Chester Students Prize 2024

I decided to draw a photograph of an endangered animal to raise awareness. I chose a leopard because not only are they my favorite animal, but I thought that it would be interesting to draw the details in their fur and the contrast between the yellow and their dark spots. I started with a base sketch to plan where the facial features would go and after this I drew the fur section by section, using white pencil to blend it to create a smooth and even finish. I drew each piece of fur individually using a range of yellows, browns and oranges for the yellowish areas as well as greys and blues for the light area on its neck to make it appear white. I did this to make it seem realistic and to add lots of dimensions. In some areas I went over the fur in a grey pencil to make it seem like that part of the face was in the shadows. This makes the leopard appear to stand out on the page.

In this piece I depicted two eyes that reflect candle wax melting. I used candle wax colour for the base of the eyes to emphasise this idea. I painted the entire background jet black to capture the flames illumination of its surroundings. I did one blue and one green eye and did these with a fine brush and multiple shades of each colour. I also added a dot of white for a highlight to make the eyes more realistic.

This piece is a realistic painting of lots of cherries. I used acrylic paint as I was able to include as much detail as possible by using a small paintbrush and as many shades of browns, purples, reds and pinks as possible to create dimension. I used a reference photo from the internet which helped me to capture the rich, glossy surface of the fruit as well as the water droplets. I made sure to incorporate some of the bright green stems of the cherries too because they added contrast with the bright red.

Hodgson has drawn inspiration from the work of Chris Day, developing her own interpretation that explores the dynamic relationship between glass and wire, exploring the interplay between illusion and perception.

The Brazilian Favella – Collage, paint, wooden blocks on board as a bas-relief

I went to a castle and found a field full of highland cows and waited for a long time for one to come over to me. When it did I waited for the right moment and as soon as it looked over to me in the direction of my camera I took a quick snap and framed it so you got the background of the field, so you get the contrast from the brown fur and the green vibrant grass. I then edited the photo by giving it a slight vignette so it would focus on the cow’s fluffy face and made the background slightly blurred, to again focus the eye on the cow.

Graffiti building

Portrait of a friend at peace in a busy world.

I used an image of two mushrooms, one face up and one face down and I began by sketching the image. Firstly, I identified where the source of light was so that I could establish where to create highlights and shadows. Then I used a 6B pencil to shade areas with the lightest shade including the areas of light on the mushroom, part of which I left white to emphasise the strong point of light. Then I gradually worked to the darker shades for the shadows, including some areas of pure black to create the three dimensional appearance. I used a sharp, hard pencil to add the finer details. Finally I used a thin rubber pencil to add any final highlights.

Painting of girl in traditional welsh dress.

I used coloured pencil to create a smooth blend between the colours expressed in the skin of the mushrooms, Each mushroom, despite being mainly red, brown and white, still used other colours like purples and oranges to produce a detailed piece that involves multiple colours and shades. I used white acrylic paint to create the spots on the top of the mushroom. The use of a fluffy brush helped add texture to my piece, making it look more realistic. Whilst also showing variety between each spot.

This is a self-portrait where Lotus identifies herself with Ophelia, whose love for her father and Hamlet leads to tragedy. Lotus took inspiration from John Everett Millais painting of Ophelia.

This is self-generated idea, born out of a personal desire to paint.

The photo is a homage response to the work of Mari Katayama

Emma as a fascination with cities and buildings this is her response to beautiful church of Sacré- Coeur in Paris

This piece is a surreal, dreamlike reimagination of Chesters Queen Park Bridge. The original structure remains recognizable, but it’s been transformed into an otherworldly scene filled with bright, oversized flowers, a radiant pastel-hued sky, and human figures with star-shaped blossoms for heads. The bridge itself is adorned with a glowing floral pattern, and the entire composition blends reality with fantasy, giving it a psychedelic and ethereal quality. The overall effect is both nostalgic and futuristic.

Catrin was responding to the idea of journey’s. This painting was a response to a long journey thorough a French tunnel on her way to a holiday in France

Rhianna has been heavily influenced by the mark making drawings of Van Gogh and the etchings of Anthony Gross and David Hockney, who all see the world through patterns.

This piece is painted from an angled perspective photo of my friend, Saishri. I have used this angle as it distorted the features of her face making you perceive it in a different way. By using small brush strokes around the eyes I am able to capture the depth and detail, as well as the texture of the skin around the nose. To achieve a smooth blend between the shadows and highlights I used a watered down acrylic paint, by lowering the opacity of the paint the detail of the skin can still be visible. By viewing people from a different angle we are shown a new perspective.

A response to how some men still view women today. Anisha is interested in mixed media, culture and classic icons