Have you ever heard the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words"? Well, it's definitely true for the work of teen artist Tyler Gordon. Tyler paints faces—amazing faces that tell the stories of some of the most famous people in the world. At 15 years old, Tyler has painted over 500 portraits of icons and heroes. His artwork has earned him praise from high-profile celebrities—and even a high-ranking politician. Now, he's using his talent to inspire creativity and encourage other kids to reach for the stars.
The road to greatness hasn't been easy for Tyler. He was born with a hearing impairment. While surgery at age 6 restored some of his hearing, it left him with a stutter. Tyler was bullied in school, which made him afraid to speak. Eventually, though, he found another way to express himself.
"Sometimes I can't talk and get words out, so I speak through my art," Gordon told Time Magazine. "My art gives me power to be myself."
Tyler began painting at 10 years old, after begging his mother to let him enter an art competition at school. His mom, Nicole Kindle (an artist herself) gave Tyler some supplies, and he painted a black and white portrait of his school principal. His mother was astonished at how good the painting was, and she wasn't the only one. Tyler won the contest!
Though Kindle was surprised at her son's talent, she may have had something to do with it. Kindle used to paint at night. Tyler was supposed to be asleep, but he would get out of bed and sneak down the hall to watch her put brush to canvas. Sometimes he'd fall asleep on the hallway floor.
Tyler creates portraits using "shadow painting." He doesn't paint fine details like wrinkles or freckles. Instead, he uses dark colors to paint shadows. He leaves parts of the canvas blank—or uses light colors—to mimic how the light hits the person's face. Tyler's paintings are big, bold, and larger than life.
And people love it. Celebrities from basketball player Kevin Durant to singer Janelle Monae have hired Tyler to paint their portraits. His work has sold at auctions, too, for up to $100,000. In 2020, Tyler was selected as a finalist for Time Magazine's "Kid of the Year." Later, the magazine asked him to paint a portrait of LeBron James for the cover of its "Athlete of the Year" issue.
Tyler has been praised by many other well-known admirers. They include Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Hart, and Janet Jackson. But, according to him, nothing compares to the surprise phone call he got from one famous fan, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a time-lapsed video of Tyler painting a portrait of Harris went viral. Harris was so impressed that she called Tyler to congratulate him.
Today, Tyler aims to help kids overcome their own challenges through art. He has over 50,000 followers on Instagram, where he posts weekly how-to videos. Tyler's advice is simple: Do what you're good at and what you enjoy.
"Some people are born to do a talent," he said in an interview with website Gabb Life. While painting comes naturally to Tyler, he admits that drawing isn't his thing.
Every artist has a unique voice, and in his portraits, Tyler has found his.
Think about the Article. Why did Vice President Kamala Harris call Tyler Gordon?
She was pleased to see that he had won an art competition.
She saw that he had been chosen as a finalist for "Kid of the Year."
She saw that he had painted a portrait for an "Athlete of the Year" issue.
She was impressed with a portrait he had painted of her.
She was impressed with a portrait he had painted of her.
The author probably wrote this Article in order to __________.
describe the many different ways that painters can earn money
introduce the reader to the bold art of "shadow painting"
introduce the reader to well-known celebrities who enjoy art
describe the remarkable talent of a portrait-painting teenager
describe the remarkable talent of a portrait-painting teenager
Based on the Article, which of these is true about Tyler Gordon?
He once painted a black and white portrait of his school principal.
He uses colors to paint details like wrinkles and freckles instead of shadows.
He was selected as a finalist for Time Magazine's "Athlete of the Year."
He helps kids overcome their challenges by following them on Instagram.
He once painted a black and white portrait of his school principal.
Which is the closest synonym for the word mimic?
adjust
protect
imitate
damage