Melissa Bartow: Avant-Garde Artist in the Making

By gingerly merging her eye for detail and innate craftship, Melissa Bartow has awed many with her vivid drawings of photorealism. Not only is Melissa skilled artistically, but she is also a deft photographer and not to mention, a lovely staff writer for Her Campus NYU. Keep reading to learn more about Melissa’s journey of self-expression and abounding imagination.

In a Nutshell

Name: Melissa Bartow ‘19

School and Major: Gallatin for Fashion Business, Branding, and Entrepreneurship

Hometown: Kennesaw, Georgia

HC NYU: Your main area of expertise in drawing is a technique called stippling. Can you describe this process?

MB: Stippling is when you take a fine point pen and dot over and over again until the shading is dark enough or of the right value. It takes an insane amount of time and patience, and you really can’t rush it. But the finalized piece looks so realistic because of the amount of detail that goes into it. Kind of like how a photograph looks better with the more pixels it has. I’d have to guess that there are millions of dots in a stippled piece. When I’m not stippling, I just scribble. It isn’t a legitimate technique; you just brush a pen against paper, varying the amount of pressure to create diversified shades. Because stippling is so time consuming, I like to work on scribbling more often to produce more pieces.

HC NYU: When and how did you develop your passion for art?

MB: I was introduced to art about two years ago. I had to take an elective during junior year of high school and I ended up getting stuck with my last choice, art. However, if I hadn’t been placed in that art class I would never have known that I could draw. For our first project my teacher told us to bring a picture to reference, and I brought in one of a giant waterfall from a recent trip I took to Kauai. That was the first time I ever sat down and just started to draw what I saw. My teacher was really encouraging, and I remember her pulling me aside one day to tell me that I had potential. Eventually, we moved on to the stippling lesson and I created a realistic, wrinkly elephant. People always ask me how I learned to draw and stipple, but I really can’t explain how it came about. I just draw what I see; it’s natural. My crazy attention to detail also helps.

HC NYU: On average, how long does it take for you to complete one piece?

MB: They take a long time because in order to render the picture realistic, you have to be precise with the most painstaking details. If I use a pencil I can erase and redraw, and I will start over until I’m satisfied. I’m a perfectionist. The stippling piece of the elephant took over sixty hours, and the one of the American flag, bigger in size but not stippled, took over sixty hours too. For the American flag drawing, my last piece before college, I remember working on it day and night the summer before coming to NYU. My goal was to finish it before the fourth of July, and to my relief I did. Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to start a stippling project here because I don’t just sit and casually doodle. As I transition into the city and life at NYU, I hope that I can dive right back into drawing soon.

HC NYU: How do you pick and choose what to draw?

MB: I like to look for things with texture. Take the drawing of the elephant for example. What specifically inspired me and caught my attention were the intricate wrinkles of the skin. For the flag, notice how it’s not just a flat surface but rumpled, accentuating different shades and values. The realistic quality of these objects make you want to just reach out and touch it. I appreciate the tangibility of the pieces and I love how they look like they pop off the paper.

HC NYU: Is your artwork for sale? If so, where can we purchase it?

MB: My elephant piece is for sale in prints and posters. It’s currently available in both 9x12in ($15.00) and 18x24in ($30.00). I started selling them during the holidays last year and people really loved them. If anyone is interested in purchasing one, like for dorm decor, just shoot me a private message on my Instagram account. Or, email me and we can coordinate. A lot of my friends and family have suggested that I create an Instagram account dedicated to my artwork or even create shirts featuring my drawings. I’ve considered it, but as of now we’ll have to wait and see if there’s enough demand. I can’t print a million drawings and just hope that people will come buy my products, unfortunately.

HC NYU: Aside from your accomplishments in art, you’re also currently interning at Cosmopolitan/Seventeen. Can you tell us more about this?

MB: Yes! I’m the photo intern. It’s so awesome. I love photography, (you can probably tell from just glancing at my IG.) So basically, I contribute to all the images that go into the actual magazine. Whenever they’re covering a story, take for example: Edie Parker clutches (which happened to be my first assignment), they ask me to find relevant pictures of the product itself and celebrities wearing them. I scour the Internet and various stock sites, finding licensed images and handpicking what goes into the magazine. Once the pictures I’ve chosen are approved by the editors, it’s published. Eventually as I work my way up, I’ll have the opportunity to actually go see and work on an actual photoshoot. It’s still surreal that I’m interning there. I see Joanna Coles, the editor-in-chief of Cosmo, walking around the office and pinch myself. And just yesterday, Peyton List stopped by. It’s cool how celebrities walk in and out of the offices.   

HC NYU: How do you plan on incorporating art into your future?

MB: It’s funny, because people back home always assume that I’m here at NYU for a degree in art. As of right now, art remains a hobby. If there ever comes a point or chance in time when I can make a living out of it, I would definitely take advantage of it. But I would never major in art or anything. I’m actually really against taking drawing classes at NYU because I’ve already developed my own style. There’s no way I could sit around and paint nude figures for four years. I don’t really like painting either; I feel like I have less control over paint than I do over pens and pencils. Realism is my thing, and if I ever make it as an artist that is what I would create. For now, we’ll see where my art takes me.

HC NYU: And to get to know you better…

Three words to describe art: subjective, everywhere, anything

Favorite brunch spot: by CHLOE

Biggest pet peeve: When people smack their food when they chew

Celeb crush(es): Zac Efron or Chase Crawford

Go-to artist for inspiration: CJ Hendry, my idol.

Favorite quote: “Don’t quit your daydream.”

Follow Melissa on social media!

Instagram: @mel_tow

email: melissa.bartow02@gmail.com

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