Tonight’s portrait artist of the year…

Shocking…but I,m not an artist so what do I know?

I just watch the end now. The first couple of weeks the judges chose paintings which bore some resemblance to the sitter. Not now. Professor Hannah Fry must be getting worried.

How can an artist make such a beautiful person look so ugly!

It was awful 🙁

The one he chose to take home was by far the best.

Yes indeed .... a step too far this time. I can cope with a bit of wackiness, but this was just silly.

The woman who did the cartoonish painting, painted it entirely from a photograph. Absolutely shocking. And with the poor man standing there for four hours. As someone who has a fine arts degree, words fail me .

Was going to watch, but clearly I didn’t miss much.

I’d watch it if I were you. Then tell us what you think.

JamesandJon33

The woman who did the cartoonish painting, painted it entirely from a photograph. Absolutely shocking. And with the poor man standing there for four hours. As someone who has a fine arts degree, words fail me .

If he’d wanted to be painted crouching down he wouldn’t’ve stood up for four hours! It was insulting imo. Bit like the horrible Rory Stewart caricature from the other year that he hated. Of course the sitters can’t actually say these things on the programme can they? I wish they could.

I have just watched this to see what you are all talking about and I think that the chosen portrait is appalling. Poor Reece. The artist called all the shots and then painted a grotesque. I do hope that the judges drop their controversial stance and don't choose her as the winner . Last year's choice was bad enough.

Just watched it, he is stood for four hours, he's so elegant and beautiful and the artist turned him into something grotesque. Unbelievable.

I'm never keen on the ones who take photographs and work from them. When I was at art school we were always taught that photographs flatten your subject and make it difficult to really see the structure.

The winning portrait was a striking painting, but it looked nothing like him, and why play around with a photograph when you've got an actual model in front of you.

Agree. Had a strong feeling they were looking for something different. Therefore, we were ready with cries of horror. Why oh! Why. Surely they have a thought about the final sitter. Hannah Fry is a beautiful woman! So surely in the end the £10,000 should be well spent. I thought the judges were improving after the outcry that Lenny Henry ‘s portrait caused. Hope the final result is well thought out and Hannah Fry has an artist who can catch something of her quick silver mind and character as well as her good looks.

Oh Deedaa Having been to art school myself , I couldn’t agree with you more. What, for goodness sake, is the point of having a model, if you just use a photograph. I think the people in charge of PAOTY should ban iPads, cameras, rulers, grids etc. See where that gets them.

I read somewhere that the artists take photos as they are a long way back from the sitter and the film crew are constantly in the way.

I wasn't going to watch this but after all the comments, I felt I had to. What a bizarre portrait of a striking, handsome dancer. I certainly wouldn't go to her if I wanted a portrait painting. I sometimes wonder what the judges are thinking when they make their choices.

I thought it was just me, so relieved to read this thread, I never saw one I would take home

I was gobsmacked! How insulting. I really hope she doesn’t win & paint professor Hannah Fry.

For most of those commenting, please, GET REAL, and watch some more episodes!

It is NOT a photography contest!! LISTEN to what is said as the judges walk round -- you'll hear that artists who paint 'from life' are that rare that the process draws a comment!! Almost everyone paints from an image on a gadget, has done for some years now.

The judges are clearly looking for that elusive quality that catches some aspect of the sitter that maybe isn't that obvious from what a simple snap would show? (dozens of shows . . .masses of comments . . .).

The ballet dancer was NOT forced at gunpoint to stand for 4 hours, was he?! And at the end, he said the only strain he felt was actually in his arm, from that pose (as in the ballet he was dressed to play in).

Do I like all the finished pics? Certainly NOT! Is it worth getting upset about? Well, this last week we saw pics by the likes of Holbein, Brusghel, and Picasso (etc). Doubtless the portarint by Picasso (of his then lover) is worth squillions, but it looked like a 5-y-o could have done it. Did I throw things at it -- no . . . .move on!

DrWatson

For most of those commenting, please, GET REAL, and watch some more episodes!

It is NOT a photography contest!! LISTEN to what is said as the judges walk round -- you'll hear that artists who paint 'from life' are that rare that the process draws a comment!! Almost everyone paints from an image on a gadget, has done for some years now.

The judges are clearly looking for that elusive quality that catches some aspect of the sitter that maybe isn't that obvious from what a simple snap would show? (dozens of shows . . .masses of comments . . .).

The ballet dancer was NOT forced at gunpoint to stand for 4 hours, was he?! And at the end, he said the only strain he felt was actually in his arm, from that pose (as in the ballet he was dressed to play in).

Do I like all the finished pics? Certainly NOT! Is it worth getting upset about? Well, this last week we saw pics by the likes of Holbein, Brusghel, and Picasso (etc). Doubtless the portarint by Picasso (of his then lover) is worth squillions, but it looked like a 5-y-o could have done it. Did I throw things at it -- no . . . .move on!

Well, that’s us told….

Where did "portarint" come from?! Flippin eck, "portrait" (though with the woman's elbow, ear and nose in close proximity, maybe a new word is needed?!).

Oh, and the submission by the artist, to get on the show, is a demo of the style she clearly likes, so the cartoon/caricature that won wasn't such a surprise?

I too thought it was dreadful, but then I think Picasso was dreadful too. I sometimes think that artists are the like the emperor's new clothes, it just takes one idiot , sorry expert to say how wonderful it is and they all follow on like sheep.

The artist herself was completely shocked at her submission winning. I don't think that reaction was mere humility.

I love art but I'm a heathen really. I like art from lots of different genres -I love the impressionists and post-impressionists, I love 17th Century Flemish art, native Canadian art, some Kandinsky etc. etc. But I just like what I see. And I do like a portrait to look like the subject. The better the likeness, the more I like it. Capturing their "aura" or their "spirit" doesn't do it for me.

It's the utter pretentiousness of art snobs that I really don't like!

The winner this week reminds me of the bloke who sits by Brighton pier and does a caricature of you in 10 minutes.