Olivia's pov
Me and less had been pulled aside in training by the media team and told us we had to do a challenge later on.
When we got to the room after training, Manu was also there and we were told that me and less had to paint a portrait of Manu.
We burst out laughing, thinking they were joking but when we realised they were being serious, we looked at each other before laughing again.
We were both shit at drawing, let alone painting, so this was going to be fun.
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"Hi gooners. Today I'm here with livvy to take on the ten minute challenge." Less begins
"We've got Kathy here, who's an actual real life artist who's going to help us through our projects. So what are we doing today, Kathy?" I continue, introducing Kathy to the camera.
"So, guys, we're going to be painting Manu here and we've only got 10 minutes. So I'm going to give you a few tips and then you're just going to go for it. So the first thing we're going to be doing is, you are going to draw on your canvas with your pencil. Find the shape of her head, her shoulders. Then you are going to do a slightly more detailed — see if you can get her eyelids in, some nostrils, a mouth. And then right at the end, this is going to be the bit if you have time, you're going to scrub in the background. Scrub in the T-Shirt, and then you've got a load of fresh colours and you're going to put those where you see them. So, how are you feeling? Shall we get going?" Kathy explains and me and less just laugh. These were going to look terrible.
"I'm terrified, if I'm honest." I admit
"I'm awful at art." Less reveals
"Can you help me please, baby?" I ask less and she ties my apron for me, pressing a kiss to my neck before stepping away to her canvas.
"Right, so your ten minute challenge is going to start right now." Kathy states and we both start our drawings.
"It looks like an apple." I laugh as I draw manu's head.
"Sorry Manu, you're a bit round." Less apologises
"Good. Right, eyes are halfway down, so find halfway. And then halfway between your eyes and the chin, you've got the bottom of the nose. Halfway between the bottom of the nose and the chin, you've got a line for the mouth, and that's just the middle of the mouth. Okay, how are we doing?" Kathy says
"It looks like you Manu." I tell her as I compare my drawing and Manu.
"We're going to get the paintbrush out now. You're going to start getting a little bit more detailed."
"Oh god." I hear less murmur as we begin to paint. "I've got a bit of a shaky hand."
"Yeah, same." I agree and start manu's eyes.
"Okay, do the other eye in two lines, quick." Kathy tells me
"Oh, I can't do that." I say
"Manu, what are you hoping for from this painting?"
"Just that they try their best." Manu states
"You have gorgeous eyebrows, Manu." I tell her
"Thank you."
"Nice and thick actually." Less adds
"Wow. So many compliments."
"Oh wow, you look surprised." I say whisky laughing at the eyebrows I painted.
"Eyebrows are sisters, not twins." Less explains
"Okay, that's enough for the eyebrow. That's brilliant."
Less has a quick peak at my painting and bursts out laughing, me laughing along with her.
"Right, girls, we've nearly had five minutes. Nostrils." Kathy says
"I don't know how to draw nostrils." I share
"Okay, right, pick your big brush up. So now we're going to put in hair." Kathy suggests
"Oh my god. You should see this. You look like a scary man." I laugh
"Oh wow less, you're going all in." Manu says as she watches less paint.
"Oh god, it looks like you're wearing fur." I point out
"Yes Olivia!" Manu cheers me on
"Okay, we've got three minutes so we're going to move onto the flesh. Put that paintbrush down. Now you need to fill in her whole face."
"My god, I've never seen you look so concentrated." I say to less
"I know. I'm trying to focus. Ten minutes is just not long enough." Less explains
"I'm just not happy with how you look, Manu." I tell her
"Oh, this is really pink." Less admits. "Oh wow, I'm going to make you a bit more tanned."
"You look sunburnt." I reveal
"Right, we've got 30 seconds." Kathy says
"Oh, Manu I'm so sorry." Less apologises
"I'm so sorry too."
"Three, two, one. Paint brushes down."
"It's beautiful." I tell less as we laugh at each other's paintings.
"Yours is good." Less tells me
"Oh, baby, I'll book you an appointment at specsavers when we get home." I joke
"Well done girls. So the moment of truth has arrived. Manu, are you ready?" Kathy asks
"I should be ready but yeah." Manu responds
"So Alessia, why don't you show Manu your picture?" Kathy suggests
"I would like to say that I apologise in advance." Less tells her and flips the canvas round.
"Oh wow." Manu claps
"We really didn't have enough time."
"Olivia, would you like to show Manu your picture?"
"No, not really." I joke. "Manu, it's something I'm very proud of. Voila!"
"Wow, perfect!"
"I don't even know how to explain what happened in mine. It was just a bit of a mad rush." I reveal
"Okay, Manu, what do you think? How do you feel about your portrait?" Kathy questions
"First of all, I'm really grateful that they've both tried because I think painting is not easy. But all in all, they got my hair right. Great job girls."
"I am going to award Olivia." Kathy reveals and I laugh
"I'm in shock. Like, genuinely in shock. Thank you, Kathy. I appreciate that. Well done, lessi." I say and she warps an arm around my back.
"Do you want these?" Less asks Manu
"No thank you." Manu resolves with a smile and we laugh
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"Thanks for watching gooners. You were there with me and us for one of my proudest moments. I'm very happy with my artwork. I think it looks very much like Manu. And it was a lot of fun so thank you, Kathy." I say
"Thanks, Kathy."
"The best bit of all this was beating you though." I joke and nudge less gently
In retaliation, less grabs her paintbrush, and smudges it all across my cheek.
"Cheeky." I laugh and do the same back to her.
We end up laughing to the point our stomachs were hurting.
"Livvy!" Less complains as she stops laughing.
"Why are you the one complaining? You started it! Come here." I bring less closer to me and begin to try and wipe the paint off her nose. "There we go. All gone." I press a light kiss to her nose before turning back to my artwork. "This should go in the Louvre."