A STUDENT has come runner up in an art competition for her pencil portraits of the former One Direction band members.

Chloe Evans, aged 16 and of Flint High School, won second prize in the North Wales Open for Young Artists 2018 competition run by Theatr Clwyd after being encouraged to enter by her art teacher, Claire Evans.

The teenager’s illustration of her favourite band comprises five individual drawings, each A3 in size, mounted onto a board to create a finished piece measuring six feet wide.

She used a range of soft basic sketching pencils, blended with a putty rubber and a paper stump to achieve her desired look.

With each portrait taking twenty hours to complete, Chloe had to take every opportunity in school and at home to work on them, alongside managing her GCSE workload.

She has been drawing since she was very young and demonstrated an excellent talent in her first year at Flint High School when her teacher identified her as a MAT (more able and talent) student in art. Since then she has attended various MAT days for art students, and the annual Flintshire MAT workshop which Miss Evans organises.

Miss Evans said: “Chloe is an exceptionally talented young artist who can draw photorealistic portraits effortlessly. She has such a passion for art and her talent has grown tremendously over the years I have known her.

"The piece she submitted was a piece from her GCSE art coursework, based on music. It is a remarkable piece of work and I am absolutely thrilled for her to have won second prize at this prestigious competition.”

Chloe won a large selection of art materials and, although she isn’t taking her art studies further, she will continue to enjoy art as a hobby in her spare time.

In September, she will join the school’s sixth form to study A Levels in maths, further maths, physics and computer science to pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.