Study for Beneath

‘One of Britain’s best-selling figurative painters’, Mark Demsteader was born and remains in Manchester. Over a long and illustrious career he has a built up a huge global following, including a long list of celebrity clients, namely Emma Watson, who famously sat for a portrait series by the artist in 2011. With his preferred mediums of charcoal, pastel and oil, Demsteader has immense technical ability which has grown from close observation of the human form from life drawing. His drawing have won multiple awards including The Lyceum Prize and the coveted Sidney Andrews Scholarship, and through his contemporary use of line and form, he has renewed interest in traditional life drawing and classic figurative paintings amongst art collectors worldwide.

Using life models, his figurative drawings often depict the head, thorough in detail, and paying careful attention to every attribute on the subject’s face. The rest of the image is left experimental as he abstracts the figure into merely a few lines, leaving the canvas seemingly unfinished. In contrast to his drawings, Demsteader paintings do not have open space and are filled with rich textures, bold colour, and heavy movement. His figures are very soft, delicate creatures, which are placed in a harsh, often overbearing backgrounds – adding an alluring sense of mystery to each piece.” – Unit London