PAOTY 2024: Heat Tickets sold out / All successful artists notified

All artists selected for the heats of Portrait Artist of the Year 2024 have now been told.

Similarly, all those applying for tickets to watch them in the heats at Battersea Arts Centre should, by now, know whether or not they have tickets. 

Tickets for the Heats

I'm afraid I was rather slow off the mark in indicating that tickets for watching the heats of Portrait Artist of the Year at Battersea Arts Centre have ALL SOLD OUT. 

The change this year (I think) was that people could apply for four tickets at a time - which I guarantee will mean ticket touts will have have got some of them.... Watch out for them being sold for premium prices! Or refused at the door.....

It's possible there will be returns - in which case this is the link to bookmark and keep a eye on https://www.eventbrite.com/o/storyvault-films-ltd-77588482973

If you secure a ticket and can no longer attend, out of courtesy to others who have missed out, please return your ticket immediately via Eventbrite.

Tickets were available for morning and pm sessions. So no scope to be there all day unless you got a ticket for each session.

For the record, the dates of the Heats etc are:

• Tuesday 26th March 2024
• Wednesday 27th March 2024
• Thursday 28th March 2024
• Tuesday 2nd April 2024
• Wednesday 3rd April 2024
• Thursday 4th April 2024
• Friday 5th April 2024
• Saturday 6th April 2024

This is 

• either the six heats, the semi finals and the Celebrity Artist version - with the Final reverting to the National Portrait Gallery
• or the six heats, semi finals and the Final

Artists who didn't get selected

Here's an extract from the letter of rejection

What I can tell you is I think this might be the first time they've not extended the deadline, while trying to find more better artists to participate.

Which rather suggests the competition for places is hotting up! This may also mean the standard of participant in the next series - to air this Autumn - might be rather better than in previous years. We can but hope!

If you put "portrait artist of the year" into the search engines of Facebook or Instagram, you will see a lot of pics by all those who did not get a place in a pod.

While most are pretty predictable as rejections go, I've seen some very good ones rejected!

What does it take to get in to Portrait Artist of the Year

To those who got the "Thanks but no thanks" letter MY RECOMMENDATIONS would be:

• do what they ask - it's supposed to be a self portrait!
• do NOT use gimmicks - you've got to have been doing this for a long time to come up with one which works. However, unusual perspectives are a welcome change from the (very) standard head and shoulders.
• try to paint at least some of it from life and NOT all of it (very obviously) from photos - photorealistic is NOT what this competition is about. You've got 4 hours to complete your artwork in the heat!
• paint a large or large medium sized painting which includes at least all the upper torso - this gives you more chance to impress - unless you are a master of miniature painting!
• paint one and preferably two hands - this is when you can use photos! I was counting last year and most had at least one hand included
• demonstrate mastery of your chosen media - because if you're not very good, it's very unlikely you'll be chosen
• demonstrate mastery of your ability to eyeball a model and record accurately the shape and features of their head and posture and clothing.
• read all my past reviews - which provides LOTS of critical observations, tips and techniques - which you can find on my Art on Television Page. You need to scroll down to find them all back to 2018.

Postscript: For those wondering where my review of the Landscape Artist of the Year Commission painting is, 

• I've decided to go to the Science Museum tomorrow to see it in the gallery it was commissioned for.....
• The blog post is very nearly finished, so likely to be published later on tomorrow!