Celebrities Capture Iconic Figures - Portrait Artist of the Year - S06 EP12 - Art Documentary

[Music] hello we're thrilled to greet you from our  new home at Battersea Arts Center in London where we're about to be dazzled by Art not just  by Art here in the grand hall we've got some pretty Grand artists who'll be painting some  exceptional sitters so roll out the red carpet the red paint and red easels welcome to celebrity  portrait artist of the year competing in today's all-star cast are actors James Fleet vanilla  woolgar and Mark gatis I'm not competitive I don't think like that alth

ough I have slowly  poisoned all of them over breakfast [Music] joining them are presenters Annika rice  Sophie Morgan and comedian Jenny eclair I'm quite disappointed in how good everybody else  is I thought there'd be more Sunday afternoon dabblers like myself doodlers that's what I  like to call myself I'm a doodler with flair yeah a successful career in the Limelight hasn't  stopped our six celebrities from developing their artistic skills it turns out it's very difficult  during portraits y

ou have to because it might just they'll have to make the right creative  decisions I've lost his fractured hands I don't want to see your hands ever again to create a  portrait in just four hours time time choosing a winner will require the expertise of our three  judges award-winning artist taishan sharenberg art historian Kate Bryan and independent  curator Kathleen Soriano I feel the competition fizzing well I love what Mark  does so you know but take him down anyway so who has got the artis

tic Flair I've got the  likeness now I'm going to try and have fun with it what does that mean I don't know and the  right temperament don't be too relaxed it's a competition man to create a masterpiece it's  killing me that's killing me you're such a warrior become the next celebrity  portrait artist of the year I think I might repeat how soon do you know  it's not going to work oh about now [Music] to demonstrate their ability each  celebrity was asked for an example of their work to give us a

sense of  what we might expect today [Music] welcome six celebrity portraits on this celebrity  day what do you make of this celebrity painting I think it's a great figure study because I  like the way that the body kind of collapses on itself and I like the color palette as well  you got that sort of pink stain in the body's shifting and you get more volume I also think  it's great because they knew when to stop [Music] this is a rather fine portrait if a little  Melancholy incredibly sensitiv

ely painted and you know observed and that right eye is  just gorgeous it's an artist who obviously looks very carefully the sort of delicate sort of  structuring of the cheek and the forehead foreign self-examination you sense here and  someone who I feel is playing around a little bit with Styles yeah I mean I like  the way that these brush Strokes all hover on the surface especially on the cheek  there great startled expression almost here we have a painting of the artist's  mother I like the

lusciousness of the paint is affectionate but still not afford to eat your greens yeah I find it very  English I expect Miss Marple to look like them Frida beautifully drawn I mean absolutely  masterful control of the pencil very very fine work that soft blouse is that  I mean the feeling of the pencil mark on her it's very beautiful and  contrasting the sharpness of the hair I love everything about this me  too I love the shadow I love the crudeness of the paint the position  of the sitter it'

s just so sweet you might say maybe they don't know how to  draw correctly but I'm not interested in correct because this is its own  language it's a wicked little thing with everything set it's time to reveal which  three famous faces our celebrities will be painting artists your sitter you're right Annika  your sitter is a former track and field athlete turned broadcaster she won gold at the 2000 Sydney  Olympics please welcome Denise Lewis [Music] since winning heptathlon gold Denise  has bee

n president of the Commonwealth Games England and reached the  final of Strictly Come Dancing amazing amazing amazing lovely we've delivered  you did why am I so nervous though before no I've never done this before obviously you know  you're a very active person how are you going to find sitting still for four hours I think  I'll handle it when you're used to competing in large Arenas and having to stay in the  zone and focus I'm hoping this is going to be a breeze well that's exactly what we ne

ed you  need to stay in the zone and focus good luck yeah artists your sitter is an American  actress whose prolific career has covered everything from The Goonies to The  Good Wife please welcome Martha Plimpton writing to fame as a teenager Martha's stage  and Screen career has spanned over 30 years acting alongside greats such as  Robert De Niro and Harrison Ford all right now you're being painted by Mark  who's been a sitter himself okay fine it's fine okay just stay awake yeah that's the  m

