Why choose a drawing over a photograph?

Drawing portraits can be a powerful way to celebrate a noble cause. Spending hours studying someone's face, demonstrates an appreciation for that person that can not be exemplified in the same way as with taking a photograph - a process that takes only a few seconds to accomplish. The fluidity of artistic license that artists often play with, to emphasise or detract from certain features, adds another layer of intrigue to a painting or drawing that otherwise would not have been present in a photo. It is this interaction between artist and subject that fuels the transfer of emotion from the final portrait drawing to the onlooker. I believe that it was for these reasons that the campaign #portraitsfornhsheroes was so powerful and such a monumental success.

Back in 2020, the height of the COVID epidemic, I joined the campaign #portraitsfornhsheroes in which artists offered their skills for free to draw or paint portraits of NHS staff. The requests were made by both the friends/family and the NHS worker themselves.

I felt it was a special way for me to express my gratitude for the incredible work they were doing and what a genius way to give something small back, thanks to @tomcroftartist who instigated the movement!

Client's feedback:

"In 2020 Hannah offered artwork to an NHS employee as part of the #portraitsfornhsheroes campaign. I was lucky enough to be chosen, the resulting portrait was incredible. I was blown away by the image, taken from a photo and brought to life, captured the joy I felt when the photo was taken."

~Kirsty~

Original photo

Final Portrait

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