BA001 – mick jagger

In 2023 I was invited to do a series of portraits of famous people. Having mastered the art of the expressive face, I became fascinated how much people use their hands whilst talking. While posing for a photo, my subject peered over his glasses – this intrigued meand I wanted to see if I could challenge myself to paint hands, the reflection in glasses and include other elements that might enhance my subjects face.

In my commission work I usually paint realistic colour, but in my own pieces I like to use a colour palette to enhance the personality of the sitter. How I see them – a ‘jazzdrummer’ painted in blues, a pub landlord painted in reds and pinks to show his eccentricities and verve for life.I also like to work larger than life. Faces are our focus when we talk to somebody, they filler vision if we are concentrating and therefor I like my paintings to become a visual draw, almost imposing in their presence.

This series also saw me experimenting with spray paint. I had been working previously with very heavy oil paint, using solid backgrounds in keeping with the colour of the subject. I decided the overworking with a brush needed to be withdrawn for a lighter feeling. My series of ‘icons’ needed uplifting and backgrounds more in-keeping with the mood.

I have always loved this image of Mick Jagger the natural lighting and relaxed pose of the sitter give us a tiny flavour of the atmosphere of the shoot and the personality of the sitter. The original hangs as a similar black and white photograph in The NationalPortrait Gallery, taken by Jane Bown. When painting Mick, I worked over a canvas primed with dayglo spray paint, I sketched up with grey acrylic adding dark and light tones. I felt the painting did not need much more so I tinted with a warm brown just to add extra depth.

As an artist I always sketch up in thin paint, underpants with dark and light tones, then repaint everything until I am happy. I always tackle teeth 1st, in case they go wrong – asthey are the most difficult part, the last thing I do is the eyes. I’m not keen on my subjects staring at me whilst I paint them, but adding that last fleck of white to give a person life -is really exciting.

Tags: Original,Canvas

Size: acrylic and spray paint on 84 x 59