About Rachel Drake – UK Portrait Artist Specialising in Watercolour & Pencil Portraits

Rachel Drake Portrait Artist

Painting is a compulsion for me — it’s something I can’t live without. It calms me, makes me happy, and is essential to my wellbeing. I’ve been fortunate to share my work widely throughout the UK, exhibiting twice at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. In 2020, I was shortlisted for the Scottish Portrait Awards for my large watercolour portrait of Donald, and in 2022 I was a finalist again with a charcoal drawing of my son.

Originally from Suffolk, I moved to Scotland to study at the Glasgow School of Art and quickly fell in love with the rugged landscapes and the warmth of the people here. I now work full-time as a portrait artist and teacher, creating bespoke paintings and drawings for clients across Scotland, the UK, and beyond.

I am fascinated by people’s faces — no two are ever the same, and each portrait offers its own story and emotion to capture. My role as the artist is to interpret your ideas, guide you through the creative process, and produce a portrait that reflects both the subject and their personality.

Watercolour is my favourite medium. I love its transparency, which allows me to achieve luminous skin tones and fine details, while also embracing the challenge it brings — there’s little room for correction, so every brushstroke counts. Alongside watercolours, I regularly create pencil drawings, biro sketches, and mixed-media works. Some of these pieces combine acrylic paint with biro and embroidery — if you’d like to see more of my textile and embroidery art, as well as my online courses, you can explore my textiles and mixed-media website.