Portrait Artist of the Year – continues tonight on ABC as nine artists face a fresh celebrity portrait challenge.
The episode brings together three familiar Australian performers, giving the artists very different faces, expressions and public personas to capture under pressure.
Portrait Artist of the Year works because the challenge is immediate and visible: viewers can watch each artist make choices in real time, then compare the finished portrait against the sitter in front of them. With performers as recognisable as Donovan, McCune and Hughes, the likeness test becomes especially sharp.
Because the sitters come from music, drama and comedy, the artists are not working from one kind of celebrity image. Each portrait has to find a different balance between recognisable public identity and the quieter details that appear during a long sitting.
What to expect in Portrait Artist of the Year
Casey Donovan, Lisa McCune and Dave Hughes sit for the competitors as the judges watch how each artist handles likeness, style and character.
At the end of the session, three portraits are chosen from the group before one artist earns a place in the semi-final.
The format keeps the pressure on the creative choices made in the room, from composition and colour to how much of each sitter’s personality makes it onto the canvas.
The episode also gives the judges a broad field to compare, with celebrity sitters who invite different artistic approaches rather than one obvious interpretation.
When to watch Portrait Artist of the Year
Portrait Artist of the Year airs tonight, Sunday 6 September, at 7.30pm on ABC and ABC iview.
For more free-to-air coverage, visit TV Central’s ABC news and highlights. You can also catch up through ABC iview.
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