Miniature Painting

Miniature Painting has a long history.  In the days before photography, miniature portraits were a way for wealthy people to carry portraits of their loved ones with them.  Hans Holbein the Younger was a German-born portraitist for the court of Henry VIII who famously painted Anne of Cleves.  The result of this painting was that Henry contracted to marry Anne, but decided he wasn't so keen after she arrived in England from Düsseldorf.  Some months later, Henry had their marriage annulled.  Apparently, he didn't like Anne so well as her portrait!  At least she fared better than some of his other wives.

Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539 (in the Public Domain)

Miniature painting techniques are similar to those used in ancient or medieval manuscripts.  Described as illuminations, transcribers of books would add meticulously painted illustrations of the text, often as embellishments of the first letter of a section, as well as separate small paintings.    

From Miroir historial, vol. 1 (Vincent of Beauvais, Speculum historiale  Miniature of the book’s author, Vincent of Beauvais, within a border containing the arms of Edward IV (Public domain)

Ideally, miniatures are small and finely detailed, standing up to magnification without losing their definition.  They can often fit into the palm of one hand.  Different definitions of what consists of a miniature exist around the world.  In Australia, the painted surface (for a two dimensional work) must be smaller than 10x10cm (or any proportion of 100 square cm or less) in area and the work should be obviously reduced in size - generally about 1/6th or smaller.  Different media (watercolour, oils, gouache, acrylics, graphite, pastel etc) may be used, but the surface is generally quite smooth, as this allows for more detail.  Different societies have different rules for framing, but generally they require something fine, consistent with the size of the piece.

I was initially inspired to attempt miniature painting by visiting an exhibition held by the Australian Society of Miniature Art (Tasmania) Inc. in Campbell Town, Tasmania.  We happened to be driving past and noticed that there was an exhibition on in the local hall.  I was astounded at the fineness some artists managed to achieve, particularly the work of Joan Humble (now OAM), who is known for her Tasmanian landscapes.  Years later, I was able to take classes with Joan.  She paints in oils, so that was the medium I first used.  Joan's work has won prizes around the world, including the Royal Miniature Society's Gold Memorial Bowl for the top painting in that year.  Needless to say, that was quite an opportunity for me.

Baby, 6.8x11.4cm, oil on polymin

Baby is a portrait I painted in oils on polymin.  Polymin is a slick synthetic surface developed specifically for the purpose.  Traditionally, one of the favoured surfaces for miniature painting was ivory.  It was used because of the vibrancy the surface produced, particularly using watercolours.  Polymin is a modern substitute.

A few years later, ASMA (Tas) had the donation of a set of ivory piano keys.  The piano had quite a history and significance to the family who provided it.  They felt that it would be ideal for it to live on in miniature paintings.  It was an exciting opportunity.  Another member of the Society, Claire Gill, had encouraged me to give painting in gouache a go.  Claire did beautiful work on black paper, making her vibrant colours sing.  I found that I could paint a lot more detail in gouache on the piano keys than in oils.  Using this medium and surface, I've gone on to significant success with my miniatures on recycled piano keys, including winning the Miniature Category at the Royal Sydney Easter Show (2021 and 2023).

A Draught Pair - first in Mixed Media at the Huon Art Awards (2019)

Signal Station Dawn - finalist in the Lloyd Rees exhibition, Colville Gallery (2019)

White-bellied sea eagle over Wineglass Bay

Where Eagles Dare - the view looking north from Collins Cap - winner of Miniature category at the Royal Sydney Easter Show (2020)

St Columba Falls - this piece won gold in landscapes at the ASMA (Tas) exhibition in 2022 and first in the Miniature category at the Royal Sydney Easter Show (2023)

To paint this small, you need a brush with a fine tip, though not necessarily a small brush.  I use Raphael brushes, series 8408, size 2 for most of my work in gouache.  When I started painting on this scale, I could paint without magnification, but now I need to use reading glasses with clip-on 2X magnifiers and a good light.  I think it helps to be short-sighted!

I continue to work in gouache and oils on different pieces.