Brand New!! Review: Heaven Arts Portrait Creative Someone Of The Yr 2018 - Episode 1

I'm going to start doing a commentary on each of the episodes of  Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2018 - much as I've done for the BBC's Big Painting Challenge inwards the past.

That's because I have got FINALLY worked out how to access the programme online (see yesterday's post - How to sentinel Sky Arts - Portrait Artist of the Year 2018 without subscribing to Sky!).

Top downwardly thought of sitter in addition to artists

First a quick resume most the programme in addition to what the prize is this year.

Portrait Artist of the Year 2018


This is a competition which ranks amongst the prestigious fine art competitions elsewhere on this blog.

That's because the artists are competing to win a £10,000 commission to pigment Kim Cattrall, the actress. The intention is that the finished portrait volition endure added to the permanent collection at The Walker Art Gallery inwards Kim's nascency metropolis of Liverpool.

For reference - for those interested inwards beingness purpose of this competition inwards future
A total of xxx famous performers volition sit down for the competitors.  The semi-finalists volition also endure joined past times some other xiii wild cards to compete for a house inwards the final.

The portrait paintings are judged past times a 'heavyweight panel'. They are the same as for previous series:
  • award-winning portrait painter Tai Shan Schierenberg
  • independent curator in addition to Chair of the Board of the Liverpool Biennial Kathleen Soriano (who also used to endure the Head of Exhibitions & Collection at the National Portrait Gallery in addition to Director of Exhibitions at the RA) in addition to
  • British fine art historian, curator in addition to arts broadcaster Kate Bryan.
The 3 Judges with Frank Skinner
The serial is presented past times Frank Skinner in addition to Joan Bakewell.

They state some really sensible things as voiceovers. One cannot but aid think these may have got been scripted for them - but it makes for a to a greater extent than educational programme!

Episode 1


A portrait should stand upwardly for a likeness, the personality in addition to perchance the mood of the sitter
Joan Bakewell - quoting what the Tate has to state most a portrait
I settled downwardly inwards front end of my iPad in conclusion nighttime to sentinel - in addition to was really favourably impressed past times the programme.

I also spotted my arm in addition to purpose of my caput during the opening credits - but that's past times the by!

Each calendar week I'm going to seat the portrait painters past times call in addition to view if I tin discovery a link to their websites so yous tin view the variety of people who displace into this competition. Plus I'll give a link to their Facebook PAGE if they have got one.

I really much liked the fact that the programme identifies how long it had taken each creative somebody to consummate their self portrait which was purpose of their entry to the competition.


The artists - the amateurs


The 6 amateur artists are:
  • Paul Berryman - His charcoal self-portrait which got him into the ticker took him 2.5 hours.
  • Kelly Frank (Facebook) @ksfrankart - trained as an architect in addition to became a painter
  • Hetty Lawlor - historic menses 17 (at the time) from Kilmeena, Westport, Co Mayo on the due west coast of Ireland. One of the youngest ever to endure selected from the thousands of entries for this competition, she was also doing the competition patch studying for her H5N1 levels!  This is the epitome which got her into the Heat
  • Beth Lee  studying fine fine art in addition to creative writing at Lancaster University
  • Charlie Parker - a part-time cognitive behavioural therapist - who is partially color blind - from Durham
  • Alan Speed - a technical co-ordinator inwards a London architectural firm
I tin good sympathise amateur artists non having a website prior to beingness selected for a telly competition. However, it's really disappointing to view that artists don't work the chance of an appearance on telly to elevate their profile. It would appear Hetty is the solely somebody who made sure she had a website upwardly in addition to running before the episode was aired.

Hetty Lawlor with her 'knock-out' self portrait before the competition


The artists - the professionals


The 3 professional person artists are
  • Judith Henihan an Irish Gaelic creative somebody living in addition to working inwards County Kildare
  • Kieran Ingram - website won't open.
  • Charlotte Baynes - previous contestant. An creative somebody in addition to instructor who is the solely creative somebody to have got a fully fledged active website demonstrating a broad attain of work.

The sitters


The presenters are Frank Skinner in addition to Joan Bakewell

Observations


The 45 infinitesimal episode started with the judges taking a await at the self portraits that were purpose of the selected artists' entries.

My observations are non so much a critique  - to a greater extent than designed to push clitoris out learning points.

I found really footling I wanted to brand whatever adverse comment on re the agency the programme is seat together - with the possible exception of the choice of venue.

The atrium eating theatre surface area of the Wallace Collection has a drinking glass roof hence effectively creating the equivalent of plein air portraiture in addition to making the portrait artist's chore that much to a greater extent than hard than it should have got been. One of the mantra's for a portrait creative somebody is locomote out your lighting at the kickoff in addition to so stick to it!  I suspect it's 1 of the reasons why people ended upwardly using their iPads so much!

Pay attending to the self portraits!


