‘The Prince took it to show the King’: Artist’s beer can design admired by royals

Prince William and Princess Kate were seen at the coronation admiring the work of a South London artist, whose painting of the new King was used to decorate beer cans.

Martin Jessup, 57, from Harold Road, Crystal Palace, was commissioned by Windsor and Eton Brewery to create an oil painting of King Charles III to go onto their Return of the King beer cans.

Mr Jessup said: “I got asked by a brewery if I could do a portrait of King Charles sitting on the throne. Apparently it’s his favourite picture of himself.

“We chose to use a lot of greenery and butterflies in the background to reflect his love of nature.

“I was told it would be going on beer cans and that was that.

“Then at the weekend I was inundated with calls and emails from people telling me that Prince William was looking at my work on the front cover of The Times.

“I saw a video of the prince and princess looking at the can and then William walked off with it. Apparently he’d seen it at a show before and wanted to show his father.

“It’s so funny when you see someone like Kate or William looking at your work. It’s surreal.”

Mr Jessup has worked from his studio in Haynes Lane, Crystal Palace for nine years.

He said: “I’m very quiet and I paint for my community mostly so I’m not used to my work being recognised like this.

“My studio is pretty knackered but it’s a good space to work.

“A lot of people in the area know me and commission me to paint their portraits.

“I’m known for my paintings, I’m quite good at painting likeness, but I’m not in a gallery or anything.”

Born and raised in South London, Mr Jessup first lived in Lewisham before he took a foundation course in fine art at Camberwell college of arts.

He said: “In your foundation course your teachers are really seeing what you can do but I’ve always painted so when I got there I had a full body of art already finished.

“I met some really interesting young people while I was there, including some very talented young ladies who were even better than me!

“That really motivated me.”

Mr Jessup then went on to do a degree in art at the University of Creative Arts in Farnham which propelled him into freelance illustration and eventually led to full time employment.

Since his work has been appreciated by royalty, Mr Jessup is hopeful for the future of his career.

He said: “You just need that one person to like your work and then things might really start happening.”

Pictured top: Prince William admiring Martin Jessup’s beer can artwork (Picture: PA)