ain thing right because I was wondering if maybe I should read I have some reading to  do but then reading sometimes makes you sleepy could you rehearse your lines in your head yes  I might have to do that wonderful but suddenly I'm really nervous no I know I feel not as  nervous as we are I guess it's true right artists your city yes you artist your sitter is  an actor and singer songwriter he's known for solving crimes in Lewis and causing trouble  in Victoria please welcome Lawrence Fox [Musi

c] Lawrence studied at Radha but also loves  music releasing his debut album holding patterns in 2016. are you a man who has portraits of  you littered throughout your house hundreds hundreds are you good at sitting still  you strike me as quite a fidgety person is that fair yeah low-level Panic attacker  most of the day okay fidgety right so you can't fidget today they're trying to capture  your essence on canvas oh dear it'd be messy artists how would you like our sitter  to sit I want you to

be comfortable and happy comfortable habits what my mother  wants so not to ask what we all want I want you to look straight at me [Laughter] no  that's good whatever's comfortable for you I think yeah I mean this feels pretty comfortable yeah you  sure is that okay yeah yeah I think that's good right that's it then from here how much can we  move you oh do what you want with me if you moved your head slightly if you look a bit that oh yeah  head a bit further around and now looking back I would

like a little bit more this  way I have a holiday book to Christmas good luck celebrity artists hopefully you have  everything you need if not it's a bit late now you have four hours to complete your  portraits good luck everyone time starts now I want your strong face my Olympic face your  Olympian I can remember what that looks like skip still how many guitars do you have 12 or  13. it's always good to ask them a question some artists start by carefully mixing the  colors to get the exact sha

de of the background whereas others have different ideas altogether I  really hate this background I'm really struggling with it we've got mud color here I don't  think it does anything for him I might come to your house oh dear Jenny what are you doing I'm covering the  wall with this nicer paint I can't bear they're not being any color at all behind  this man it's horrible I think he's not even painting the bit behind his head from  where you're looking I'm over here oh God right that I'll hav

e to do [Music] now you're painting on there as well why not it's  the same color I'm getting out of here [Music] I've just got rid of all the white which  freaks me out and now I'll start to make it into a mess and then out of that mess I like  to try and extract her spirit somehow it's quite crazy I know what I mean alongside life is a  television and radio presenter Annika rice fell in love with painting and studied at Chelsea  College of Art as well as using conventional brushes she's happy

to paint with her hands  or anything else that happens to be available you painted your portrait with a twig is that  right yes what does a twig give you it stops you being precious about the marks you make okay okay  because I love those early cave paintings because you know that is pure Mark making isn't it they  didn't have the full array of art materials didn't have art shops they just had a tweak possibly  yeah a bit of Old Antelope so you feel your channel to your ancestors yes no you've s

aid it  yeah that's exactly what I'm doing amazing [Music] Martha yeah are you in pain no  my leg is fine it's my rib cage that I'm surprised by just shot  if you need to stretch it will do a great job I have to say  thank you very much and you've definitely got the proportions right  now thank you and the set of the mouth have you told her you're not doing her  legs really good point no so we probably should tell her and give her a break yeah  should we tell her oh you will get a torture stage

and Screen actress vanilla woolgar  discovered her love of art while taking painting courses for a part in the film Mr  Turner she thinks she looks rather miserable in her self-portrait which was painted on a  dull day in January do you ever feel that you have one area which is like your Achilles here  maybe the nose I make it too long between the eye and the ear right so I have to readjust and  bring it in I have to say we've got two of our best artists in this section here today this is  um I'

m calling the serious painter's corner I feel the competition fizzing well I love what  Matt does so you know but take him down anyway [Music] fantastic he's held it brilliantly and we've not used  the leg at all which is a bit of a shame so cheeky to put a leg over there she liked it  yeah she thought it was comfortable she was wrong as if it wasn't enough to be actor  comedian novelist and screenwriter Mark Gates is also an enthusiastic student of art  his self-portrait was painted in oils in

two and a half hours why such a strong background  of pink I'm colorblind I thought it was Green I think the danger with sort of neutral  backgrounds is it makes things muddy and it's so shocking it sort of brings it all  to life I think because your techniques are really the classical way of painting aren't  they very kind I like to chat out my guests [Music] after solving her problem with the set Jenny now  has time to focus on everything that's wrong with her sitter I was hoping for more bear

