Steve Lilly
portrait artist

Stevelilart Portrait Artist
 Talking Pictures TV Official Artist              Dad's Army Museum Artist In Residence


Steve Lilly with artwork
 
Me and my wares
Photo courtesy of Kev Maslin

Steve Lilly (stevelilart) is a portrait artist from Birmingham UK who specialises in portraits of famous British comedy acts. He is the Official Talking Pictures TV Artist, The Dad's Army Museum (Artist in Residence) and works with the Laurel and Hardy Museum, The Homefront Museum and a number of comedy fan clubs including On The Buses (Depot Artist in Residence), Hi, De, Hi!, Carry On and Steptoe and Son supplying them with exclusive commissions, original artwork and a range of merchandise. His work has also been showcased by the Grand Order of Water Rats, The National Trust, Birmingham Comedy Festival, Black Country Living Museum and The Heritage Foundation. Stevelilart is now the Art4Nature Official Artist.

Steve is now becoming a very collectable artist with many of his works in private collections. Steve’s art has received praise from figures within the comedy and horror industry with work being showcased by numerous groups and fan clubs as far away as New Zealand and America.  

Every portrait is created with meticulous attention to detail and is built up over many, many hours by carefully blending layers of finely laid pencil. "I really strive to capture the expressions and mannerisms that are so characteristic of the great comedians I am trying to portray. I’m not just looking for a likeness but an essence unique to each character that will bring them to life on the paper. I think I owe these fantastic actors something for all the fun and laughter they have brought to me over the years." 


STEVELILART PORTRAIT ARTIST
collectable art and commissions
Jeffrey Holland and Judy Buxton with Steve Lilly at Dad's Army Museum

Happy customers Jeffrey Holland and Judy Buxton at the Dad's Army Museum

Laurel and Hardy, Towed in a Hole artwork by Steve Lilly

FRESH FISH in collaboration with TALKING PICTURES

 TV and THE LAUREL AND HARDY MUSEUM

Art4Nature Birds of Prey artwork by Steve Lilly

COMING VERY SOON.....A VERY EXCITING PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH TEAM4NATURE


This project is open to everyone across the city of Birmingham!

All you need is a camera, or phone that can take photos.

To get involved, simply visit one or more of the green spaces included in this project, and then take the photos that you feel capture their beauty. You can submit a maximum of two images for each green space, so take plenty of photos and then get your friends and family involved to help you decide on which ones to submit.

Our Team4Nature Birmingham partner, artist Steve Lilly, will create a piece of artwork, based on the selected photo for each green space. The series of 10 pieces of artwork will also feature portraits of Birmingham's favourite 10 birds and butterflies.

Once the ten pieces of artwork have been created, an online auction platform will be launched for each one. Bidding will be open on the original artwork, together with a small number of special edition commemorative reproductions. Steve Lilly will also be offering a range of Art4Nature material for general sale, based on the original artwork.

All auction proceeds (net of any art commission), plus a percentage of ongoing reproduction work sales will be used to help fund specific projects at the green spaces aimed at bird and butterfly conservation.


I recently visited Bressingham and something caught my eye on a stand. It was a stunning portrait of James Finlayson that fine comic actor from the Laurel and Hardy movies. I then noticed several equally impressive drawings of Stan and Ollie, my comedy heroes. Now I was blown away not only by the brilliance of the artist but the choice of subject. But here's when it starts getting really good....... As I looked around further at Steve's stall and the various merchandise displaying his talents.....I came across an eerily uncanny portrait of Bill Pertwee MBE, Warden Hodges from Dad's Army. Now this one was really good......I should know - he was my Father. I thanked Steve for the brilliant drawing of Dad, slightly emotional seeing your 'old man' represented so well.

And to put the icing on the cake I even gave my wife a fridge magnet of her idol Morrissey.....another stunning representation. Thank you Steve, I'm in her good books again.!!

Jonathan Pertwee

Endorsements


"I think your work is quite excellent. Congratulations." David Croft OBE, co-creator of Dad's Army

"We love working with Steve! Apart from the fact that his work is sublime-certainly the best pencil drawings of the Dad's Army cast that we have ever seen, he is a genuinely lovely guy, who still gets embarrassed when we tell him how wonderful his work is. We have formed a brilliant working relationship with Steve and class him as very much part of our very successful team." Corinne Fulford, Charles Burrell & Dad's Army Museums

"Each portrait is remarkable not only for the artistic skill involved, but also for how it manages to capture so perfectly the expressions and mannerisms which bring each character to life" Jacqui Gray (The Journal) 

The 2nd most popular event of last years festival was ... Steve Lilly! Beaten by John Bishop ... and beating the Hairy Bikers! ...(This was based on unique visitors to the official festival website)....Dave Freak (Birmingham Comedy Festival Organiser).

Hi Steve, the print arrived safely and is extraordinarily good; it was one of those all too rare wow moments when I unrolled it, and the image makes me smile each time I look at it. You have captured Eric and Ernie so very well.........Robin McIntyre
Talking Pictures TV Official Artist Steve Lilly
 

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