Fine art portraits

Caroline Sell is a London based portrait artist and has been specialising in painting and drawing portraits since her graduation from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2004.

Why people come to me for a portrait

Portraiture is a medium that has always formed an integral part of my work and I am fascinated by the dynamics involved. My process of working is always the same whether I am painting the portrait of a subject known to me or someone who is initially a stranger.

As I work on each portrait I am continually engaged by the process of the building up and then sanding back of layers and thin veils of paint - either poured, applied thickly with a palette knife or through fine brush work, as the portrait begins to organically evolve and the subject is revealed.

My motivation as a portrait painter has always been to transcribe as truthfully as possible the person I see before me and the more transparent I am able to appear in the whole process the more I believe the face will reveal itself… precisely what I am striving to capture.