Mark Entwisle
was born in Amman, Jordan in 1961, and, when he was seven, was sent to boarding school in Berkshire, it was here that his passion for art was ignited and encouraged. Mark went on to take a foundation course at the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology, specialising in printmaking. He followed with a degree in illustration at Brighton Art College. Prior to becoming a professional painter, he was an illustrator for 15 years. His first commissions were for Penguin, Random House and Heinemann. Mark designed posters for the National Theatre production of The Wind in the Willows and produced record covers for Chris Rea. In 1999 Mark had a portrait accepted for the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery; he had another accepted the following year and received a commendation in 2002. Currently a newly appointed member of the Royal Watercolour Society he is excited to be involved in four group shows a year.
‘This is a portrait of Natalie Portman from the wonderful film Léon. I particularly like to paint faces and often paint people who have had an impact on my life; actors, musicians, etc. It is painted from a colour photograph on Arches hot-pressed paper using a fairly basic palette of lemon yellow, yellow ochre, vermilion, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna and ultramarine.’
Award winner in the 2023 Royal Watercolour Society open exhibition, Mark Entwisle prides himself on the ‘less
