In a modest studio filled with vinyl toys, pencils and unfinished portraits, Kenyan artist Kelvin Wamae carefully sketches another face onto paper. Every line tells a story not just of the subject he is drawing, but of his own journey from engineering student to a full-time pencil artist.

From Juja, near Kenya's capital Nairobi, Wamae made a life-changing decision to abandon a five-year engineering career path to pursue art, his childhood passion.

“When I was about eight years old, my mother had a printing business,” Wamae recalls with a smile. “I took some of the printing paper and drew on it. When I showed it to her, she was amused.”

His mother showed the drawing to her friends, calling it one of the best things she had ever seen. For the young Wamae, that moment planted a seed of confidence.

He later carried the same cartoon drawing to school, where his classmates reacted with amazement.

“From their reactions, it motivated me to continue drawing,” he says.

But choosing art as a career was far from easy.

“My ultimate sacrifice was my career,” Wamae explains. “Studying engineering for five years was not easy. There were sacrifices, tears and endless assignments. But art kept calling me.”

Over time, his love for creativity outweighed his commitment to engineering.

“I fell in love with art, and that’s how I chose art over my engineering course,” he says.

The decision was initially met with resistance at home.

“My mother was sceptical because she had never heard of anyone succeeding as a full-time artist,” he says. “But now, she fully supports me.”

While his mother worried about the uncertainty of the profession, Wamae found encouragement from friends who constantly shared and reposted his work online, helping him build confidence and visibility.

The turning point came during his industrial attachment as an engineering student. For three months, he repeated the same tasks daily, an experience he says drained his creativity.

“It didn’t spark any creativity in me,” he recalls. “That’s when I realised art could bring out the creativity in me.”

Soon after, he made the bold decision to become a full-time artist.

His first paid commission came from a couple who requested a portrait.

“Back then, my drawing skills were not that good,” he says with a laugh. “But they paid me ten US dollars.”

That payment changed everything.

“It was the moment I realised I could actually make money from my craft.”

Wamae began drawing Kenyan celebrities, inspired by their music, style and social impact. One portrait, which took him eight hours to complete, gained attention online and helped grow his audience.

Using mostly pencil and charcoal, Wamae creates highly detailed black-and-white portraits that challenge the perception that art must always be colourful to be impactful.

“Many people think my drawings are created by AI tools.”

From measuring and creating grids, to sketching and detailing, each artwork requires patience and precision.

“An A4 piece can take around one day (to draw on), while an A0 piece can take a whole week,” he explains.

So far, he has completed more than 200 pieces of artwork in different sizes.

Despite the progress, returns from artistry has not been predictable. There are months when customers are few and income is uncertain.

“Sometimes I regret changing my career because I can go for a month without customers,” he admits. “But I encourage myself by saying this is like any business — there are highs and lows.”

That mindset keeps him going.

Now, Wamae is working on what he describes as “dream projects” — ambitious ideas he believes could shake up the art industry and redefine his career once again.

He also encourages the upcoming artists to be passionate and consistent because art rarely disappoints.

For Wamae, the journey has been filled with risk, doubt and sacrifice. But every finished portrait is proof that sometimes the boldest decisions lead people closer to who they truly are.