Teenager Soroush Heydari from Sale has a hidden talent; he’s a whizz with a charcoal pencil

Soroush Heydari was 14 when he discovered he had a natural talent for drawing. 'I was in Year 9, and I attended an art lesson with my aunt,' he recalls. After taking around eight lessons to learn the basics, he continued to practice, taking his time with each new drawing, particularly portraits.

'It drives my mum insane that I won't draw her or anyone in my family,' he laughs. 'But for me, I want my drawing to be perfect before I show someone. They take time and with it being my family, I want to develop my skill more, making sure it's perfect.'

Soroush, 18, from Sale, has recently completed his A-levels at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and, by the time you read this, will have received his results. Clearly a perfectionist, he's spent his free time over the summer developing his skills further.

His ability to capture the finer details of his subjects' appearances, and use the medium of charcoal to bring them to life, is astonishing.

Portraits can be notoriously difficult, but Soroush prefers sketching them to anything else.

'Every face is distinctive and every individual has a unique story and set of values, beliefs and experiences. I've always had an interest in how and why these things vary so much from person to person, which is why I would say I'm drawn to drawing faces.'

Soroush is currently hoping to study medicine at University College London having always wanted to help people.

'When I first began drawing, I drew portraits of teachers, their pets and even their relatives, and any money I got from the drawing went to St Ann's Hospice,' he said. 'I completed the portraits over the summer and sold the portraits back to my teachers as soon as the autumn term began. It became quite popular, so I decided to do this annually.'

His artistic process always starts with studying a photograph of his subject, before doing a light sketch, finding the centre line before adding the details.

'I always leave the eyes last and finish with the pupils. They bring life to the portrait,' he says. 'I want my art to make people feel something, that's all I hope to achieve.'

See more on Soroush's Instagram; @heydaricharcoal