A ballpoint pen, a box of coloured pencils, a pair of sneakers, and a digital drawing tablet might seem like tools for entirely different creative projects. For Nigerian artist Patty, they are all opportunities to explore the same interest: making images. Known online as Patty Drew It, he works across traditional drawing, digital painting, illustration, and customised objects, frequently sharing portraits of musicians, footballers, and fictional characters. His portfolio includes interpretations of Nigerian singer Rema, international football personalities, and superheroes, alongside experiments with materials and techniques. What makes his practice interesting is not simply the variety of tools he uses, but his willingness to approach familiar subjects in different ways, learning how each medium changes the process and appearance of a finished artwork.

Portraiture occupies an important place in Patty's work. His illustrations of musicians and athletes explore the details that make a person recognisable, from facial structure and expression to hairstyles, clothing, and the way light falls across the face. In his digital portraits of Rema and football personalities, he uses colour, shading, and texture to interpret subjects whose appearances are already familiar to millions of people.

One of the more revealing aspects of Patty's portfolio is his exploration of different artistic materials. In a multi-medium showcase, he demonstrates work created using ballpoint pens, coloured pencils, markers, acrylic paint, and digital tools. Each material introduces its own possibilities and limitations. Ballpoint pens require careful control of lines and shading, while coloured pencils allow tones to develop gradually through layering. Markers encourage more immediate decisions about colour and shape, and acrylic paint introduces the physical qualities of pigment and brushwork. Digital painting offers another set of possibilities, allowing him to adjust colours, develop layers, and experiment with compositions throughout the process. By working across these materials, Patty can explore different methods of constructing an image rather than relying exclusively on a single technique. Patty's experiments also extend beyond paper and screens. His portfolio includes customised sneakers, bringing his painting skills to objects designed for everyday use. Working on footwear presents a different challenge from making an illustration on a flat surface. The artwork must accommodate curved forms, stitching, panels, and the materials used to construct the shoe. Composition becomes particularly important because the finished design will be viewed from several angles rather than from a single fixed position. These projects demonstrate how illustration can become part of a functional object, giving an ordinary item a more personal appearance. They also expand the possibilities of his practice, connecting his interest in painting with fashion and customisation.

Alongside his finished illustrations, Patty shares aspects of his creative process, allowing viewers to see how his images develop. This documentation offers a useful perspective on work that can appear effortless when encountered only in its completed form. Constructing a portrait involves decisions about proportions, colour, lighting, and texture, often requiring repeated adjustments before the image feels complete. His experiments with different materials also reveal how much the process changes depending on the tools involved. A ballpoint pen drawing develops differently from a digital oil painting, even when both begin with the same subject. By sharing these stages, Patty gives other artists and interested viewers a closer look at the practical work involved in illustration, while documenting his own continuing exploration of the craft.

Patty's work reflects an interest in both the subjects he chooses and the different ways he can represent them. His portraits of musicians and athletes demonstrate his attention to likeness and detail, while his superhero illustrations allow for more imaginative interpretations of familiar characters. His traditional drawings, digital paintings, and customised sneakers reveal a practice that is not restricted to one material or format. Across these projects, the recurring activity is experimentation: taking an idea, choosing a medium, and discovering what can be achieved with it. For Patty, the process of making art appears to be as important as the finished image. Whether he is working with a pen, a brush, or a digital drawing tool, he continues to explore the possibilities of illustration through the simple act of making something new.