GARETH HAWKER
Portrait Painter

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APPROACH

 When you think about commissioning a portrait you may well be looking for more than an accurate likeness, however important that may be. While a photograph can supply a true record it can never have the presence or substance of a hand-made portrait. Several factors may contribute to this: the quality of paint or chalk, the selection of forms, the colour scheme, and the degree to which parts are emphasised; all varied and adjusted according to the artist’s judgement. In other words, it is the artist’s style which makes the work so special.

Style may seem an exclusively aesthetic consideration, but it governs an entire approach to the task of producing a portrait. The most successful portraits often result from a happy collaboration between the artist, the sitter, and the person who has placed the commission. I prefer to work in an relaxed atmosphere in which people feel at ease, and can make their contribution naturally.  This is particularly true with children. Some of my best work has come from sessions in which the child has hardly been aware a sitting is taking place! The camera is of great assistance here, even though photographs require a good deal of interpretation before they can form the basis of a satisfactory portrait.

 The sitter and friends can often bring valuable ideas in the planning stage, suggesting costumes, poses, and even lighting effects! Although I must, in the end, make my own judgement, I find other people can introduce fresh and valuable points of view. I like to show photographs and sketches as I plan the picture, and have no hesitation in incorporating any suggestions which I feel may help. My aim is to achieve a portrait which gives an impression of the sitter as you might meet him or her, natural and unforced.

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