'Big Yin' to be honoured with 3 Glasgow murals
3 giant paintings will celebrate his 75th birthday
Last updated 18th May 2017
Billy Connolly is poised to become larger than life in his home city of Glasgow after three Scottish artists were commissioned to create portraits of the comedian.
Three works portraying the "Big Yin'', who turns 75 this year, will appear on walls in Glasgow city centre.
They will all be more than 50ft high and have been created by artists John Byrne, Jack Vettriano and Rachel Maclean, who is representing Scotland in the Venice Biennale.
The "larger than life'' tribute to Connolly hopes to make the comedian part of the architecture of his home city on a major scale.
Connolly met and sat for the artists involved and is delighted with all three original artworks.
He said: "I'm probably more famous for being a Glaswegian than anything else I've actually done.
"It's been great to have been home to take part in this and a real privilege to be part of these artists' work.''
Byrne has created a portrait of the star which will go on a wall end in Osborne Street.
A Vettriano painting featuring a windblown Connolly on a storm-lashed coast near John O'Groats will be showcased in Dixon Street.
A Maclean digital print, which will go up in Gallowgate, depicts him as a pale blue Scotsman in a sporran with an "aged'' nose sprouting hair.
The work is being carried out this month in conjunction with Glasgow City Council's City Centre Mural Trail project and the originals will go on display in the People's Palace.