Review: Semi-Final Of Portrait Creative Individual Of The Twelvemonth 2019

The Semi-Final Episode of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2019 was broadcast on Tuesday - in addition to tin flame silent last watched via Now TV.

Portait artists icon Courtney Pine

The Semi Finalists

There were nine semifinalists - v men in addition to iv women.

These included six professional person artists

EPISODE 1 - Geoff Harrison (Portraits website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter) - Stockport human being (which greatly appealed to Stockport adult woman Joan Bakewell! Undergraduate marking inwards Fine Art Printmaking from the School of Art inwards Hull; lived inwards Nihon for several years but at nowadays lives inwards London. He did an MA Japanese Studies at SOAS inwards 2009. Involved amongst anatomical icon in addition to illustration in addition to medical arts. Has had 2 residencies: Artist inwards Residence at Barts Pathology Museum at St. Bart's Hospital + Leverhulme residency at The Royal Veterinary College (see his paintings) He has also been shortlisted for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters' Bulldog Bursary in addition to long-listed for the BP Portrait Award. He produces portraits on committee - in addition to schedules icon around looking afterwards this children.

The Heat felt awesome only to last there. But if y'all win something, y'all form of acquire a gustation for it in addition to the stakes are higher

EPISODE 2 - Fátima Pantoja (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram) - video - From Espana but at nowadays based inwards Hampshire. Freelance Fine Artist specialising in: alive portraiture, illustration in addition to sculptures. She also teaches
EPISODE 4 - Archie Wardlaw (Facebook | Instagram) - video - He is a contemporary painter specialising inwards portraiture in addition to silent life. He studied Classics in addition to Philosophy amongst Standard Mandarin at the University of Exeter in addition to and thus trained for v years inwards the Classical Atelier method at London Fine Art Studios where he is at nowadays a senior tutor. He has also taught fine art to the inmates of a prison. He lives inwards London in addition to undertakes portrait commissions from his studio at Battersea Business Centre inwards London.
EPISODE 5 - Catherine McDiarmid (Facebook | Facebook (for her Art Classes)) - video - the only professional person to denote herself equally a Portrait Artist inwards the championship of her site. Winner of diverse awards. Previously appeared inwards Sky Portrait Artist of the Year 2014 in addition to 2017 icon Ashley Jenson in addition to Ross Kemp both of whom chose her Portrait of them to keep. This is her weblog post about My sense on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2019. She has 2 plant inwards the RI Exhibition 3 – eighteen Apr 2019
EPISODE 6 - Emil Nikolla (Facebook | Instagram) - video Lives in addition to plant inwards Beckenham inwards London. He drives a bus, teaches fine art in addition to paints. Studied at the ΑΝΩΤΑΤΗ ΣΧΟΛΗ ΚΑΛΩΝ ΤΕΧΝΩΝ / Athens School of Fine Arts - Greece's premier Art schoolhouse ). He has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
EPISODE 8 - Duncan Shoosmith (Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram) - video - based inwards Wiltshire; combines icon at domicile inwards his garage amongst looking afterwards his iii immature children. He does bully portraits of kids if y'all receive got a facial expression at his website!

The nine Semi Finalists

Three immature amateur artists - who were all students at the fourth dimension of the Semi Finals

in addition to three amateur artists

EPISODE 3 - Sara Lavelle (Twitter | Instagram) - video - Foundation Diploma inwards Art in addition to Design (Distinction) at Falmouth University in addition to and thus went on to report Illustration BA (Hons) at the University of Brighton. As a terminal yr graduate she had only latterly taken upwards painting. Now based inwards London.
EPISODE vii - Annie Lee (Annabella Lee) (Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram) - video - Took her fine art H5N1 Level a calendar week afterwards the heat. Now studying at Central Saint Martins. Spent an hr plotting features earlier starting to paint.
EPISODE 8 - Tom Mead (Facebook / Instagram) - video - Always overnice to regard a website which includes evidence that the creative individual goes to life course of report in addition to tin flame depict from life! Currently doing a BA marking inwards Painting at the University of Arts (Wimbledon). He creates paintings amongst a multifaceted perspective on individuals which propose movement. Loves to pigment inwards acrylic.

