A dilemma presented itself at the Gala Screening of The Other Woman at London’s Curzon Mayfair this week, when Cameron Diaz walked the carpet. I drew two sketches of her to get ‘graphed. The close up was over worked. The more I worked the 4B, the more it became apparent it just wasn’t to be. You can spend too much time on a drawing and lose your reference. It didn’t seem to me to resemble the subject. Everything was there – the clear eyes, lip shape and dimples, but somehow it was lost in translation, and too static – like a statue.

I quickly sketched another – minimal lines, with more energy in order to capture her ‘being’ and not just an anatomical copy. But, which one to give her to sign? Since, of course, the PAs insist, “only one”. Most people around me loved the close up, more dramatic and it was certainly her. There’s always the fear that the subject will reject. I could present both and let Cameron decide? Too awkward, holding both and filming while the adoring multitude press over the top of you.

In the end I looked at her. She was bouncy, laughing, animated and seemed genuinely happy with the world and where she was in it that balmy Spring evening. So I opted for number 2 because it best represented her at the time. She was happy to sign it and thanked me. Everyone said I should have got the portrait signed. Oh well, maybe next time…