Mathematician Attempts Art - Numberphile

TL;DR

Hannah Fry attempts to draw a portrait of artist Chloe Barnes using Sharpies, humorously framing face-drawing as Gaussian curvature.

Key Points

• 1.Hannah Fry's official portrait hangs at the Royal Society in London. It was painted by Chloe Barnes, winner of the UK TV show 'Sky Portrait Artist of the Year,' and is featured in a separate Objectivity channel video.
• 2.Brady challenged Hannah to reverse roles and draw Chloe's portrait. Using Numberphile's signature brown paper and Sharpies, Hannah attempted a portrait of Chloe Barnes — something she had never done before.
• 3.Hannah tried to mathematize her drawing technique. She described face-drawing as 'curvature of three-dimensional surfaces' and referenced Gaussian curvature, and followed Chloe's advice to focus on shadows rather than outlines.
• 4.Chloe Barnes offered real-time drawing tips during the session. She advised committing to messiness, using shadow blocks instead of outlines, and noted that confident-looking strokes make work appear intentional.
• 5.Keith Moore, head librarian at the Royal Society, judged the final portrait unworthy of hanging. He joked the Turner Prize committee could 'stand down' and suggested it belonged in a bin, though others praised it as better than they could do.