Amanda-Clearcreek Local School District student Brant Bliss is a triple-threat: a high-achieving student, a basketball point guard and an artist. At only 12 years old, Brant has won multiple awards for his charcoal portraits of historical figures at school arts competitions and Arts in the Alley.
This year, Brant earned second place for the Middle School 6-8 Media 2-D category with his piece JFK Graphite. Previously, he won the Youth Art Show’s Best of Show in 2022 and People’s Choice in 2021 with his drawings of historical figures.
Through these competitions, Brant’s work has been recognized and commended for his growth. His family is very supportive of his art, and his parents consistently encourage him to enter competitions and hang his awards in the family dining room.
Brant started his art journey when he was 3 years old. One of his first drawings was a full-body 3-D drawing of Spider-Man with a No. 2 pencil and lined paper. His mom, Kristin, who has been a portrait photographer for 13 years, says she immediately recognized the uniqueness of his talents.
“I was like, ‘That seems crazy that a 3-year-old could see that and put that on paper.’ At that point, that was the drawing where I was like, ‘I think we might have an artist,’” Kristin says.
Courtesy of Kristin Bliss
Brant with Steven Atkinson
Brant began drawing portraits when he was 7 years old, learning from YouTube tutorials from artists like Steven Atkinson Fine Art. Atkinson even reached out to Brant and invited him to his studio when the Bliss family visited Arizona.
While he enjoys studying and learning from other artists, Brant has developed a unique style of his own.
“I think I add my own (style). I use cross-hatching a lot, so I use that more than other people,” Brant says.
Brant’s first historical portrait was of Abraham Lincoln, who has become one of his favorite historical people to draw. He says his most recent recreation of Lincoln is his favorite to date, as it shows his growth as an artist. He has also drawn Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Frederick Douglass. Brant says Roosevelt was requested by his Instagram followers, and he and his mom think it is his best and most detailed work, worthy of its Best in Show title last year.
He is heavily inspired by history. His family visited George Washington’s home in Virginia, and he began to draw the first American president soon after.
“I always liked history and stuff, like presidents, and I just thought it was going to be cool if I drew them,” Brant says.
Brant continues to utilize tutorials and reference images, even referencing his past work to guide how he wants to accomplish different techniques. His former art teacher, Mrs. Bryant, also continues to offer feedback to help him grow as an artist.
Brant is particularly proud of his ability to show depth and dimension in his works, which is a rare quality for such a young artist.
“It’s something that people mentioned a lot, that for his age, usually you can’t even see that yet,” Kristin says.
He has also dabbled in other mediums, such as markers, paint and chalk. His floral chalk drawing earned him a nomination for the Helena McComb Award at Arts in the Alley in 2021.
Even more impressively, Brant only practices in small – but intense – bursts every couple of months. Each work takes him two to four hours of undivided time and attention, as he sits in a quiet room to capture every detail.
Kristin calls him a “little raging artist,” because inspiration comes in surges as he finishes a drawing within a few hours and self-motivates to keep getting better.
Outside of art, Brant enjoys playing basketball for exercise and teamwork. He also enjoys history and English classes because he says they focus on stories and share similarities with art.
In the future, Brant says he wants to continue to pursue art and study at The Ohio State University.
If you want to see more of Brant Bliss’ work and watch him craft his drawings, follow his art journey on Instagram: @littlerembrant
Jane Dimel is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