d fatter and  glasses but I've got the Adonis the strawberry blonde Adonis I'm not quite sure what to do with  him I'm struggling with his body he's a bit of a what I call fidget he's got ants in his pants  he gave me a look then does this say happen despite getting a D in her a-level art  comedian and writer Jenny eclair came back to painting five years ago taking  classes at dulwich picture gallery her submission portrait is of her daughter Phoebe  and is painted in acrylics you very annoyingl

y painted over the background oh yeah I think  it's hideous it reminds me of my school uh okay avlovian reaction to orange and brown and because  he's so Tawny himself Tawny I like that orange and brown I think you didn't really stand out from  the background didn't it I do love the Vincent van Gogh head you've got there the head's great it  is isn't it yeah it might cut everything else off because I'm not trained enough because I don't  know what I'm doing enough a few lucky Strokes are more li

kely to work than hours it becomes  overplayed and tortured yeah we like tortured [Music] [ __ ] our celebrity artists are  one hour into their portrait challenge I don't know what I'm gonna do yet with a  background I think I'll probably suggest something more than do any detail I like unfinished pictures  so I'll see how I get on time time [Music] it turns out it's very difficult doing portraits  you have to get some lighters which is tricky and it just goes to warm spiritual Humanity about  h

er that I just want to create a gentle painting foreign it kind of started quite well and  now I've I don't know what I've done I've done but you know it's I'm not going  to panic Don't Panic yeah some of the things I've just put in the wrong place oh  that's terrible don't look at that [Music] here at batters the Arts Center  our six celebrity artists are one hour into painting Denise Lewis  Lawrence Fox and Martha Plimpton who were all holding their pose  no matter how challenging that is givi

ng voice to you're very good  thanks Dad you're welcome lad [Music] James you really caught Lawrence but you've done  it in an unconventional way how do you do that I don't have a method I think you just put the  paint on see that it's wrong and then paint it off and put another I mean you just blocked  it in then yeah start with the top of the head I start there yes where his chin is well I always  get wrong is I always give them enormous top lips I can't see under all your her sweetness do  yo

u have a rather large top lip I don't think so because I do and I get that wrong you see  she's got quite a large one so you're doing okay it's a beautiful large top lip Florence of course loved for his portrayal of bumbling characters  in Four Weddings and a funeral and the vicar of dibly actor James Fleet enjoys painting in his  spare time his submission is a portrait of his Scottish Mother wearing her favorite blue coat  the paint of your mother is very beautiful in it the colors are other no

stalgic it's very like  her which is why it's unfinished because I don't want to spoil it how did you approach painting  that it's a complete fluke I don't know it sounds like it came out by happenstance yeah I've got us  a one in ten success rate well that's quite good one in ten yeah well look you seem very relaxed  don't be too relaxed it's a competition man Sophie there couldn't be more of a difference  between the way you're working and the way annika's work no I get that annika's sort of 

Dipping her hand in the paint and smacking it against the cameras and working with a pencil  and very fine details so now it gets to a point where right I've got the likeness now  I'm going to try and have fun with it right what does that mean I don't know I'm not sure  I'm just gonna sort of take it out to a party before her career as a television presenter  Sophie Morgan studied fine art at goldsmiths University in London her submission  portrait of her artistic inspiration Frida Carlo took 12

hours to create in pencil  your submission is not a self-portrait no I'm not Frida Khalid she's got such detail and  character that's what I look for you'd be a great place to draw people say that you don't  know whether that's good or bad is it because I'll draw you next great doing this I mean it's  just her I hope so it's pressure you know because she's so beautiful I'm trying to not give her a  beard okay do you fancy a beard Denise [Music] was there ever a more charismatic sitter  than und

erneath I know and she's so elegant and Majestic the way she's sitting folded  into that pose but also holding everything so tightly and so precisely she is like some  goddess figure isn't she it's like something on a coin one can't stop looking at her let alone  the portrays okay I think I'm a very good sitter very focused I don't think I've moved too  much not complaining at all she says with the cushions behind her back but um apart from  that I've been the model model subject foreign [Music]

