Missy Elliott by Tanra Clarke, Wilmington, Del.
Lupita Nyong’o by Tanra Clarke, Wilmington, Del.
Kylie Jenner by Knieya Peterson, Temecula, Calif.
Al Pacino by Lee Antolini, Atlantic City, N.J.
Prince by Rachael Peterson, Rochester, Minn.
Prince by Amber Hendricks, Rochester, Minn.
Whitney Houston by Amber Hendricks, Rochester, Minn.
A 3-Pack of Tupacs by (left to right) Danielle Lively, Waukesha, Wis., Talor Edwards, Carson, Calif., and Willie J. Jackson, Jr., Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Honorable mention: Samuel Jackson by Robert Nguyen, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Robert DeNiro by Lee Antolini, Atlantic City, N.J.
Rihanna by Nikki Diamond, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Reba McEntire by Kadee Brown, Onalaska, Wis.
Honorable mention: Michael Jackson by Amber Hendricks, Rochester, Minn.
Lucille Ball by Kadee Brown, Onalaska, Wis.
3rd place: Ice Cube by Fabian Robles, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Fetty Wap by Knieya Peterson, Temecula, Calif.
2nd place: David Bowie by Knieya Peterson, Temecula, Calif.
Honorable mention: Ariana Grande by Caroline Ostling, Olofstorp, Sweden
Missy Elliott by Tanra Clarke, Wilmington, Del.
Lupita Nyong’o by Tanra Clarke, Wilmington, Del.
Kylie Jenner by Knieya Peterson, Temecula, Calif.
Al Pacino by Lee Antolini, Atlantic City, N.J.
Prince by Rachael Peterson, Rochester, Minn.
Prince by Amber Hendricks, Rochester, Minn.
Whitney Houston by Amber Hendricks, Rochester, Minn.
A 3-Pack of Tupacs by (left to right) Danielle Lively, Waukesha, Wis., Talor Edwards, Carson, Calif., and Willie J. Jackson, Jr., Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Honorable mention: Samuel Jackson by Robert Nguyen, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Robert DeNiro by Lee Antolini, Atlantic City, N.J.
Rihanna by Nikki Diamond, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Reba McEntire by Kadee Brown, Onalaska, Wis.
Honorable mention: Michael Jackson by Amber Hendricks, Rochester, Minn.
Lucille Ball by Kadee Brown, Onalaska, Wis.
3rd place: Ice Cube by Fabian Robles, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Fetty Wap by Knieya Peterson, Temecula, Calif.
2nd place: David Bowie by Knieya Peterson, Temecula, Calif.
Honorable mention: Ariana Grande by Caroline Ostling, Olofstorp, Sweden
Stella Sampson of Athens, Greece, faced down our toughest field of challengers yet to claim the top spot in this year’s Celebrity Face Off Challenge. Her tribute to Katy Perry triumphed thanks in part to the support she received from our Snapchat voters. Close on her heels were Knieya Peterson of Temecula, Calif., in the second spot, and Fabian Robles of Beverly Hills, Calif., in third place.
We hope you enjoy viewing these awesome portraits as much as we did.
Meet the Winner
A freelance nail tech based in Athens, Greece, Stella Sampson chose Katy Perry as her subject because she admires the pop star both as an artist and as a woman. “Despite facing many difficulties and failures at the beginning of her career, she never gave up! She pursued her passion and became the Katy Perry we all know,” she says. “I also love the fact that she is so theatrical as an artist. She changes her appearance so much it’s like I’m drawing a different person every time.”
A self-taught artist, Sampson developed an eye for detailed drawing and intricate design through good old-fashioned practice and perseverance. “Nails are my passion and I dedicate all my free time to perfecting my techniques,” she says. She advises other mini-portrait painters to do a draft sketch on the nail with pencil prior to painting to use as a guideline. “I also suggest adding a little bit of water to the acrylic paints to help achieve a better gradient of the colors.”
Check out nailart.stella on Instagram to catch more of her artwork.
Celebrity Face Off Contest 2015: Paying Homage to a Musical Muse
Celebrity Face Off Contest 2014: Portrait of an Artist
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