Sky Arts’ Mission To Find Britain’s Best Portrait Artist

Sky Arts are on a mission this summer to find Britain’s Best Portrait artist. But how do you find a portrait artist?

Simple, they are calling on all artists both amateur and professional, to apply to attend a number of roadshows taking place over the summer. These roadshows will take place in the kingdoms capitals Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow and London and will require those brave enough to step up to the easel and paint one of the three sitters on show. Their works will then be judged by a panel of expert judges who will deem the artist who is most talented the winner of the heat and grant them passage to the next round.

The four finalists will then take part in two more challenges including painting the portrait of a public figure or famous person over a period of time. The four portraits will then be hung in the National Portrait Gallery for the public to enjoy. The winner will be crowned by a number of judges including Kathleen Soriano, Director of Exhibitions at The Royal Academy of Arts, Portrait Artist Tai Shan Schierenberg and Kate Bryan, Head of Contemporary at The Fine Art Society. The chosen winner will not only have the support of the National Portrait Gallery, receive a years supply of art materials from Cass Art but will also receive a £10,000 commission to paint double Booker prize winner and Costa award winning author Hilary Mantel, which will go on permanent display at the British Library.

 “Tai-Shan Schierenberg, member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and one of the judges”

To enter you simply need to be enthusiastic and over the age of 16. So if you’re feeling brave and fancy a challenge, with what I would deem a ‘money can’t buy prize’, then why not give it a go?

However, if entering the competition and potentially being part of a TV series isn’t your thing don’t fret. The roadshows happening throughout June and July are free events where you can attend master classes, receive feedback on your work or even find a portrait artist who is taking commissions. Sound like the perfect day out.