portrait painting

Portrait painting seems more demanding than any other form of painting. Say, you paint an apple. It's possible to paint a very good apple and everyone will acknowledge what a good painting of an apple it is. No-one is likely to say but it doesn't actually look like the apple on the table. But a portrait has to look exactly like the person posing for you.

When it comes to my portraiture, I'm a health and safety painter. I paint within the comfort zone, desperately trying to make no mistakes, so my paintings don't capture a likeness. Only a likeness of a human being. I'm a good apple painter, though.