National Portrait Gallery

I found the gallery very inspiring, because I am myself interested in people and making portraits Seeing so many different approaches and styles from so many artists helped me to think about my own works and how to improve and develop them.

"Self Portrait" by Patrick Heron. I love the way he uses seemingly random lines and abstract shapes, creating, building it up almost in subconscious, very concentrated state of mind. I also I think he is very good at colour,the right kind of contrasts to my eyes everything just fits. In a way the painting seems a lot like drawing, nothing is blended some areas are covered, but there are large areas showing canvas, that gives the painting a very airy and fresh look.

Julian Otto Trevelyan's "Self portrait" I find this one gripping for completely other reasons. I like the way how he seems almost to come out of the painting staring us with its mesmerizing colourful. He seems very concentrated and serious like waiting for something.

"Edward John Burra" by John Banting. I find this painting very memorable. At first I didn't think to write it down , but I couldn't forget the uneasy feeling and went back to explore it further. The man in the panting seems to be in some kind of closed claustrophobic room. I was interested what is that paper under his elbow and then i noticed that he is holding a dagger or a knife under the table. I also realized this might be why he has a cigarette between his lips and not fingers, he needs his hands for something else.

Barry Cooke's " Eduard James ('TED') Hughes Such and unusual use of oilpaints, he has almost created an impression of watercolour. I love the green hazy fish eyes and the fact that the painting was painted during a fishing trip. The backround also looks very much like water. I like how he has played with colours, especially the red nose.

Richard Hamilton by Tino Tedaldi I like the confidence of Hamilton, when showing a set of sugarteeth and his electric toothbrush and at the same time he has a he is posing a cigarette in his mouth for the picture. I also like this photograph because of Hamilton's interesting features and I thought of wanting to draw him.