We could not resist borrowing that famous phrase for today’s post, and if you recognise it, you will understand why the moment you see our opening image. Claire Taylor’s wonderfully observed pencil portrait of the great Columbo, all rumpled charm and barely concealed brilliance, sets the tone perfectly for a celebration of portraiture at its very best.
Portrait painting and drawing is one of the most rewarding and challenging disciplines an artist can pursue. To capture not just a likeness but a mood, a moment, a personality, requires a very particular kind of looking. You have to go beyond what you see on the surface and find what makes a face truly that person. The work our students have produced here does exactly that, and the results are quite breathtaking.
Across this collection we have pencil and oils, wooden board and canvas, intimate family moments and striking figurative compositions. Each piece tells a different kind of story. Aurelia Sieberhagen’s warmly lit oil painting of a grandfather and young child sharing a book together is full of quiet tenderness, the kind of fleeting moment that deserves to be preserved forever. Evelyn Sichrovsky’s oil portrait of a young Taiwanese girl is technically stunning, with skin tones, hair and a softly rendered landscape background handled with extraordinary delicacy and control.
Gillian Hardiman’s pencil drawing is bold and atmospheric, a dark-haired figure surrounded by swirling leaves, the composition full of movement and mystery. And Isabella Bullock’s acrylic portrait of young Charlotte, complete with cat face paint and a very serious expression, is full of charm and character, capturing that wonderful combination of childhood playfulness and solemn dignity that only children can carry off so perfectly.
What unites all of these pieces is the confidence with which each artist has approached their subject, and the genuine connection they have found with the person they are portraying. That is what portrait painting is really about.
If you would love to develop your own skills in portraiture, our Portrait Painting Certificate Course could be just what you are looking for. Find out more here.
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