A Belfast artist who painted a portrait of Angela Merkel which features on the cover of TIME magazine, has said it was difficult for him to paint the picture as he had to work with still images instead having Merkel sit for him.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Colin Davidson said he is normally introduced to his subjects and is able to get to know them before he paints them.
Before he began, Davidson said he read a lot about Merkel, who has been announced as TIME magazine's Person of the Year. He said he also watched footage of her, in a bid to figure out how her face worked.
When painting a picture, Davidson said he is more interested in the character of a person rather than their status, adding that the eyes are a very important feature and that he tried to convey her compassionate character through her eyes.
Here's the original painting of Angel Merkel, before third-party digital enhancement.... pic.twitter.com/ixNQK7fhWA
— Colin Davidson (@colin_davidson) December 9, 2015