quite a tricky position for a  sitter I know she's very adventurous I mean that's not going to be comfortable  for the whole day and it says a lot it's got a lot of power I think it's a great  pose great pose but they're not painting her from the neck down I mean this is a  problem neither Mark normanello are using the pose because the blood flow stops and  you start to not be able to feel the love Arm your leg and we don't want that no it's a  bit unfair to inflict serious pins and needles [Mu

sic] can you not feel your ass I can't really feel  my ass now my ass has left the building [Music] sitting still is very very tricky much harder than you think it is and I can't  feel either of my buttock cheeks [Music] is Lawrence a good sitter I think he's  fabulous he's got that beautiful rock and roll hair and he's come with a leather jacket  he's really giving them character we've never had an artist rushed forward before and  change the set I understand Jenny the set is very simple it's g

ot brown and orange  in it as an artist you want to work with contrast so she's chosen a rather beautiful  blue it works very well behind Lawrence yeah all right [Music] part of the creative process  is finding ways to bring the sitter to life she has the most fantastic eyes  and I'm nervous of them they're such a fantastic intense stare and I  want to get it because life is in the eyes I mean look at her eyes they're  brilliant they're brilliant [Music] thank you I always ask the question why 

do people have eyes because they're always so difficult I'm just trying to work  out what to leave of the pink because it's so vibrant this is where it could  absolutely fall to bits and probably will [Music] foreign I've moved his nose up and down his face several  times now yeah is it a tricky nose to get no it's a lovely nose but is it tricky to paint  this kind of drips down a bit right there oh yeah right do you have to go now because I'm  contractually obliged to be here [Music] maybe two

two hours in when  most artists are working out how to refine their portraits  one has decided to start again I've lost his arms I've lost his legs I've  lost his hands his wretched hands I don't want to see your hands ever again I was  attempting things I actually technically couldn't do so the best thing now is  to go closer in and just hope that a bit of fiddle Fanning around get something  that's at least attractive to look at [Music] thank you at this stage anything could  go wrong I think

think about having it black and white is that you can  lose that vibrancy it's funny because annika's hidden behind this  easel I can just see her feet hello I'm wondering whether I'm almost finished  I mean not being in this situation before who knows do we just keep going do we dabble  I have no idea how much time we've got left prefer not to know [Music] at Battersea Arts Center we're putting six  celebrities to the test painting actor and musician Lawrence Fox Actress Martha Plimpton and  Ol

ympic medalist Denise Lewis whose son is giving one of our artists some advice so my great critic  Kane what do you think because it's colorful it's got like tons of life to it it's not just a dull  picture would you have thought it was your mum I wouldn't get it first guess but okay maybe second  or third I'll live with that later on third guess but if they're in it to win the opinion  that matters most is that of the judges I've worked with quite a few of our artists today  and they are taking

this far more seriously than anything I've done with them they're very keen  I've got a theory that if you're creative in One Direction you can be creative in another  how's your painting by the way rubbish so moving swiftly along Martha's section we have to deadly  serious competitors and two really good painters what's interesting is that they both paint in a  similar way both Mark and fanella put down tunes that are related to skin and they're drawing  properly I'd like to know what you thin

k why did Mark put down that bright pink we're very  familiar with artists not liking the white of the canvas and and they like tones that they  can sort of place the head against vanilla's found a fantastic likeness I've got gray hosts  for that portrait she's very well practiced she really studies hopefully she'll be able to  kind of loosen up enough to give us the kind of finish that she's happy enough with now painting  Denise great sitter great pose Sophie it's quite instinctive in the way

she draws and she's doing  an awful lot of looking at Denise the work will only build and build and build throughout the day  this is an extraordinary sort of sophistication with these pencils and I'm not sure they've  ever had anyone work in such a realist way with pencils that quickly Annika painted her  submission with a twig she's used the end of a brush she's used her fingers her Palm yes  what's she gonna do smear paint on her forehead and head buttly portrait and to be honest I  didn't th

ink we were going to see anything because there was this kind of frantic and from  out of that chaos she produces magnificent head and I think it's really refreshing to see somebody  arrive at it in a completely different way I love the combination in Lawrence's section I've got  Jenny doing a bit of painting and decorating and James just bearding it out what is interesting  I found is the way they are as performers whom we know is the way they paint somehow there's  something wonderfully creati

