The Contemporary British Portrait Painters: Interviews Part 1

I studied Art at A-Level, but aside from that I’m largely self-taught, which means there’s probably an awful lot a don’t know, but I think art has always been in my blood. I’ve always drawn and painted, and always taken an interest in the history of art. I’ve been fortunate enough to take part in the BP Portrait Award on two occasions, in 2017 with my painting of Matt Berry and again in 2020 with my painting of Lenny Henry. It does feel quite special to see your work exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery. In the same building as work by Singer Sargent, Hockney, Reynolds and Freud. I’ve also had my work selected for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters show in 2021 and 2022, which is a great honour.

What draws you to portraiture and can you tell us about your approach to it?

I think it’s portraiture that I’m often most drawn to when I’m looking at art. There’s something quite elemental and primal about portraiture, it’s also very accessible. There are a lot of artists that I admire and I’m sure their work must have influenced me in some way. Paula Rego, John Craxton, Jenny Saville, and Euan Uglow have all been influences. I’m also quite interested in the work that Francis Bacon did with John Deakin. I always need to spend as much time as I can with my sitters, to try to get to know and understand them a little. I’m trying to discover something about the sitter, but also discovering something about myself with each painting. My approach is always very instinctive, I rarely have any preconceived ideas about what I’d like to achieve, I like just to work with the individual and the light, in that moment.

What are your go-to materials for portrait painting and can you share any tips or techniques with our readers?

I draw a lot, even when I’m working on a painting there is a lot of drawing involved, I used Derwent Graphic pencils, and Kum long point pencil sharpeners. (I get through those very quickly, unfortunately!) When I’m painting, I use acrylic paints, a mix of Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylics and Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. They are both lovely to work with and they have a lot of pigment in them. I use lots of thin glazes of paint in my work, slowly building up the image, but when I need to it’s good to be able to get solid coverage of pigment without having to apply the paint too thickly. Those paints allow me to have the finesse and delicacy that I like in the brushwork. I usually paint on gesso primed wooden panels, but sometimes canvas as well.

Thanks Martyn! To see more of Martyn’s work, visit martynburdon.com or follow him on Instagram @martynburdon.

PETER JAMES FIELD 

Hi Peter! Can you tell us about your creative journey so far.?

I did a degree in illustration at the University of Brighton and have been a full-time illustrator and artist for 17 years. At first, I was primarily an illustrator, doing figurative pencil illustrations for clients like Penguin books, The New York Times, Vanity Fair and TIME Magazine. From 2017, I started to move toward fine art painting. My work has been selected for the BP Portrait Award show at the National Portrait Gallery (2018 and 2020) and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters show (2019, 2020 and 2022).

What draws you to portraiture and can you tell us about your approach to it?

I’ve always been fascinated by art history, and since I was very young portraiture was the genre which held the greatest fascination for me. I guess this is because I’m interested in people – not only the sitters but also the artists through whose creative lenses these likenesses are refracted. My own portraiture could broadly be described as an ongoing attempt to understand and become part of that process myself. My approach is very intuitive, I never go in with a specific plan. Drawing is the core of my practice; all my paintings begin with a fairly long-winded process of making multiple drawings to try and unlock something which excites me enough to make a painting.  I want to feel like I’m discovering something about my sitter. 

What are your go-to materials for portrait painting and can you share any tips or techniques with our readers?

I paint on primed wooden panels. Sometimes I get them made up at my local timber yard, but often I buy them ready-made. I use fairly cheap synthetic brushes. I try to buy the highest quality paints (Michael Harding is the gold standard, or so everyone says) but it’s hard – some colours are eye-wateringly expensive, so I do often go for slightly cheaper alternatives. My only technical advice would be to find your own way… I think a lot of people are searching for the ideal approach, but in truth there’s no such thing. It’s just a case of trying out a few different approaches and finding what works best for you. Doing a short course in oil painting (I did an excellent one a few years ago at Draw Brighton) can still be a good way to get a firmer grasp of the basics.

Thanks Peter! To see more of Peter’s work, visit peterjamesfield.co.uk or follow him on Instagram @peterjamesfield.

The Contemporary British Portrait Painters 2022 Exhibition is on display downstairs at The Department Store, 248 Ferndale Road, Brixton, London, SW9 8FR, from 11^th-18^th June. Admission is free and there’s no booking required.

Exhibiting Artists include: Samira Addo, Mary Jane Ansell, Simon Bartram, Ange Bell, Paul Benney, Tim Benson, James Bland, Ilsa Brittain, Martyn Burdon, Darren Butcher, Clive Bryant, Jonathan Chan, Tom Croft, James E Crowther, Belinda Crozier, Sam Dalby, Peter Davis, Simon Davis, Mark Draisey, Belinda Eaton, Miriam Escofet, Samantha Fellows, Peter James Field, Jane French, Ian Goldsmith, James Hague, Philip Harris, Geoffrey Harrison, Curtis Holder, Danny Howes, Owain hunt, Hero Johnson, Preslav Kostov, Jemisha Maadhavji, Catherine MacDiarmid, Michael James Monaghan, Peter Monkman, Sarah Jane Moon, Charles Moxon, Ruth Murray, Lucy Pass, Anastasia Pollard, Caroline pool, Laura quinn Harris, Carl Randall, Joseph Andrew Ryan, Duncan Shoosmith, Lucy Stopford, Liesel Thomas, Andrew Tift, Oliver Winconek and Antony Williams.

Find out more at: thecbpp.org or follow the CBPP on Instagram @thecbpp

The exhibition is supported by: The Sinclair Gallery, The Net Gallery & Cass Art