Gillian Askew
“Due to the monochromatic nature of charcoal portraiture, my work has a huge reliance on light and reflection. For me, the easiest way to start a portrait is will the skin, working inwards towards the centre of the face and lastly the eyes. I find that, this way, I am able to create a more striking portrait as I believe portraiture relies on the eyes. Although much of my work is created on smaller A4 pages, my preference is to do larger portraits ranging between A3 and A1. In creating larger pieces I am able to add more detail to the face which is something I love to do. I always feel more proud of my larger pieces.
Something I have found in my art is that, when choosing photos to sample from, I tend to gravitate towards people of darker skin tones. During my time doing GCSEs I never thought anything more about these choices apart from that I simply preferred to draw this way. However, as I educated myself more on racism and the treatment of black people throughout history and in the modern world, it became a more conscious choice.
In the world right now racism, xenophobia and islamophobia (to name a few forms of discrimination) are rife and it is more important than ever to support those who don’t have a voice. The first link below is to a helpful resource with links to support the Black Lives Matter movement through petitions and donations. The second link is to Colour of Change, a charity supporting and discussing BLM and how you can help from wherever you are right now.”
$65 - $90+ USD
Gillian Grace Askew is a traditional artist from London. You can contact her via Instagram DM @gillian.askew.art or email at me@gillianaskew.com. Work time depends on the size and intricacy of the piece, but you can expect to wait 2-4 weeks for a custom portrait. Finished pieces are mailed in card-backed envelopes to ensure there is no damage to the piece. Prices range from $65 to $90+ depending on size.
