Paul intends to use technology as a starting point and take it back to a traditional medium. This process is resonant in all of his work and is evident in his painting, print and drawings. The selection of portraits originated from photographs taken using a mobile phone, capturing the moment of sincerity and candidness of his subjects. He re-interpreted them using just only charcoal on paper. It is perhaps the oldest artistic medium dating from the time of the cavemen. Also in the renaissance, it was extensively used for preparatory sketches for paintings, but for Paul, this is a finishing point as it still maintains a raw and fresh simplicity. In these portraits, you will see mostly his friends and acquaintances, including some never to be seen strangers too. He has identified the character of his subjects not only through photography but also by the mark-making process itself. There's an intention to reveal the inner quality of the person, by using the versatility of the medium.
"Portraiture’s extraordinary longevity and resilience as a genre is a testament to the power of this imaginative transaction between the subject, the artist and the beholder."
Portraiture - Richard Brilliant 1991
Alicja Dobrucka Charcoal
On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Alicja Dobrucka
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Ansel Neckles
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Ansel Neckles
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Caroline Kelman
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
David Sottile Charcoal
On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Dylan Byrne
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Vicenzo Mara
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Grassy Knowle
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Ian Thompson
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Jamie Laurie Lucy
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
John Jones
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
John Leigh Charcoal
On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Kam Star
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Kerry Nash Clarke
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Lucia Edwards
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Maria Clavo
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Mark Cummings
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Mark Cummings
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Mark Cummings
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Tracey Moberly
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Tom Baker
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Tom Baker
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Simon Attwater
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Paul Cummings
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Paul Clarke
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Paul Clarke
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Patricia Grimm
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummings
Parisa Star
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs
Pauline Milligan
Charcoal On Paper 42cm x 59 cm 2011 Paul Cummongs