A NEWBRIDGE artist impressed heavyweight boxing superstars Anthony Joshua and Charles Martin when he exhibited a stunning portrait of the pair in London on Monday.

Patrick Killian, 41, readied his canvas and brushes for the painting of the towering boxers ahead of their IBF heavyweight championship bout in the 02 Arena on Saturday.

The artist, who has previously painted boxing legends Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson, was showcasing the 5ft x 4ft painting at a public workout in York Hall in front of 800 people.

Mr Killian said the painting took him around two weeks and he added the backdrop of the London skyline in the final stages in a nod to the fight venue.

He said: “I just looked at a programme one day and saw the skyline of the O2 and it looked perfect. I didn’t know if it would work at first but it made sense putting it in.

“They really did like it and appreciated that I did it for the event.”

Mr Killian had previously met Olympic gold medallist Joshua a number of times, but this was the first time he encountered Martin.

The artist handed them prints of the painting and the original, signed by both boxers and promoter Eddie Hearn, is still available for purchase.

Mr Killian said a percentage of the sale will go to Amelia Mae Davies Children's Cancer charity.

He added: “It’s just nice giving something back doing something I love.”

For more information, visit www.killianart.com.