Former art forger Max Brandrett speaks to Insider about his experience and how art forgery works.

Max began his journey as a child in a poor Brighton neighbourhood and eventually ran away to end up homeless in London. Max says that after he failed to find work, he decided to forge paintings and sell them with the help of an older accomplice he met in Portobello Road. Max tells us he forged over 500 paintings of artists such as Samuel Palmer and Louis Wain which sold in bespoke auctions and galleries making him over $600,000. After being arrested and jailed a few times Max decided to become a Copy Artist rather than a Forger. He has now made a legitimate business out of copying paintings.