Wyvern House The power of a portrait The ‘Wyvernbald’ is an annual portrait competition for boys in Year 6. It is exhibited around the same time as the Archibald Prize for Portraiture at the AGNSW. The boys choose a person they admire or who has inspired them in some way. Over the years, students have painted a broad spectrum of people, including YouTubers, musicians, sports greats, politicians, family members and, this year, an architect. The boys are then taken through a number of painting experiments, either choosing a black and white tonal portrait, a realistic portrait or a portrait with a dominant colour. Students work from photographs initially, then transfer the photo onto the canvas using a grid to help them with accuracy. I am always really excited and pleased at this stage to see the boys trying really hard to portray the likeness of their chosen person in pencil. Students pick out their favourites at the Wyvernbald exhibition. The difficulty is in the painting strokes and particularly the painting technique were grateful to have been inspired by. Concordia Curator Prize awarded by of mixing tones and blending them to This was particularly poignant when Ms Hannah Chapman: Donald create skin tones, hair colour and shirt boys talked about family members and Bradman by Will Verden patterns. The boys often find this part the impact they had had or are still The Senior School Prize awarded by the most frustrating, but the results are having on their lives. Mr Andrew Thompson: Jackie amazing when it works out. The beauty Winners Robinson by Anthony Bordina of acrylic paint is that you can paint over The Debbie Bourke Prize for best it when it dries. Overall winners chosen by Ms Buining colour in a portrait, and the People’s I was very impressed at how the boys Lionel Messi by Jahn Knoph Choice Prize, voted on by Wyvern used their resilience and perseverance Adam Goodes by Alex Appleyard House students, family and friends of ‘muscles’. Year 6: Harrison Ford by Zac Sherratt. It was also wonderful to read the boys’ Anh Do by Sam Chittendon Ms Meredith Buining artists’ statements and for them to Ian Holden Prize for Black and White Art Teacher, Wyvern House recognise people in their lives that they portrait: Alan Turingby Sacha De Rosnay Lionel Messi by Jahn Knoph Adam Goodes by Alexander Appleyard Anh Do by Sam Chittendon 40| NEWS SPRING 2018| GRATITUDE