vely comic about what John is doing her painting is a bit like  her it's slightly spiky and sort of going off in different directions and you can feel the  energy emanating From the Inside Out in a way it doesn't look remotely like Lawrence I have to  say it but we've got a way to go yeah which is on a second painting of Lawrence so I mean I wasn't  going to see a whole raft of stuff yeah what's interesting both Jenny and James is that they  do rely on the happy accident as well James's process

is one of editing so knowing that there's  a beautiful mistake and knowing to incorporate it yeah but what a collection of characters what  a collection of paintings being formed and what an afternoon we're in for absolutely [Music]  Sophie Hi very quiet I haven't heard anything from you very focused down there I'm trying to  do you justice so head down how are you doing I think I might need a little caffeine fix soon I  don't want to slip off the chair and fall asleep [Music] without chocolate

do you have some yeah you're the best [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] I'm still in likeness bit rather  than life it's so strong and Regal I'd like to get more of that that  focus is astonishing yeah thank you achieving character in a portrait is hard enough  in today's time limit especially when you've ditched your first couple of attempts [Music] I've  been keeping an I.E from a distance have you and you seem to be doing weirdo you produced about  15 paintings do you know what I'm not mu

cking about I made them look like what number is this  this is three all right and then I'm stopped but I've had enough of this base how can you make  him look like a girl that's a he's a model of masculinity he's not those he really he's got  a lot of female in him has he because he's got a lot of hair on his face yeah no but his neat  features is neat this is not going to work this one I think I might have peaked how soon do you  know it's not going to work oh about now [Music] laughs Anika is

really just letting itself  go I think so it's amazing spontaneity do you think I'm no judge yeah but I mean  I think it's a really fine budget as it stands just kidding me that's killing me  she's such a warrior art is meant to be soothing no it's not got to be torture  it's literally horrible you cry and you go home and have a gin and tonic we'll all do  that [Music] there's less than one hour to go Mark there's a kind of a stepping up of uh energy  here terror is it what are you talking to m

e for then I'm saving you what are you trying to do now  finish and what does that mean what is finished I know I want to step back and be happy I suppose  so come back and be happy that's a good one this sort of looks like him but not  enough to impress anybody I think good God it's awful yeah it's better  when you close up [Music] I'm very nervous until I can start to see  it literally reveal itself the eyes are right the nose is right the mouth is right  because we meet out and it can throw i

t total nightmare um in a hurry  I can see what's wrong with it but I think it's recognizably  Martha I hope Martha likes it thank you [Music] competing to become celebrity  portrait artist of the year our six contenders are painting Martha Plimpton Lawrence Fox and  Denise Lewis their four are challenges nearly up I really feel I've thrown  my soul at this it's been such a learning curve from there to there today I think I've just woken her up  accidentally I mean I'm on the canvas she was very

half asleep I  think I've broken her up [Laughter] which was between one or two and I've got to make  my mind up help I don't know whether to choose one or two I'm hoisted by my own petard I don't know  which one to go for [Music] pole in the room and this one came top excellent but you've got three  paintings for the day and the others only have one each yeah so I should get some kind of price  quality quantity quantity what are you saying artists you have five minutes left come on oh God we'r

e watching your final final  match one priorities the shirt I think it's sort of her because  it's really strong I still regret you didn't do the pose with the  legs I've got five minutes left I've captured someone better than him I've  captured a more handsome rock star [Music] you're working up to the very end I am  well I keep kind of trying to stop and then can't help yourself I can't  stop well I'll let you just put in those lists those last drops I think  that's it gotta stop oh I I stoppe

d you foreign artists your time is up please put down your equipment and move away from  your portraits [Applause] [Music] after A Hard Day's posing our  sitters finally get to see the artwork and choose which version of  themselves they'd like to take home Lawrence this has been a busy section  it has Jenny's painted 46 portraits of it James is solidly just on the one  just worked and with a great Focus well I can't put it off a moment longer so please  artists can I ask you to turn your easels

