See The BP Portrait Award Winners

The winner of the BP Portrait Award was announced yesterday. An artist called Andrew Tift won the £25,000 prize for this amazing triple portrait (called a 'triptych') of a woman called Kitty Garman.

You can see the picture in close-up and find out more about Kitty here.

Kitty, Andrew Tift

© Andrew Tift.

Andrew tries very hard to make his pictures look as real as they can - it's hard to believe this is a painting and not a photograph isn't it?

Here's how he describes his work:

"I work in a highly detailed, realistic manner and aim for an absolutely pure and objective likeness. I seek to convey people in the most understanding, intimate and sympathetic way that I can."

This picture won second place. It's by an artist called Rafael Rodriguez Cruz who was born in 1977. His portrait is painted in oil paints on wood.

'Model 1' from the series 'Models of a Self portrait', Rafael Rodriguez Cruz

© Rafael Rodriguez Cruz.

Here's the painting which won third place. It's by Angela Reilly and is a self portrait - a picture of herself.

She looks very thoughful doesn't she? What do you think's on her mind?

Also, here at Show Me we were very struck by how alike all three women in the paintings look.. rather like the same woman at three different ages don't you think?

Self-Portrait, Angela Reilly

© Angela Reilly.

You can see all three of these pictures at the National Portrait Gallery in London until 17 September 2006.

Don't worry if you can't get to London - we've tracked down three of the best online games and activities about portraits so you can explore some beautiful paintings wherever you are...

First up is Face It! which Show Me and the National Portrait Gallery created together.

You can explore 4 of the Gallery's portraits and create some crazy pics of your own in the studio section.

Next up is Portraits and Portraiture which was made by the clever folk at The Wallace Collection, The Bowes Museum in County Durham and the Holburne Museum of Art in Bath.

There are loads of really amazing paintings on the site, from Queen Victoria to the Laughing Cavalier. Well worth a play.

Portrait Detectives takes pictures from Liverpool Museums and helps you to find out more about them.

It gets you to look really closely at the artworks, looking for clues and thinking about who the sitters were and how they might have felt.

Again, there are lots of wonderful paintings on the site.

Do you like painting? We'd love to see your portraits - of yourself or people you know, so send them in for our Show and Tell section and you may even win a prize too! (Can't manage £25,000 though, sadly.)