Description

The inspiring true story of the self-made, Bronx-born portraitist who overcame all odds to become the most followed artist on social media worldwide�featuring 20 original black-and-white ink drawings of the people, places, and things that made him who he is.

Devon Rodriguez talks to strangers: his subway sketches and person-on-the-street interviews have earned him millions of followers. His hyperrealistic work demonstrates the power of portraiture to help us see ourselves and each other. He�s a new-school influencer with old-school talent.

Now, the celebrated Bronx-born artist turns his perspective inward. When Rodriguez was a child, art became an escape from devastating abuse, drugs, and poverty. It was also a currency that helped him stay out of trouble. This fascinating memoir is a twenty-first-century fable about a young man with a pencil, a phone, and a relentless drive to succeed.

Instead of following the conventional route to art world prestige, he saw opportunity online, sharing his work in bite-sized TikTok videos that after many experiments went viral, making him one of the top influencers of his generation. An entrepreneur who makes art accessible to everyday people, he�s succeeded without gallery representation or a Yale degree.

Devon has now sketched over a thousand people. With this book, he delivers his most precise and moving portrait yet: of himself. Frank, profound, and occasionally hilarious, it�s motivational magic for the digital age.