Chippenham artist's Premier League portraits 'crazy'

Del Llewellyn said he hopes Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gets to see his portrait

A former recruitment worker who quit his job to become an artist says it's "crazy" to have been commissioned to draw Premier League footballers.

Del Llewellyn's detailed sketch of Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has led to other players getting in touch.

Mr Llewellyn, who also used to work as a postman, left his recruitment job in 2018 to fully focus on his art.

He said: "I've had commissions ever since from all over the celebrity world. It's a bit crazy really."

Mr Llewellyn, from Chippenham, uses graphite and carbon pencils to design portraits which can take more than 100 hours to complete.

He said he loved drawing from a young age but felt his art career had come to an end after secondary school.

But he then made the decision to pursue his creative dream in 2018.

Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah

Mr Llewellyn said: "I was doing a job in recruitment and realised I wasn't necessarily happy, so I decided that I was going to be an artist.

"There have been a lot of sacrifices as I was in a three-bed house, and I've downsized to a one-bed but here we are now."

He has since received commissions from the likes of Mings' Aston Villa team-mate Marvelous Nakamba and Arsenal's young striker Eddie Nketiah.

Mr Llewellyn's portraits of ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman and England rugby star Manu Tuilagi

Mr Llewellyn said he was "a massive football fan" and "drawing people is something that's very special".

"So if I can do both at the same time then it's a win-win situation," he added.

He is currently working on a portrait of Arsenal and Gabon international striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

"It'll be a 100 to 150-hour job by the time I'm finished with it and get it to where I want it to be," he said.

"I've got a few inside leads at Arsenal now so hopefully I can get Aubameyang to see it."

Boxer Anthony Joshua