I'd recommend those thinking most submitting an application to have got purpose inwards the 2019 competition (which volition endure filmed after this year) to pay particular attending to the department nigh the kickoff where the judges await at the self-portraits.
  • you tin view really clearly why some of the artists got through. 
  • If you're going to practise a self portrait so yous demand to have got 1 that stands out in addition to is unlike different from the crowd. 
  • Size isn't everything - some of the best self portraits were small.  
  • Very evident from this department that people are working inwards all sorts of unlike media - in addition to mixed media
  • Plus it's a skillful instruction inwards how Judges tin response to specific renditions inwards damage of  pattern in addition to composition, accuracy in addition to proportions, style, work of media - in addition to reflections on fine art history

Set-up


Three artists are allocated to each sitter. Four hours are allocated to create a portrait - albeit with breaks.

This absolute non-negotiable fourth dimension constraint is a huge constituent inwards how good everybody does.
  • They are all ikon somebody they've non tried ikon before 
  • they have got to start in addition to goal in addition to brand a skillful chore of a portrait inwards simply 4 fours of ikon time.
  • Having attended a heat, the actual length of fourth dimension is longer as they acquire a intermission for dejeuner in addition to a curt intermission forenoon in addition to afternoon - which happens with a footling fleck of alert but non necessarily when yous desire to break.
Interestingly they are all ikon people who are NOT used to sitting for a portrait in addition to who are every bit struggling with the challenge of remaining yet for 4 hours - with a authorities of breaks.

A number of the artists used technology scientific discipline as an aid

  • mainly to acquire a tape of the confront and to endure able to enlarge the photograph to view detail.
  • However, as Heat #1 wore on it became self-evident that some other really skillful argue for doing this was to preserve the lighting as seen when they start. The atrium eating theatre surface area at the Wallace Collection where the heats took house has a drinking glass ceiling which bathes it inwards lots of natural low-cal - which is peachy BUT presents precisely the same job as faced past times every plein air painter - but non really oftentimes past times portrait painters. The low-cal moved in addition to completely changed the tonal values evident on the face!
It was also interesting to also view the diverse bits of kit people used to choke on their typically tablets in addition to phones inwards tardily view.

One really interesting accessory brought past times Charlotte Baynes was something she called "fishing goggles".  Apparently they are binocular spectacles which locomote similar a telescope or a loupe - a fleck similar opera spectacles - so yous tin view detail. I 'googled' the brand she was using in addition to they're called Camman 3*28 Glasses Style Fishing Binoculars Telescope but before yous acquire excited the consensus online was that they were inexpensive in addition to vision through them was non that good.

Frank Skinner wearing angling goggles
However it does advise that thinking most rather using amend portable telescopes powerfulness endure a skillful thought - especially if used inwards conjunction with a screen. Check out monocular plane watching telescopes to view what I mean!

There over again - inwards 4 hours tin it ever endure most the particular when what yous genuinely demand to practise is smash the large shapes, mass, tones, edges in addition to colour?

Interesting techniques used 


MEDIA


Media used varied quite a bit. It's peachy to view a portrait competition where dry out media is used.  Paul Berryman used charcoal, Judith Henihan used pastels for her self-portrait in addition to Hetty Lawlor used a really interesting mix of coloured pencils in addition to acrylic

Paul Berryman used a large brush in addition to charcoal dust to create a charcoal Blue Planet at a middle value on his support; he so used a pounce handbag (as used past times Holbein). His argue for doing so was to avoid beingness likewise tight in addition to a agency of getting shapes in addition to values downwardly on paper

Charcoal pouncing handbag used for drawing past times Paul Berryman
(I think) artists brought their ain supports. It looked as if a few really sensible people had already treated them with a mid attain colour. Others used untreated linen for their mid value

In fact the work of the mid attain back upwardly - which offers orbit to become upwardly in addition to downwardly the tonal value scale seems to me to endure a really fourth dimension efficient technique - in addition to of course of report straight off eliminates the blinding mind-numbing white!

Most went directly inwards with pigment to endeavor in addition to size in addition to outline the caput - some really moisture patch others used a really dry out brush.  Very few drew (unless drawing rather than painting).

SIZE ISSUES


It's e'er interesting to view what size people become for - in addition to whether they've chosen the correct size of back upwardly for the size of caput they lead to do.

Beth Lee used a really large canvass to pigment what was a relatively modest caput in addition to so used purpose of the canvass as her palette! I got the sense from comments past times the judges that they were disappointed she was ikon inwards a really unlike agency to the self portrait she sent in.

H5N1 comment for applicants to ponder on - at length!

