Behind the scenes at the semi-finals of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2020, Series 7

Arriving back at Battersea Arts Centre the atmosphere was more intense than the heats, but still friendly and upbeat. We were all feeling more pressure and it was tense walking into the Grand Hall and seeing what the other artists had produced to win their heat; they were all outstanding. In some ways that freed me up; I had nothing to lose. I thought the best approach was to try to relax and do my best to enjoy the experience.

Bernadine Everstino was lively, inquisitive and itching to talk to all the artists about our work. I’m used to working from life so it’s key that I get close enough to the sitter for the initial drawings to get a sense of who they are and what they really look like.

I decided to ‘go big’ with the portrait in response to Bernadine’s bold character and to incorporate the set design of cascading books suspended in mid-air. I wanted to investigate working on a large scale even though it was a risk being a drawer who uses lines rather than brush stokes to fill the paper. Bernadine’s distinctive hair and strong jaw line, proudly inherited from her father, created a distinctive silhouette. I chose to describe her exuberant style by emphasising her colourful headband and jewellery rather than drawing every detail of her outfit.

Watching the programme back I agreed with judge Kate’s comments about my treatment of the books not being the strongest part of the portrait. In hindsight, I would have played more with the shape of the shadows cast by the books, but with only four hours you need to make decisions and keep moving. It’s largely a challenge about making confident choices. In the end I hope I captured the sense of a vibrant woman, full of questions and ideas, in what I imagine is a rare moment of stillness.

It was an enjoyable day working alongside the other artists and I was thrilled to be chosen as a finalist. Enjoy these photos from behind the scenes!