What was different

The semi-finals of Portrait Artist of the Year 2019 gets underway

Another novel venue

For PAOTY 2018 they were at the Cafe de Paris. These semi-finals were at the Hackney Round Chapel in Clapton.

It has such a strong sense of place. It's uplifting. It's got to influence our artists today Kathleen Soriano

One sitter non two

Last year, the semi-finalists were surprised to discovery they were icon non ane but 2 models.

This year, they render to only ane sitter - the jazz instrumentalist Courtenay Pine who brought his sax to move along him company.

I assemble he turned iv hours tardily which must receive got made some production people rather fraught - in addition to the painters rather tired past times the cease of the day. It sure enough explains to me why the episode seemed curiously 'flat'. Maybe they'll last dorsum to 2 sitters - only inwards instance - side past times side yr (or maybe only ane renowned for punctuality?)

What the Judges were looking for

We're looking for to a greater extent than narrative in addition to to a greater extent than texture. We're going to receive got to acquire tougher amongst them Kate Bryan

Why?

This is silent a iv hr portrait where y'all know zippo most the sitter inwards advance.
How make y'all render or improve narrative when y'all receive got no lead chances to interrogation or utter to the sitter?
How make people render to a greater extent than texture inwards the same iv hr icon slot - which is to a greater extent than similar three?
Isn't the challenge tougher for the artists - - they are at nowadays upwards against other Heat Winners non 'also rans'.
Shouldn't the Judges last bringing the same criteria to their Judgement inwards the semi-finals equally they did inwards the Heats. In other words they're looking for the best portrait - yet they assist to define that.

We empathise portraits to last most what people facial expression like. What I desire the artists today is acquire beyond the surface in addition to endeavour to capture the spirit of their sitter and tell us all what it is similar to last human inwards the 21st century Tai Shan Schierenberg

Tai also felt that Courtney playing the artists some music was plenty to make them some insight into him equally a person.

Those are overnice aspirations in addition to ones I'd deal are exclusively appropriate challenges for a portrait artist. But inwards iv hours - when y'all are MUCH farther away than y'all would usually last - because all nine demand to pigment the sitter (and the cameras silent demand to last able to brand it front) - in addition to cannot chat inwards the agency that y'all tin flame when ane on one? That's a pretty tall challenge - in addition to IMO quite perhaps an impossible one.

It's unclear whether either Judge articulated these expectations to the artists.

But they didn't halt there.

They allow Joan Bakewell explicate what else the Judges expect!

I'm going to inquire y'all reverberate his music inwards what y'all paint

How just make y'all make that when the initiative of all y'all listen it is only earlier y'all start - inwards a highly artificial setting. To last frank I'd make what most did - in addition to ignore it!

Criteria demand to gibe the context. I don't mean value these do. I mean value they hobbled the artists to a sure extent. Decide the criteria at the showtime of the competition in addition to and thus stick to these throughout. You don't modify criteria - ane time you've worked out what is reasonable for the context - what y'all facial expression for instead is people coming together the criteria inwards meliorate ways.

To last frank I didn't mean value the portraits inwards the Semi-Finals were equally proficient equally the ones done inwards the Heats - amongst a few exceptions. Indeed I was actually disappointed past times a few artists who I expected to make well. I mean value these statements most what they're expecting is inwards utilization responsible for that.

We should receive got had a laid of portraits which were knock-out - in addition to I don't mean value nosotros did.
I don't blame the artists - I blame the Judges.

Intense concentration past times Archie, Geoff, Fátima in addition to Duncan

What the judges liked in addition to disliked

They liked....

the character in addition to make of the semi-finalists
the fact that Sarah Lavelle had switched to Courtney Pine for her music to pigment past times in addition to was channeling him through her headphones!
Duncan turning upwards the mass - although essentially doing to a greater extent than of what they've already seen
Catherine's portrait a lot - but worried most her over-working
Tim's reference signal to cubism inwards relation to musical instruments
artists who were competitors

They disliked

artists who didn't acquire a likeness
slow starts in addition to non getting plenty function done
sticking to what they know - for likewise long.

