In celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Vodafone has commissioned a digital portrait showcasing ten iconic moments of Her Majesty’s life. Designed in the style of a family portrait, it seamlessly edits together images of The Queen at key moments of her life and reign.
The portrait, created by award-winning Manchester born artist and illustrator Paul Shipper, was created using a photorealistic digital painting technique and features key moments in time to honour Her Majesty The Queen’s 70 years in service. Highlights captured in the painting include Princess Elizabeth at the age of one in 1927, Her Majesty’s royal visit to Jamaica in 2002, the Coronation in London on 2 June 1953, and Her Majesty’s visit to Sydney in 1970 – when she bucked centuries of royal tradition by choosing to greet the crowds in person, rather than waving at them from a protected distance.
The digital artwork, which Paul created over a 5-month period, closely resembles the strokes and techniques of a real-life painting. At first glance, the artwork appears as a photorealistic portrait, but when looking closely, the depth and painterly textures reveal the level of craft and detail.
From his traditional art background of pencil and airbrush, he was able to master this technique in the digital realm giving his work the desired aesthetic with a modern appeal. Paul was inspired from a young age by the illustrated one sheet film posters in cinema lobbies. Having now worked on Hollywood film posters and advertising campaigns, Paul has honed his craft and become one of the most prolific Illustrators in recent history.
Maria Koutsoudakis, Head of Brand at Vodafone UK, said: “As a British company, we wanted to honor Her Majesty The Queen and celebrate some of the many iconic moments of her long reign. Thanks to digital technology, we have been able to commission this portrait and celebrate ten of the most significant moments from her 70 years of service, in a way that photography and retouching simply cannot.”
Paul Shipper, award winning illustrator, said: “In honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we wanted to create a portrait that somehow encompassed the life of The Queen in one image. A take on a traditional Royal Family portrait but with a twist; Her Majesty would be the sole subject of the group portrait from selected key moments of her life.”
“I love technology – it has always thrilled and interested me. I grew up using pencils and paints, so as time progressed I tried to keep up with the latest tools available. It is always a fun challenge to see how I can use digital tools to make a piece of art. That said, I never want my work to look digitally made, but to look and feel like it had the touch of the hand, heart, and spirit, like real-life paintings.”
The digital portrait will be displayed in selected Vodafone UK stores from 2 June 2022 to 8 June 2022 and is also available to view on the Vodafone UK News Centre.
