The Show

Meet the Artists

Your Portraits

Andrea Sutton believes drawing a portrait is an intimate process, inviting the viewer to see more deeply into the character of the portrait. To Andrea, the process of developing a photo-realistic portrait brings her closer to the subject's personality.

SP:  How did you become interested in art?

AS: I was always interested in recording what I was looking at, especially people's faces and what made them different from one another. As soon as I learned how to use a crayon, I wanted someone to sit for me so I could produce a portrait.

SP: When did you decide to become a professional artist?

AS: I became a commissioned portrait artist around the age of 17.  Friends, family, and people in the small town I grew up in often commissioned me for portraits, at a very low charge. From there I began to create a lot of memorial portraits as well

SP: How did penciling become your main medium?

AS: Pencil was always my favorite, maybe due to extensive life drawing in high school. It’s something I can control very well. My pencil is also a tool that justifies me obsessing over so many tiny little details - it's an outlet.

SP: Do you believe fundamental art skills are essential?

AS: Fundamental art skills are definitely essential. I think everyone in this world has some form of creativity within them; they don't have to follow that path, but it should at least be nurtured to a certain extent. All forms of art should be mandatory to a child, just as language is. It's just another way to express and communicate.

SP: Your past subjects have been both fictional and real people. How does drawing both these types of subjects differ, and which do you prefer?

AS: Most of the time I do work from photos, whether it's a fictional or a real person, I still strive for the same thing. I want to capture the true essence of that person or character. If the subject is someone I know it can be more difficult because I am even more critical about the details and lines, which make their faces theirs.

SP: Where do you see yourself and your art in the future?

AS: I hope to always create portraits for others; however, I am attempting to create more of my own personal works to exhibit. I'm heading in the direction of dream-like, photo-realistic drawings. I've always been so fascinated with photo-realism. I want to take impossibilities and make them seem possible to the viewer, like looking at a photograph that couldn't exist.

Artist Stats

Growing up in Southern Ontario, Andrea Sutton pursued her love of drawing at Sheridan College and then freelanced in technical illustration. Her passion as a portrait artist is to effectively capture one’s true essence. The hours spent building detail with her pencil develops photo-realistic portraits and brings her closer to her subject’s personality.

www.andreasutton.ca