For Archie Wardlaw, art has always been something he has thrived in.

As a young boy, the Mitcham man was encouraged to draw by his mother, an artist and interior designer.

Now 29 years old, he is hoping to show the world what he can do on the new series of 'Portrait Artist of the Year'.

He was chosen from hundreds of people to compete against eight other artists in the fourth heat and will be appearing on Sky on March 5 at 8pm.

Co-host of the show, Stephen Mangan, is excited to see what the competitors have to offer.

"Together, we have seen some incredible artists come through the ranks and it has been fascinating to see their portraits of our celebrity sitters come to life," he said.

"Painting done well is a kind of magic, painting done by me is a crime - so it was both a privilege and a relief to watch artists with genuine talent work their magic.

I can’t wait for everyone to see the show."

The winner from Archie's heat will join the seven other heat winners to paint British jazz legend Courtney Pine in the semi-final.

The remaining three artists through to the final will then paint Hollywood actress and singer Laura Linney at the National Portrait Gallery.