Portrait Artist of the Year. Lenny Henry.

I'm afraid I didn't like it at all. There's no real resemblance, or essence even, of the man. The whole portrait looks like it lacks effort, compared to those produced by other artists throughout the series. Perhaps I'm just not arty enough to appreciate empty spaces, and outline mistakes left on the canvas apparently adding to the overall aesthetic? It sort of reminds me of the animation style in the old Rhubarb and Custard children's series. I had really enjoyed all the final commissions from previous series, especially the Graham Norton portrait. That was stunning.

What a fascinating thread! I love both the portrait and landscape paintings on Sky Arts and follow avidly. I also keep a note of artists I like and follow them on Instagram or in galleries.
Loved Morag’s lively drawing style with a scruffy old paintbrush….and how brave to go straight into it with no pencil sketching. Thought body of Lenny was superb but I agree she didn’t capture his face.
She managed it with Elizabeth Day and also her boyfriend.
I think the judges chose her because her approach was so original.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202212/medium-89898-2020-12-curtisholderartistportraitcarlosacosta5mb.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202212/medium-822504-images.jpg

I love this portrait of Carlos Acosta (winner 2020?) but it won't be to everyone's taste. I've noticed that the judges are sometimes a bit sniffy about artists who have gone through the classical painting training that you get in Florence so I've posted the portrait that Tai Shan S did of the late queen with the Duke of E. I don't think it's a great likeness either!

This is the Graham Norton portrait. I don’t care about the experts opinions, I want to see a good likenes and this is it.

Not like him, also the programme was tedious as she was so lacking in personality!

I agree with Paddyanne. The only good commission was the one if Graham Norton. It transpired during the sittings that their families were connected in some way, it was a beautiful portrait.

So pleased to read the comments on here as I was beginning to think it was just me! I’m of the “I know what I like” brigade and have no artistic talent whatsoever but I do enjoy this programme. I really can’t understand the judges thinking as in some of the rounds they were heard to criticise the lack of a likeness in some of the works but to applaud it in the winning artists work! Much preferred last year’s portrait and yes I also loved the Graham Norton one!

I’ve just looked it up.
Here it is.

She’s called it ‘Len’ to reflect the person he is at home, not THE ‘Lenny Henry - Entertainer’.

I like it. She’s caught the essence of him superbly i think. 😊

I agree with everything other have said: excellent rangy body but disastrous head (could be anyone).

I enjoy comments from the judges but do not always agree with them and am, as only an amateur artist, often puzzled by some of their remarks. I feel rather 'un-artisty' as I obviously do not comprehend what the judges are saying! They, in their superior (I am not being sarcastic) knowledge obviously see things which I do not.

I felt that the successful finalist had a particular rapport with the judges and perhaps this was why she was chosen as the finalist.

If I were Lenny Henry I would find someone else to 'go over' and tweak the head before the portrait is hung for public viewing!

The NPG put the portrait on Instragram. It’s a good painting but it’s not Lenny Henry. As others have said, the judges made some odd choices this year. They didn’t seem to care if the artist was able to capture a likeness. When the NPG reopens in the Spring I’ll go and have a look.

I've just looked at it online, it's just so dull. It doesn't represent the big, real person that he is at all.

I think she missed the likeness but then I don't like her style anyway, I don't think she was in any way the best of the bunch.

I missed this series so I Googled the portrait. I agree it isn't really a resemblance. This is an interesting take on it. Though it may have been cut to make an impression www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=tcvsCBtPGC0

LizzieDrip

^I’ve been really surprised by some of the ones the judges have chosen throughout this series.^

Yes me too Maybe. I love this programme but I really disagreed with the judges on several occasions throughout this series. Still, they’re more experienced artists than I’ll ever so I suppose they know what they’re talking about. Not keen on the Lenny Henry portrait and what a shame as he’s such a fabulous subject

I agree LizzieDrip, but I hesitate to be critical because I couldn’t even begin to paint anything for public viewing!
The pressure must be immense and I do think Morag was nervous.
I love watching the series and the Landscape Artist of the Yesr series too.

I don't expect portraits to look like photographs but do like to see some resemblance to the sitter - it looks nothing like Lenny Henry and you would never guess it was him.

I've only seen a few of these programmes, Elaine Page and Ellie Simmonds - in both cases the sitters chose the most flattering portrait, rather than the better piece of art, in my opinion!

I’ve been really surprised by some of the ones the judges have chosen throughout this series.

Yes me too Maybe. I love this programme but I really disagreed with the judges on several occasions throughout this series. Still, they’re more experienced artists than I’ll ever so I suppose they know what they’re talking about. Not keen on the Lenny Henry portrait and what a shame as he’s such a fabulous subject

Like all her other work and she was a deserved winner Thought she would have made a better portrait of Lenny. Body good but face a bad resemblance, which was a shame

I’m an avid watcher ,but this year I have never agreed with the winners….am I looking for a likeness ? Yes. am Iooking for an overall good portrait? Yes..PAOY must be looking for something else….I’ll stick to my watercolour attempts, for my eyes only.😉

A great painting but not of Lenny Henry.

You can buy a signed numbered print from the National Portrait Gallery for £400! I thought the actual face just didn't look like him although it was an interesting picture.

I've just watched the unveiling of the portrait and thought it didn't look anything like Lenny - the face was just wrong and, like someone else has commented, I would not gave known that it was supposed to be Lenny Henry.

I think there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm by the judges when the portrait was revealed. I think she was chosen because her use of colour and composition was thought to have good potential for the final and she also had an interesting back story with her Albanian connection which the judges always like. However, given Lennie Henry's serious and quite melancholy nature I think the portrait style of the young finalist Nina Rominska in the previous episode would have been a much more suitable finalist.

Didn't feel it captured the essence of Lenny at all, despite all her tedious waffle beforehand. As for the adulation at the great unveiling, all seemed a bit like the Emperor's New Clothes to me ...

Interesting ... I felt the same. All her paintings seemed much the same. Lenny's face was not good .... body was fine. So surprised she won.

Really disappointed with the likeness. Morag got his body but without knowing who it was I wouldn't have known. I don't think the judges would have chosen this submission if it was a painting done earlier in the competition.