I was impressed past times Kelly Frank's drawing in addition to so was at to the lowest degree 1 of the judges. She did non grid upwardly or work a photograph to locomote from. Rather she did it all through observation, sight sizing, using directly lines to start with to found the cardinal markers of hand of head, bottom of olfactory organ in addition to mentum to acquire proportions right

Size issues also apply to the size of brushes artists use. I really much call upwardly commenting in conclusion twelvemonth re the BBC ikon Challenge on the fact that yous tin oftentimes tell an amateur creative somebody because  they similar using simply 1 size of brush in addition to don't "change gear" when they demand to acquire a lot of pigment downwardly inwards 1 surface area - notably for backgrounds. I saw it over again inwards this episode. I honey seeing an creative somebody who is confident ikon with a large brush!

WHAT TO PAINT


Most artists stuck to doing simply the head. That's sure enough a sensible choice given the contraint on time.

Only 1 creative somebody - Alan Speed - opted to practise the whole pose - in addition to beingness brave plenty to practise this impressed the judges.

On the whole I'd state it's solely a strategy worth employing if yous are an creative somebody who is
  • used to ikon to a greater extent than than simply the caput (as Alan land is based on his really interesting 'group' self portrait of his - which I genuinely loved) - and 
  • if yous tin push clitoris it off!
Alan Speed's ikon of Michaela Coel - partway through

I'm non sure he did the latter in addition to both Tai Shan Schierenberg in addition to Kathleen Soriano commented on how he was 'losing' how the torso as to a greater extent than color was added inwards his really liberate approach to painting. It was a portrait I sure enough liked a lot to a greater extent than nearer the beginning/middle (see above) than at the end. I'm thinking maybe it was a tad overworked?

That's also 1 of the things that tin hand off to artists inwards a province of affairs similar this - yous think yous have got to locomote for the whole 4 hours. It takes a lot of nervus to halt in addition to practise cypher before the end!

That said - Alan was the solely 1 who tried to practise the whole somebody in addition to tackle some interesting perspective - so all credit for having a skillful go!

SPEEDED UP PAINTING


I loved the work of speeded upwardly ikon inwards the programme to demonstrate how people were genuinely approaching the portrait in addition to applying media to support. Very educational. It also makes yous desire to choke on replaying bits of the programme over again in addition to over again (which is a lot easier on an iPad than it is on a television!)

I peculiarly enjoyed watching Judith Henihan paint (and I LOVE her portraits of sportsmen on her website!)

Judith Henihan's painting

The judgement


After 4 hours the artists acquire to lead which portrait they desire to keep.
  • David Tennant chose Hetty Lawlor's portrait
  • James Morrison chose Beth Lee's portrait - he genuinely liked the palette on a canvas
  • Michaela Coel chose Alan Speed's painting
The await on Hetty Lawlor's confront the 2nd
David Tennant said he wanted to have got her portrait domicile with him

The Judges decision-making at the goal involves:
  • reducing the nine artists downwardly to 3 to acquire a shortlist - in addition to then 
  • reducing downwardly to 1 for the Heat Winner who goes forrad to the Semi Final.
It was apparent that the procedure worked through eliminating those that were weak really rapidly in addition to so debating the relative merits of the rest.

Interestingly, mixing upwardly the portraits, 1 against another, was 1 method the Judges found highlighted which were amend in addition to which were weaker. You tin similar a ikon in addition to so seat it adjacent to a skillful 1 - in addition to all of a abrupt it doesn't await quite so good!

It struck me that this is a technique that artists tin work for self-assessment of their ain paintings!

Each of the portraits received comments inwards turn.  It's interesting to listen the pros in addition to cons, the avoidable mistakes in addition to the unresolved problems

Shortlisted artists inwards Episode 1

The shortlisted artists were
  • Charlotte Baynes
  • Hetty Lawlor
  • Judith Henihan
In deciding who moves forrad to the semi-final they also took the submitted self-portrait into job organisation human relationship - which also heightens the importance of this when submitted as purpose of the application.

It was rewarding to listen the intelligent comments.....

The Heat Winner was Hetty Lawlor - in addition to a really worthy winner too!

My solely crit. would endure at that spot was no cite of the fact she used coloured pencils to make the portrait! There's some manufacturers (prompt - Faber Castell!) who should endure falling over themselves to sponsor her!

Tai-Shan added
"We were blown away past times her submission because it has an emotional content as good as beingness technically inventive in addition to she did that over again today.  And that is genuinely rare.  When these 2 things come upwardly together it's simply unbeatable."
AND FINALLY......

I had never painted from life before, but I could view the grapheme of the sitter more. Although it worked amend when they didn’t move! The mobile telephone makes it easier to acquire a likeness when the sitter keeps moving. It also helps when the low-cal in addition to shadow move.
and
What advice in addition to tips would yous give some other creative somebody thinking of applying to Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year?

Don’t displace into when you’re studying for your leaving certificate! Multi-tasking is non on my skill-set! But inwards all seriousness, it is an eye-opening sense that I would recommend to whatever aspiring artists, in addition to yous run into the most wonderful people, both artists in addition to photographic tv camera crew.
I promise yous enjoyed my commentary.

Same fourth dimension adjacent week?  Maybe a twenty-four hr menses earlier?

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