AIBU to think the portrait of KM, DoC, is really unflattering and a bit creepy?

[NolittleBuddahsorTigerMomshere]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2260655/First-official-portrait-Duchess-Cambridge-acclaimed-photographic-artist-Paul-Emsley-unveiled.html

It's really important with a photographic painting to get the positioning and placement right. Otherwise the portrait is thrown by a slightly odd look.

I think it's a pretty awful pic but on all honesty I think she is so bland-looking that it would be quite hard to do an interesting one. She is not exactly a woman who cultivates any individuality in her look

I found this link which is much lighter and looks better. I don't know which is truer to the actual portrait.

Looking at it for a while it's sort of grown on me, but I still think her expression looks quite rigid and unnatural.

Portraits reflect the essence of the person not just the physical representation.

Perhaps it just represents the bland, orange, vaccuous little royal wannabe she is. Her and her dreadful 'party planner' sister have nothing to comment on bar their looks and their relentless pursuit of the aristocracy. Neither have ever worked for their living (save for working for daddy or daddy's friends) and make their living hanging off the arms of aristos - what would there be behind the eyes? Nothing.

Perhaps the picture represents that.

inapp I don't agree - I think KM has a sparkle which the artist hasn't captured.

The painting is a bit 'soft focus' but heavy round the face.

fantastic post!

@innappropriatelyemployed

I like it. Very clever.

Apparently one of the topless photos was her having a fag.

Naaaaiiice . Look what happened to Auntie Mags.

Does one have to be able to draw to like or not like or to comment on a portrait?
Must one play the piano to appreciate Lang Lang? Must one run to be able to cheer Bolt?
Emsley's drawing of Mandela is fantastic. Kate's portrait is not. I don't draw at all. I am not artistic. Nada. Emsley could sneer at me drawing with good reason.
But perhaps innappropriatelyemployed is on the right track and that is what Emsley saw when he painted Kate. I don't think so though. I think he is just better at older faces and can't do young and lively.

I agree the Mandela portrait is good.

I think paint is not his medium, well, going by this anyway.

Fortified - what has the technically challenging thing got to do with how good the painting is?

I don't care how hard he worked on it, it's still no good.

I'd gladly paint Kate. I think she is beautiful and it would be interesting - there's not that many people I'd really like to paint but I would give her a go.

Not that I'll ever get the chance. He really blew it. I feel sorry for him but it's a right botch.

I would like to see it. Probably packed.

Mandela is very good. If he had drawn her it could have been like that I imagine. I think he found it more difficult in oil.

I say from that image alone, would like to check it out.

inappropriatelyemployed I have to say I think that's a pretty cruel and bitter post.

I thought she looked like she was going "Hmmmm", which she probably was when she saw the picture. It looks like one of those 1970's oil paintings which everyone's granny had kicking around then...

Let's face it, it's all a bit <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&biw=1092&bih=514&tbm=isch&tbnid=rC-9_DPPCYgqlM:&imgrefurl=www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/kate-middleton-portrait-gets-viral-1530177&docid=2F27jnrxEb4JnM&imgurl=i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1530058.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Kate%252BMiddleton%252Bspoofs%252B&w=615&h=646&ei=4qPyUM6DBqep0AW33oG4DQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=124&vpy=109&dur=263&hovh=231&hovw=220&tx=135&ty=108&sig=116414305545995571962&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=137&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:84" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this

I do really love her hair though

but could never be arsed to have it professionally blow-dried every single day, even if I was married to the future King

She's pretty but not beautiful. And I do think she looks older than her years. As does get mother. If she changed hairstyle and updated her wardrobe and got rid of that dreadful eye liner I think she'd look much better.

I would hire someone to do my hair & make up before I woke up.

I used to work with someone who had her hair washed and blown every other day on her way to work. She used to say she has only ever washed her own hair twice in 20 years.

It IS very unflattering, but actually I quite like it. It's a bit different from the traditional idea of a wide smiling portrait. I'm not really a Kate fan at all, but quite like her choice here. The expression is one I often see in candid photos of her, and is a bit more 'held back' than a big smile. Seems like a more private look to me rather than her usual public mask.

I'll go out on a limb here and say I love it. She is a very beautiful woman and the painting captures that reality. Perhaps we are all so used to airbrushed photoshopped photographs that we have forgotten what real people look like? No, the artist hasn't gone for the Barbie doll look with no character, but for something with much more life. I think he captures an intelligence and humour in the expression which a wide grin would lose. I shall go and see it tomorrow and report back again . The eyes look stunning.

Yes, does make me want to pop along to the National Portrait Gallery for a wee peek at it too dobby - hope you enjoy your visit tomorrow - I wonder how busy they are ?

She looks so much older in it. Very unflattering!

It's horrible!