in [Music] wow they're really different I really like both of them have a  closer look at Jenny's yeah I wouldn't I think you look like Vincent van Gogh if  he'd been in a band yeah it makes you feel something I feel slightly embarrassed I look  quite intelligent and that's got a very big forehead in it all right yeah I'm not sure I  like it so much [Laughter] it's amazing [Music] I feel very Noble I do look like I'm  looking out to the people your people are the people that went to Radha  okay

it's the man I wish I was what a wonderful thing to have in a portrait  then yes less it's a beautiful picture right come on then tell me if you want to  go home with a Jenny eclair or a James Fleet I'm going to take a James Fleet I don't blame you congratulations [Applause] the moment of truth is here fantastic  artists turn around your resource piece oh wow these are amazing you got my crooked eyes  really well I told you come and meet them yeah yeah I look a little demonic yes I love the  br

ightness of it and I love how striking it is you know good yeah no it's really fabulous [Music]  this is really impressive but the shadows and the this is really wild I love the tip of the shirt  I do too I love that yeah it's really wonderful now you have to make a choice they're both so  different that it's very hard to choose you know but so don't be mad Mark but  I think I prefer this one [Applause] [Music] oh well let's not put it off any  longer artists please turn your easels [Music] let'

s take a closer look [Music] that strikes me is the eyes I think  you've made me look quite attractive and no beard you're beardless I think  you've done an awesome job thank you wow wow wow it's flamboyant it's full  of energy it's full of energy yeah and you painted it using almost  every bit of your body yeah I gave it my all now then Denise  afraid you have to make a choice this is the hard bit I really do see me  in that one so it's Sophie [Applause] whether or not they'll be giving  up the

ir day jobs just yet it's time for their work to be scrutinized by our  judges what a cracking set of portraits they've given us it's been a fantastic day let's start  with James's very Noble very fine head James set himself the task today of responding to beautiful  accidents and I think it worked particularly well on the jacket because I mean does that not feel  like a leather jacket I think this diagonal that goes across the back of Lawrence's head gives a  nice sense of movement Jenny of cou

rse did three paintings and then she took a pill and they  all felt that that was her best and I think they were right it doesn't look like Lawrence but  it feels like Lawrence and I like the idea of an alternative likeness I mean it's a kookier version  of him but there's nothing incorrect really about the way the figure sits and I think they're both  true versions of him today they're just done very much in the eye of the artist annika's given us a  fantastic portrait of Denise I think what sh

e did catch in Denise was that knowing look that she  adopted in her face who'd have thought that a green face would work so effectively it's a  really sense of portrait as well out of this sort of rather crude approach Sophie on the other  hand worked in a completely different way this is a very measured very careful pencil drawing  that editing of the just the line of the shirt is such a nice counterbalance to the finishness  of the head she did very well I think together they both add up to a

tribute to what a wonderful  sitter she was vanilla's given us a fine portrait of Martha it's deep it's Rich it's romantic and I  like the little touches in it and that color sort of going off in that direction you really get a  sense of Martha the New York actress it looks like she's on stage it's a very powerful portrait  Mark's given us a very vibrant pink portrait Martha said it made her look slightly demonic I  just think that he's just given it a bit of Edge and the pink certainly gives i

t attitude and she  had attitude I'd love to see what mark would have done with you know a few more hours because  the bones of Martha there are very very good there we go we have six portraits but there  can be only one celebrity portrait artist of the year oh it's difficult it's going  to be tough I know my winner wow yeah [Music] well artists it's been a great  day we've learned so much from watching you work it's been a pleasure however there  can be only one celebrity portrait artist of the

year and the judges have decided who  that will be the artists that they have chosen showed great focus and delivered an  intense character study and that artist is vanilla woolgar [Music] oh my God I mean I'm embarrassingly thrilled I'm just so  beyond happy it's so fun fantastic and I said it wasn't competitive and clearly I am I'm  just absolutely over the moon can you tell vanilla is a hugely deserving winner  I knew she'd will she's a brilliant tomato and I think it's a really  sensitive a

nd gorgeous likeness we have had an absolutely cracking day we  had six strong personalities and everybody was really taking it seriously I think what  we really loved most about vanilla is it felt like a real character study was the sort of  essence this feeling of Martha sitting there my allowed to say that I think we all  want to drink a drink in my fantastic fellow contestants yeah that's what  we're gonna do thank you [Music] [Music] please [Music]