Local illustrator Milan Topalović taught people how to sketch and paint rock stars from the iconic Black Sabbath Bench in a special event organised by Westside BID.
The ‘Sip and Paint’ session was attended by more than a dozen would-be artists and resulted in some remarkably good images of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.
The would-be artists were also treated to savoury treats courtesy of the Canal House Bar & Restaurant on Bridge Street, which hosted the event. Watch our video of the event here:
One participant was Kate Burges, who was delighted with the image she created of Tony Iommi. Kate said: “This was a wonderful event that reignited my passion for art.”
Other people taking part included Carol Rieliy and Rehana Begun, along with Westside BID participants Luisa Huggins, Elaine Weir and Mike Olley.
Milan’s background includes portraiture and short stories. He’s also worked on large scale office murals and produced commercial merchandise, notable greeting cards and prints for independents and large companies.
Milan, who regularly leads drawing workshops to increase mindfulness, said: “Using an A3 canvass, we’ve gridded out the portraits and then sketched it, looked at a few observational skills and then tidied up the portrait to make it look exactly like the rock star.
“We’ve then used acrylic paints and painted them up together. Some of the participants have chosen their own colours for the portrait and background, and then they’ve signed them in gold.”
Luisa Huggins, media and communications manager at Westside BID, explained that the ‘Sip and Paint’ session was one in a series of events the BID was organising to help promote the wellbeing of local workers.
Luisa said: “We are thrilled to have coordinated another wonderful well-being event for our businesses. It so important to provide a creative outlet for people where they can de-stress and just have a little fun.
“It was a great event, where people learnt news skills and networked with people they’ve never met before. All in all, it was real success, and we look forward to planning for the next one.”
Main picture: (from left) Rehana Begun, Carol Rieliy and Kate Burges.
