Young PWD student-artist wins hearts online with on-the-spot drawings

Drawing beside Obrero Bakery along R. Papa Street, Junno Dwayne Briones creates portraits of well-known personalities, including football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé, as well as content creator Ivana Alawi.

According to his guardian, Briones attends school in the morning before spending late afternoons earning from his portrait drawings.

Using graphite and charcoal pencils, Briones’ works are priced between ₱50 and ₱100.

His talent and dedication resonated with netizens, who praised his ability to create detailed portraits without first tracing or relying on a prepared image.

Others offered words of encouragement, with some even expressing their willingness to provide him with art materials: “Naku kung nasa Manila ako at makasalubong ko to, hindi lang P50 ang bibigay ko, pati bagong set ng materials.”

Another netizen even offered their garage as a space where Briones could continue his works: “Taga San sila tol? May garahe ako. Pwede ko pa gamit sa knya un para may studio sya “

One parent of a child with ADHD also shared how Briones story resonated with her: “Same ng anak ko […] magagaling talaga sila magdrawing at magcreate ng toys gamit mga karton at papel lang. “

Art has long been Briones’ passion, with his father sharing his works online in 2023. While portraits remain his forte, his father’s posts showcase his creative mix of art such as landscapes and assemblage sculptures.