Portraits, meaning the focus painting /photograph is usually the person's face, although the entire body and background or context maybe included. The intent is to display likeness, personality and even the mood of the person. It can be a painting, a sketch, a drawing and nowadays, photographs. Portrait artists have played a vital role through history. Before photographs, portraits were the only visual means of capturing a likeness and preserving it for future generations. Portrait artists were people of status like a monarch or the church or people whose family were rich and powerful. Many poor artists would capture the people of the time. We have detailed representation of the style of the era and fashion and hairstyles. Whole families would make it an important event to have their images captured by the artist. A comparison can be made by examining British, French, Italian and Spanish artists to name a few. And when comparing the two old masters Rembrandt and Frans Hals, noticeable connections can be made in their limited palettes and earth tones. However the individual styles are instantly recognisable. Today too, portrait artists have their own styles. Methods for producing portraiture may have changed through the ages and photographs have been included in the mix. But we depict the era we live in by our styles and culture. Debates on whether we still need portrait artists when we have cameras or whether realism has a place in art anymore will carry on. But both offer great and differing skills, and with each painter/photographer, the artist's style and temperament is guided through expression, craft and through the light and tones. Skills should never be left to die or be forgotten, but should be allowed to progress and with each generation we, like the old masters, should leave behind a memory in what ever medium. Whether on canvas or by a photograph of our era and how we live today, we artists deserve our place in history for our dedication and love of the studies that we make of people. Tina Francis. Contributors are: 1. Kevin Peterson - USA. 2. Tina Francis - UK. 3. Wim Beullens - Belgium. 4. Sasha Mataya - UK. 5. Jaspreet Singh - India. 6. Justin Abelman - South Africa. 7. Ben Lupp - Germany 8. Dan Simoneau - USA 9. Doug Sandelin - USA. 10. Sandra Dean - UK. 11. SharonElaine Dickerson Wright - UK. 12. Lynn Howarth - UK. 13. Daniel Marcel Schmude-Sterling - Germany 14. Pat Hugman - UK. 15. Petr Sestak - Czech Republic