“Ideas for paintings can come up very differently. It can be a photo I see online, a scene in a movie, something I see when I walk through town. Suddenly there is something that catches my attention and I create my own version in my head,” the artist told Bored Panda.

You might wonder how long it takes to finish such a realistic painting - Johannes says: “It varies quite a lot. My bigger and more complex paintings often take between 3-6 weeks but if I make a small one without too many details it’s usually finished in a couple of days.”

Talking about his creative process, the artist shared: “My workflow for a painting is often like this: I decide what to paint. Then I take a photo of it. Or actually, I usually take lots of photos and choose the best one. When I have decided what size I want to make the painting, I print my reference photo in that same size. I make the sketch with help of a light table to get it as close to the photo as possible. Then I am ready to start painting. Mostly I start with the background and paint the main motif in the end. I work best when I play some music. One favorite genre is movie soundscores. Dramatic, exciting, and sometimes emotional music, without lyrics, works best for me. And it should be loud.”

Johannes says he has some unusual techniques he has developed through the years: “I have learned how to combine different materials and I use workflows most artists don't. My goal has always been to sharpen my hyperrealistic skills to a level as high as possible. Most of these techniques and workflows will remain secrets until I release my book on that subject, late 2022.”

“When I started with hyperrealistic painting my biggest inspiration was the pioneers who once started this genre in the '60s. Ralph Goings, Richard Estes, John Baeder, Tom Blackwell are some of them. Great artists that I still 'visit' online,” says the painter.

With so many great creators out there, we wondered whether it’s sometimes hard to stand out, to which Johannes replied “I believe that younger artists can feel it is difficult to develop a unique style. I have been developing my style since the mid-'90s so in my case I am quite comfortable and think I have found 'home.' Of course, I can change the motif and subject matter once in a while but I think most people can still see it is a ‘Wessmark.’”

As for his future aspirations, the artist says: “In the long run, my goal is to continue making a living from my art as long as I can hold on to a brush. My closest goal is to continue developing the cooperation with my marketing assistant in Texas, who is promoting and selling my works throughout the Gulf Coast. Another goal is to create some really cool, new paintings for my upcoming solo exhibition here in my hometown Karlstad 2023.”