Street artist known as Humor sticks to realism with his spray paint pieces, writes Marijke Hall

It may seem a silly question to ask Hugh Whitaker - aka Humor - if he uses spray paint for his portraits. He’s a graffiti artist after all.

But actually it’s nothing he hasn’t been asked before. And the reason? Well, because his portraits are just so damn realistic.

Every small detail, hair, wrinkle, whatever, is there. It’s hard to believe it can be done with a spray can.

But this is Humor (@humorstreetart) and realism is his thing.

The Tunbridge Wells-based graffiti artist, best known for his tribute and portraiture pieces, has gained attention globally and despite being relatively new to the game, he’s earned quite the name for himself.

At just 25, he’s frequently booked up with commissions and on his days off you’ll find him creating huge pieces on legal walls across the country.

Often they are tributes to people who have died - many through suicide.

His first big public artwork and the piece which saw him transition from pencil portraits on paper to large spray-painted ones on walls was in memory of his best friend Emmett Gillah, who took his own life in 2016.

Humor admits he gets asked if he uses acrylics and brushes due to the incredible detail of his work, but it’s always just a spray can.

He explains: “I started drawing when I was 16 and then about four years ago started spray painting; it all started when I did the portrait of Emmett, really.

“I did a large tribute for him which was really nice, with all his friends and family there. That was the first one I did, the day was really good and I had a lot of people saying how grateful they were.

“The piece lasted 10 months on the wall, which is pretty good going as they normally get painted over quite quickly.”

Tragically, another friend of his died just two years after and he created another piece in their memory.

He admits he hates to do them due to their very nature, but enjoys what it gives to the families and friends.

His public artwork also includes tribute pieces to late TV presenter Caroline Flack and pioneering London graffiti writer POW, who died two years ago.

“I did the POW one up in Allen Gardens in Shoreditch where there’s a big legal wall,” he says. “It lasted for about eight or nine months which is pretty good especially up in London where walls can get painted over twice a day by other artists.

“The respect was for him though more so than my art.”

More recently, he painted a tribute to late comedian Sean Lock in Brighton, next to one of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, which was created by artist mate Mick Mowgli.

Humor says the turnover of artwork on walls can be quick, but that tributes tend to get a bit more respect.

“Some people just want to paint the wall and even if it’s something really meaningful they might paint over it, but there is a kind of unwritten rule that you’ve got to better what’s there,” he explains.

“If I go up to Leake Street in London which is probably a couple of hundred metre long tunnel with 70 or 80 different pieces, I’ll normally find the worst piece to paint over.”

In his day job he gets commissioned for a whole host of things, from paintings on vehicles to walls in offices, bedrooms and clubs.

“Before the portrait of Emmett started it all off I was doing small portraits but it wasn’t going to pay the bills,” Humor says. “But the day I moved onto the larger spray painting commissions, that’s when I started getting loads of work.

“I was never really taught. It was like ‘take on the job, give it a good go and see what happens’ and fortunately four years later I’m now fully booked doing them all over the country.

“I’ve done some abroad, too, and the plan is to do it all around the world.”