In 2014 Louis Smith was selected for the Sky Arts ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’ Competition. To enter the competition, artists had to send in a self portrait. On acceptance, the shortlisted artists were required to attend national heats, painting a portrait of a celebrity in 4 hours. The winner of each regional heat would then go through to the finals.
The Competition
Louis and three other contestants were required to paint BBC Presenter John Humphreys.
Below is a time lapse video of the artists painting John Humphreys at the Sky Arts ‘Portrait Artist of the Year Award’ regional heat held at the Wallace Collection London.
Preparation
To prepare for the competition, Louis gathered a group of volunteers to sharpen his skills, and get used to working under pressure to complete an Alla Prima portrait within a narrow time frame.