This is supposedly an oil painting, but I find it hard to believe. Is this really an oil painting? If so, how is this possible?

Oil paintings leave ridges or brush marks on the canvas. Without seeing this painting/photograph in person, there is no way to determine which it might be.

Looks like a photo to me.

Here are more of his pieces for people to enjoy.

I think the trick of the hyperrealist @Blackberry is to put in various details that make your eyes see and brain think photograph.

Usually the canvas is many sizes larger than the photo image. That way those small details are blown up to create the realistic illusion.

Ah, hyperrealism… Paintings that are sometimes more real than reality itself. They are usually monumental in scale, which makes them appear so realistic on small computer monuments. They are typically painted with a very good eye for light and value and very small brushes.

Oh, using a massive canvas makes sense. If I saw the painting in person or on a really large TV I’d be able to see more detail.

Depends on how big the original picture is. If you scale things down, they tend to look a lot better than in their original size. Personally, I looks more like a rendering than a photograph. It is too clean to be a photo.
Also, there are mistakes in the reflection on the ground surface, that make me conclude it is neither a photo nor a rendering.

Can anyone find a higher-resolution file? It’s really small.

By the way, that’s nothing.

Lol!

Er, edit: That was very hilarious, tom_g.

That is easier to fathom for me than that these are water colors. I’m thrilled that I have one of her originals.

I wish I could be an artist :/

The way he gets that light effect on the plastic is incredible.

Pedro Campos.

another painting

Many Super-realists or Photorealists working in oil can achieve a result this fine—see this sample work by Richard Estes. or this by Ralph Goings. This was a significant art movement in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
It is merely a matter of fine detail and fine smooth brushwork often on a substrate that is also often smooth. As pointed out above, the paintings of small objects are generally on a much larger scale than the objects themselves.

Attempting to fool the eye [trompe-l’oeil] with fine precise painting by far precedes photography. This 17th century still life by Cornelius Gjisbrechts has similar detail but doesn’t startle us as much because the subject matter is old-fashioned

I like the comment that says “If I was that good at painting then I would paint something else.”

I prefer the watercolours that @Judi posted a link to. At least you can tell they’re paintings.

@downtide , and the photos don’t do them justice.

Pedro Campos is a well known hyper photorealistic artist working in oil on canvas. It’s stunning work, and beautiful, but one has to wonder why bother when you could do it with a camera so much quicker. If I had that level of skill, I’d use it to paint things that look like reality, but would be utterly impossible in the real world—things like Escher’s works, that couldn’t possibly be done with a camera..

I love the comment left “If I was that good at painting then I would paint something else”. Pretty succinct and to the point.

Hyperrealism. It’s hard to believe but I’ve seen other examples. I’m not really a fan.

It’s a very advanced version of trompe-l’oeil

I love it. I have always wished I could do it but I am not and never will be that good. Amazing skill!