Jackie Whall

I specialise in painting and drawing the human form. Although I trained as a telecommunications engineer and worked in IT for 26 years, art has always been a part of my life. In 2011 the lure of the paint was too strong and I now prefer to be in front of an easel rather than computer.
Portraying the human body has always held a fascination for me - the methods and mediums have changed but the subject has remained the same. I now work in pencil or oil paints – two very different mediums in effect and use but equally enjoyable. Areas of a figure that many find daunting I see as a challenge and I relish the depiction of items such as hands, which I never tuck away to avoid painting.
In my quieter moments I enjoy working with pencil, although the mood can be very dramatic with high contrast between light and dark. Working over the paper in layers, increasing the intensity of tone is a satisfying process, watching the subject take shape under the pencil.
Oils, on the other hand, enable the exploration of the many colours found in skin, combined with the paint’s beautiful ability to blend. I have a particular fascination with colour, and skin tones provide the perfect way to indulge my interest. I prefer to concentrate on the elements of my subject that attract me most, working primarily on the skin tone and the accurate portrayal of the face/figure which emerges from a minimal background. Thin glazes are applied in layers over an under painting, allowing the optical mixing of the pigments, giving the skin a translucency.

Self taught

Best Professional Still Life - SAA Artist of the Year Competition 2018

I take inspiration from many sources but I particularly admire work of the Renaissance, Baroque, Pre-Raphaelite for the beautiful depiction of the human figure.

portraits, figures, nudes, female, lady