a striped scarf

Drinking wine in an argyle sweater

Floral dress outside the steps

High contrast blue and yellow composition

High contrast blue and yellow composition part deux

The iPad has become a face

Wearing a green knit hat

Beret in black

Brightly colored hair

Dr. Who Superfan

Holding a fan in sepia tones

In front of a lime green background

Standing in front of vines and branches

In a car at night

In front of a face

Black and white, full frame

Drawn in black and white

Jean jacket and hood

Silhouette of a man

Smiling girl

Sweaters in office cubes

Wearing a suit

Goofy grey cat

Black and white wearing a hood

Brick wall beard

Doing video editing in a theater

Fellow iPad illustrator

Full sleeve of tattoos

Girl in dark, in front of a blue background

Sitting on some steps in black and white

Standing in front of wood paneling

Wearing an orange safety cone can be fun

Epic beard

Girl in gray

Blonde black and white

Clapping. Let's clap.

Dark haired girl in purple

Dude with a beard

In a nice suit

In front of a rock wall

Upside down

Dark hair, red lips

Metal, dark hair

Muted tones

Rockin' some Spotify tunes in a scarf

Water pistol

3/4 view in grayscale

Blue shirt

Bright red lips

In a black top

Sunglasses and a hoodie

Curly locks of hair

iPhone man in a suit

Life guard smoking a cigar

Long Hair Faceless in Grayscale

Dark hair and glasses

Face mask without the face

Glasses and dark spikes

Goatee and blue v-neck shirt

In front of book shelves

Lady in red

Wearing an orange afro

What do vegan werewolves eat?

Heart shaped earrings

Suit and tie against gray

Wear a scarf in this moody lit room

Black and white bearded fella wearing glasses

Black and white stubble

Blue collard shirt with muted backdrop

That's a really large @

Black and white glasses hat

Long hair spaghetti straps

Pink stripes against blue backdrops

Sports cap in a gray room

Sunglass chillin friends

Adorned with a flower

All suited up

Dude in blue

In gray on a bridge in the wilderness

Red shirt on a train

Sunglasses and bangs

Unicorn hair flowing on the floor

Kids in 3D glasses and red hats

Short hair, pink bangs

Solar flares and blue lighting

Big black glasses

Black and white beard formal

Bright lighting and glasses

Dangling earrings

Girl with the curl, and some geese

Monochromatic blue goatee

White headphone chillaxin

Black and white girl

LA cap on the beach

Red lips and top

Surprise face hiding in a sweater

Baby in light blue

Free Boosie

Resting glasses

Vamped out in costume

Orange hat

Red hair, green sunglases, not quite Christmas

Sweep the leg Johnny

Bearded fella in a car

Black and white closeup of an eye

Bokeh of light colors

On a boat!

Smiling in a dark room, does anyone see you?

Stretched ears and brick walls

Beard and pink hat

Happy beard in plaid

Purple lollipop and sunglasses gal

Blue backgrounds

Dark hair

Striped swimsuit on the beach

Goatee

Hoodies and beards, a perfect combination

Mother and little one

Scuba diving gear

Sunglasses near some toxic looking water yo!

Dramatic lighting and a white hoodie

Light blue hoodie

Cookie monster on the shirt

Oink oink, blue pig mask

Smiling with a hat

Big sunglasses on the beach

Camera and spooky lighting

White car and sunglasses

Wine and cheese

Beard and black v-neck shirt

Dark hair and eye glasses

Fiery blond hair curling about

Girl balancing on a log in the forest

Long blonde hairs in front of a brick wall

Remember when he was on Shark Tank?

Wearing a backpack

Black and white in a long overcoat

Dramatic plaid angle

Girl with blonde hair smiling outside

Hiding behind a decorative fan

In blue, in glasses, sitting by some photographs

Water and skyline

A dude and his dog

Black and white sir in dark shirt

Black and white with the city making lights

Cropped face

Dark hat and flannel coat

Fancy is a purple dress

FIU banners away

Nintendo is mind control

Pilot headset

Sitting in gray

Wearing a hoodie and 3D glasses

Black and white iPhone selfie

Bright and muted colors

Low contrast at the beach

Purple shirted sir

Dressed up in the car

Long hair and geometric patterns

Taking selfies

Lens flared friend

Lifting up a white dress in a purple room

Long hair and forearm tattoos

Mona Lisa caricature

Red hair and full of smiles

Sepia toned beard

Sketchy strokes, short dark haired fella

Sunglasses at the beach

Red backdrop and beard

Hey scruffy beard, double exposure self portrait

The first PaperFaces portrait
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