Acrylic Paint · Charcoal Portraits

Every line
tells a story.

Mchoro Art is the studio of Kenyan artist Denis Wachira, working mainly in acrylic paint and charcoal — bold portraits, textured scenes and commissioned pieces built layer by layer.

View the gallery Commission a piece
Featured sketch artwork
est. sketchbook — ongoing

About the artist

Drawn by hand,
finished with patience.

Mchoro — Swahili for “drawing” — is a fitting name for Denis Wachira’s practice, built around acrylic paint and charcoal portraiture. Every piece starts as loose gesture marks before it’s built up in layers of paint or blended charcoal into a finished portrait or scene.

“I’m drawn to faces, light and the quiet moments in between — the parts a photograph rushes past.”

Available for portrait commissions in acrylic or charcoal, plus custom pieces. Based in Kenya, shipping and digital delivery available worldwide.

Portrait of the artist at work
Fig. 01 — Studio portrait

How a piece is made

Sketch to finish

  1. 01

    Gesture & sketch

    Loose lines block in proportion, pose and light before any detail is added.

  2. 02

    Shading

    Value and form are built up in layers, working from broad shadow shapes to fine tone.

  3. 03

    Layers & detail

    Acrylic pieces are built up in layers of paint; charcoal pieces are refined with blending and lifting for fine detail.

  4. 04

    Finish & seal

    The piece is fixed, signed, and photographed or scanned for prints and digital delivery.

Get in touch

Commission a piece,
or just say hello.

Tell me a little about what you have in mind — subject, size, and timeline — and I’ll follow up with pricing and availability.