Guardian Mask artwork by Som
ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION, MADE BY HAND — NO AI

Every line drawn by hand. Every piece one of a kind.

Som is a self-taught illustrator working across ink, acrylic, colour pencil, and digital painting — from traditional Thai mythology to original character portraits, built commission by commission for clients across Europe.

The artist

From Udon Thani to your wall

Som grew up in Udon Thani province, in Thailand's Isan region, the daughter of a self-taught mechanic and a forager. She never trained formally as an artist — everything she knows about line, colour, and composition, she taught herself, one piece at a time.

That self-taught instinct shows in the range of her work: dense traditional ink studies, acrylic and colour-pencil murals built in molten golds and jewel tones, and fully rendered digital character portraits — all carrying the same patient, hand-built quality, whether the tool is a ballpoint pen or a stylus.

Today she takes on a limited number of commissions each month for clients in Europe, priced in EUR and paid securely through PayPal.

Som, the illustrator behind DrawnBySom
Som, photographed in her home studio in Udon Thani, Thailand.
Selected work

Three traditions, one hand

A small selection from the portfolio — each piece built from a blank page with no reference layers or shortcuts.

Guardian Mask, acrylic painting by Som
Acrylic on paper — Traditional Thai mythology

Guardian Mask

A face caught mid-roar, rendered in the jewel palette of Thai temple art — jade serpents coiling across porcelain white, a headdress ablaze in molten gold. Every curl and scale is built by hand, layer over layer.

MediumAcrylicSize210 × 297mm
Crimson Guardian, colour pencil illustration by Som
Colour pencil — Traditional Thai mythology

Crimson Guardian

The same mythology, a different fire — magenta and violet skin against gold filigree, built entirely in layered colour pencil. Hundreds of small, controlled strokes stand in for a single sweep of paint.

MediumColour pencilSizeA4
Silk and Shadow, digital character portrait by Som
Digital painting — Original character portrait

Silk & Shadow

Painted entirely on a digital canvas, no physical materials involved. What starts as a clean linework pass gets built up in colour over roughly eight hours — skin, hair, and fabric each layered separately.

MediumDigital, IbisPaintTime8 hours
Dragon Koi ballpoint pen study by Som
Pen & ink — Original illustration

Dragon Koi, Ballpoint Study

Freehand in ballpoint pen, no pencil underdrawing and no room to correct a line. The finnage alone is a dozen independent flame-clusters, each rendered as one confident, unbroken pass.

MediumBallpoint penStyleFreehand, unedited
Many-armed guardian ink illustration by Som
Graphite & ink — Traditional Thai mythology

Many-Armed Guardian, Ramakien-Inspired

Pure discipline. Drawn entirely freehand — no digital assist, no undo — this many-armed guardian is built from hundreds of tiny, consistent decisions: spirals, flame motifs, jewellery, all under total control.

MediumGraphite & inkStyleFreehand, unedited
Cool-Toned Elegance digital portrait by Som
Digital portrait — Original character

Cool-Toned Elegance

Where the mythology pieces run hot, this one runs cold on purpose — silver hair, glass lenses, and a blue satin jacket rendered with the same patient layering as everything else in the portfolio.

MediumDigital paintingStyleOriginal character
A NEW WAY TO COMMISSION

Turn your photo into art

Send a reference photo and Som turns it into a fully hand-drawn character illustration in her own style — no AI, no shortcuts. See the full pricing guide below for exact rates by size and detail.

Example commission — fox character illustration
Example of her style
Example commission — digital portrait
Example of her style
📷
Your photo
🎨
Her style
💶
Clear pricing
📦
Fast turnaround
Send a photo to start
How it works

Three steps from idea to finished piece

01

Brief & deposit

Send your reference images and what you have in mind. Once the scope is agreed, a 50% deposit secures your spot in the queue.

02

Sketch & approval

You'll see the linework before any colour goes down, with one round of revisions included to get the composition right.

03

Final artwork & delivery

The remaining balance is due on completion. You'll receive a high-resolution digital file, or the original piece by post on request.

COMMISSIONS

2026 Pricing Guide

Every piece is booked individually — slots are limited to protect quality and turnaround.

Artwork
Price (EUR)
Delivery
Simple Portrait
Bust / headshot, digital, one figure, simple background
€70–150
3–5 days
Half-Body Portrait
Digital, full colour, moderate detail
€150–300
5–7 days
Full IllustrationMOST BOOKED
Detailed full figure, background & effects
€350–650
10–14 days
Cover / Key Art
Publication-ready layout, professional finish
€400–750
10–14 days
Traditional Piece
Ink or colour pencil, one-of-a-kind original
€300–600
7–10 days
Character Design
Paired or multi-character concept work
€550–950
10–15 days
Mural / Large Scale
Wall, panel or wood — quoted per project
from €1,500+
3–6 weeks
Custom / Extended Projects
Open-ended scope beyond standard packages
€30–40 / hr
By agreement
50% deposit to begin · balance due on completion
Payment via PayPal · prices quoted in EUR for international clients
Turnaround begins once the deposit is received · rush delivery available on request
Get started

Book your commission

Tell me about the piece you have in mind, and I'll reply with a scoped quote and timeline within a couple of days.

JPG or PNG, up to 10MB
Thanks — your request has been noted. Som will reply by email with a quote and timeline.
Something went wrong sending your request. Please email me directly instead at dcanda897@gmail.com.

Paying for your commission

Once a quote is agreed, a 50% deposit secures your place in the queue. The remaining balance is due when the final artwork is delivered.

PayPalDeposit or full payment
Pay via PayPal
PayPal is currently the only payment method available. Card payments via Stripe are coming soon.

Direct contact