Today we’d like to introduce you to Taleah Ramahi
Hi Taleah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As most small children do, I used to draw for fun. I definitely didn’t start off with any signs of talent. Then during an art class when I was in fifth grade, I overheard my teacher tell someone they were impressed at how I was copying another image so well. Having thought my drawings were just average, hearing this lit a small fire in me. I started renting books and VHS tapes from the library about drawing. I took every art class that I could in middle school and high school. I never really got much guidance in these classes, but I did at least get a lot of time to practice art, as well as access to new, different art supplies. I started doing commissions in high school. I definitely noticed that I enjoyed drawing portraits the most! After high school, I started going to college for art, but didn’t stick with it. That fire had somewhat gone out. I still did a few commissions after that, but stopped drawing with any real seriousness around 2010. Then I barely did any art for over 10 years, focusing more on other areas of life, like becoming a mother.
I went through many big life changes and many moves throughout the country in that time. I finally moved to Florida in 2023. Once I got settled, I decided to break out the pencils and start drawing again, choosing to draw portraits of my children. This made me feel that fire once again, after so long! Once I completed those drawings, I decided to offer commissioned portraits to friends and family, and I launched my website and Instagram to try to reach more people. Then I met my significant other, who is also an artist, and that opened a lot of doors for me. He has been the most encouraging and supportive person in this journey for me, and I wouldn’t be where I am now without him.
I spent the year of 2024 building up my portfolio doing drawings I wanted to do for fun, like pop culture portraits of things I enjoy, while also fortunately having a pretty steady stream of commission work. In 2025, besides still doing drawings, I also started having vendor tables at local markets to put myself out there more and connect with the local community. Another thing I recently did was open an online shop for originals I have for sale, as well as prints and magnets of my art!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t say that it’s been a smooth road, as I’ve definitely had a few setbacks. At the end of high school, I took an AP Art class, but I didn’t complete all the pieces I was supposed to in the time I had, and I ended up not making a very good score, which made me start to doubt myself. Then in college, I took a drawing class where I did mostly good work and made a good grade, but it was clear that the kind of art I do didn’t fit in there. That teacher told me to work faster and get more of an impression of what I was trying to draw (like when she set up a still life for us), but I wanted to include all the intricate details that I saw, and I couldn’t do that if I tried to be fast! It was very discouraging and pushed me away from the idea of trying to be an artist. I was also always scared of the whole “starving artist” idea and was told by people close to me that trying to make a living as an artist wasn’t worth pursuing. During the over-10-year period that I mentioned before, where I didn’t do art, I had times where I was really depressed and didn’t have the capacity to create.
When I first got back into drawing in 2023, things were initially pretty rough because I was new to the area, and since you can’t rely on just friends and family as a target audience for your business, I struggled to find anyone who was interested in the kind of art that I offer. I’ve since been more successful, but I’m still dealing with the growing pains of a new business. Another thing I currently struggle with is having social anxiety, so I am working on overcoming that to better market myself and also try to get more involved with the local community. Then of course, there is juggling all the different aspects of life like parenting, health, house chores, maintaining relationships, other work opportunities, etc. that make finding time for art difficult. But that’s just the struggle of balancing different areas of life, which is something everyone can relate to.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am primarily a pencil portrait artist. I’ve drawn kids, couples, families, and individuals. I enjoy doing commissions of a person or photo that’s really special to the client — the opportunity to create something so meaningful to someone is such an honor! I always draw what I see; I do not add things in drawings that aren’t in the reference photo (though I can do some combining of photos), and I don’t come up with illustrations or do any creative work like that. I like to joke that I am an “imperfect copy machine!” When I’m not capturing a special moment for someone, I draw things for fun. I love to draw pop culture portraits from things I’m a fan of because it’s so nice to connect with others who have the same interests! I have drawn characters from different media such as The Legend of Zelda, The Fifth Element, The Labyrinth, Doctor Who, The Witcher, and music artists like Kurt Cobain and Ashnikko. I’ve recently been drawing a lot of subjects on toned paper with graphite and adding lighter tones with a white chalk pencil — adding that white is just so satisfying for some reason! Even though I’m most passionate about drawing faces, I also enjoy drawing other things, such as the reflections in metal and the texture of wood in a viola or door, and I’ve even done really different things like painting designs on canvas shoes.
I am most proud of a drawing I did in October of 2024: a drawing of a couple’s wedding day. Because of the incredible amount of detail in the drawing, it took about 50 hours, which was the longest I’ve ever spent on a drawing. I’m relieved and grateful to say that the drawing came out wonderfully and the clients were very happy with it!
I don’t think much sets me apart from other artists, but I do really take pride in how much I pay attention to detail and just how I try my best to capture the likeness of the person/people I am drawing. I’m always willing to learn how to draw something new, and I never settle if I’m not happy with an aspect of any drawing, I always find ways to improve my work so I can feel proud of it.
What are your plans for the future?
I don’t have any big plans, but I would like to continue to build upon my skillset, grow my portfolio, improve my online presence, as well as gain new projects with more clients. I’d love to mostly do commissions, and I have some upcoming that I look forward to. Seeing people’s reaction when I present their commissioned drawing is one of the best feelings! I’m also absolutely open to doing commissions of things I’ve never drawn before, such as people’s pets! It’s always awesome to get the opportunity to draw new subjects and gain more skills that way! There are more pop culture drawings I’d like to do that I think people would be able to enjoy and connect with. It’s so fun when people get excited when they recognize something they’re a fan of in my portfolio! One of my main goals this year is to continue sharing my art at markets, while also trying to get into art walks, festivals, and conventions so I can reach more people.
Pricing:
- Pencil portraits are $25/hr, starting at $200
- Prints of my work are $15-$20
- Magnets are $5 each
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artsytaleah.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artsytaleah/