Which portraits I liked

The ones I liked tended to

think most the whole from the start
find the colours inwards his skin
demonstrated progress inwards icon portraits

The ones that actually disappointed me - because I liked the artists function inwards the past times - ducked the sax until likewise tardily - or got their proportions incorrect - or sadly used a 'trite' proposition of music rattling tardily inwards the day.

Decision Time

The Final Line-Up

The Sitter's Choice

Courtney Pine reviewed all the paintings of the saxophones - in addition to and thus himself. When asked which ane he wanted to select he didn't hesitate - he went immediately for the portrait past times Tom Mead - I mean value because it had an chemical gene of the fragmentation in addition to discontinuities which y'all tin flame brand it Jazz.

Courtney Paine past times Tom Mead

Note the strange niggling patches of color equally good equally the disjointed sax in addition to the extra eye!

The Judge's Choices

Those artists chosen for the Final were:

Tom Mead
Duncan Shoosmith
Sara Lavelle

The Finalists - Sarah, Duncan in addition to Tom

They chose iii rattling dissimilar styles. They also chose on the ground of potential equally good equally the icon produced.

I had Duncan downwardly equally a shoo-in from the rattling start. He got off to a actually proficient start - in addition to only kept finding to a greater extent than in addition to to a greater extent than color inwards the pare tones in addition to to a greater extent than oftentimes than non looking similar a audio choice. Plus Tai likes how he paints.

Tom started inwards a rattling interesting fashion in addition to finished strongly - he'd done enough, although doubtless he could improve on the portrait if he'd had to a greater extent than time. He was positioning items inwards a musical way.

Sarah went off inwards a novel direction in addition to away from her normal pale colours in addition to I mean value that appeals to the Judges - when an creative individual is on a journey. She likewise was ane of those who constitute interesting colours inwards the pare hue in addition to tones.

Courtney Paine past times Sarah Lavelle

Courtney Paine past times Duncan Shoosmith

and finally - side past times side week....

It's the Final - at the National Portrait Gallery.

Which is a flake strange for me - because I've already seen it - because I was inwards fact in that location for the afternoon - having spotted the Judges close the Lifts equally I came out of BP Portrait Award Press View on my agency to make an interview amongst the winner!

I'm non going to brand a prediction because I receive got seen the portraits done inwards the Final. Mind y'all I don't know the result!

The agency it plant is in that location are 2 programmes on Tuesday 16th Apr 2019.

Episode 10: The Final Proper - featuring the American actress in addition to singer Laura Linney as the sitter
Episode 11: The Commission - which is most the icon of the portrait of musical icon in addition to vocalizer Sir Tom Jones - in addition to that ane is already on the Now TV website - but cannot last accessed until side past times side Tuesday.

I'll move out y'all amongst the iii commissioned portraits for the Finals....

I was e'er thus proficient - in addition to didn't sneak a peak!

But it's actually interesting that 2 are landscape format! :)

Three commissioned portraits for the Final - NOT done inwards 4 hours!

More Learning Points re. Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year

PLUS below are my weblog posts from in conclusion yr which contains lots of learning points most icon inwards this competition for those aspiring to compete this year.

Learning Points re the 2019 competition

Learning Points re the 2018 Competition

Below are my PREVIOUS weblog posts most the 2018 competition in addition to my reviews of the heats, semi-finals in addition to terminal - inwards which I comment on specific aspects for aspiring time to come contestants!

How to scout if y'all don't receive got Sky

How to scout Sky Arts - Portrait Artist of the Year 2018 without subscribing to Sky!

How to scout PAOTY 2020 LIVE!

Call for Entries: Portrait Artist of the Year 2020 (entries receive got at nowadays closed)
The PAOTY Trek to Battersea Arts Centre