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Denise Cat

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The Milk Maid and Mr and Mrs Clark are two of my favourites. Great examples Lewis and placing people doing everyday activities in their surroundings.

Tessa Gwynne

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A selection of a few I like. The last is Tim Benson’s lockdown selfie from 2020.

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Lewis Cooper

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Yes Tessa,  I've gone off Sky's portrait competition, chiefly because of it's formulaic format.  I do find it a good source to discover new artists, and much prefer to look at the artists work when they are producing to their own timescale rather than the program's four hour time limit.  I'm less troubled with their use of ipads etc.  I think we need to embrace modern technology (except for ai), the end result is what matters to me.  I'm of an age where techno stuff confuses me, I still don't understand electricity...but I'm glad it's there. And yes again, we have some brilliant artists on POL, in all genres.  Subscribing to POL gives me a virtual 'wall', I keep banging on about it, I use mine solely for POL artists whose work inspires me.   Among the wonderful portraitists on my wall are Michele, Martin and Russell...and others, can't remember them all at the mo (old age). And I agree that portraits  showing the sitters surroundings and activities can add much to a portrait.  There are others to follow.

Martin Shaw

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Oh, cool Lew. Sometimes it’s attitude, guess I’m speaking about art in general. I see an artist I like, and I say to myself, gotta get me some of that, then work harder. Jenny Saville is great, for me that is. Her ideas have twisted the fashion of portrait painters, into eyes missing and faces blurred with something other worldly, or slightly sexual.  “To capture” , now there’s a thing, in fact, to capture and to add even more soul to the person. I mean, you don’t know how you put the depth into faces, but mine comes from infatuation and happiness. Needles to say, if I’m not happy when i work, then I have a boringly moderate picture that are shelved for another day, which is never. I guess it’s an exercise  in all things good that that helps you create

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AnonymousUser-8 AnonymousUser-8

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I once went to a major Dali exhibition at the National, and when it all got a bit much with people and paintings I wandered off to a side room and there was Mr and Mrs Clark. I have loved it ever since. No melting clocks, elephants etc, just a simple portrait of a couple. I agree a background adds to a portrait. Laura Knights portraits with the blurry flowers behind the person I particularly like. The bright pinks she used were stunning.

Alan Bickley

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Tim Benson’s self portrait is the stand out example here, albeit I do appreciate many of the other styles… but not necessarily all of them. This is the style that excites me, a sense of urgency about it, and I know that he dives straight in with a big brush … no preparatory drawing! Probably my favourite portrait painter, but I’m less keen on his landscapes, and yes, he does paint landscapes! I don’t feel the same way as Lew about the use of iPads, when a life model is sitting twenty feet away! They take a photo, hurry back to their easel and will perhaps occasionally give a cursory glance at the model… presumably to see if they’re still there! Lew has embraced their use, and I suppose that I should also, but I just can’t… it’s a mental block. And I’ve got all this technology, so I do embrace it in different ways. It’s ridiculous because why deprive yourself of modern technology that would really help - it can only stem back to my many hours in the life studio, working with a model and a tutor to help guide and advise… I can’t seem to move away from that concept! Ah yes, Mr & Mrs Clark and Percy… a fine example by Hockney…

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by Alan Bickley

Norrette Moore

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The double portrait is an interesting subject.  There's a program on BBC4 iplayer about Hockney and his doubles.  It shows how he subtley (or not) shows the relationship between the couple through positioning or body language.  I'd recommend this programme.   Tessa's pitchfork couple above is a prime example of Hockney's technique, I forget the name of the artist, a Nordic artist I think.
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Lewis Cooper

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I'd like to cover a few artists who see things differently, to me at least.  It was Alan who put me on to Tim Benson, in another forum discussion.  I'll confess his work set me back at first, but it's growing me.  I get the same sense of urgency that Alan mentioned, and I admire the way he breaks down the planes of the face an leaves it there. Another artist I admire is Andrew James... Some more I like...Karen Turner... Morag Caister...   Kehinde Wiley... And, of course, Gustav Klimpt... Wonderful stuff. I don't think we should concern ourselves too much with techno stuff, we each find our way to do our thing best and that's all that counts.  I must also confess to having vestiges of hang up about using photos.  It's daft.  Drawing cartoons leaves me free of all that, I just get on with it.  But if I want to produce realistic portraits - and I do - I WILL use ref photos.  As Martin said, the artist brings something extra to the table.  Him/herself.  A painting will always be more than a photo, it's a creative interpretation, not a click  of a button.  (Really good photography can be more than that too, but that's another discussion).  Sometimes I'll attempt a realistic portrait and it'll transmogrify into a caricature.  I really like caricatures, but not when my intention was to make a realistic portrait.  So it'll be photo reference for me. Now I have to cut my grass before the rain comes...see you later.

Martin Shaw

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Need to look at these artists. Astonishingly good posts. Thanks
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Lewis Cooper

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Norrette, the pitchfork painting in Tessa’s selection is by Grant Wood, an American artist.  He also paints stylised landscapes that I like. I’m glad Tessa posted Frans Hal’s laughing cavalier, I knocked his group portrait but I like that painting…although I think a better title would be ‘the smirking cavalier.’

Norrette Moore

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Ah, yes, I'm getting it mixed up with some of Carl Larsson's work, a similar palette
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Russell Edwards

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Jeunesse Doree by Gerald Brockhurst I was an HGV driver in my early twenties and would regularly drive around Liverpool, Birkenhead etc and I would always try to visit the Lady Lever Art Gallery. The gallery is home to many Pre Raphaelite paintings Including one of my favourites, 'The Scapegoat' by William Holman Hunt, but the painting above was one I was always drawn to. It was displayed at eye level which allowed close inspection, not something you're always able to do. There are countess portraits I could choose from but Mr Brockhurst deserves a mention in my opinion. I've only ever been interested in portraiture and it began really when I drew Jim Morrison from the cover of The Doors' first album (great album incidentally ) and my sister said, 'It looks like him,'  it was all the encouragement I needed!  As for the 'photos v life drawing' argument, I've gone past caring to be honest!
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