 He was, however, pleased to be elected a full member of the Royal Academy in 1966.While still tackling a variety of subjects, Roberts became somewhat obsessed with the self-portrait, and a number of his self-portraits would in 1984 be exhibited by the National Portrait Gallery.Roberts was often described as reclusive, and he was very wary about interviewers – especially after an "Observer" journalist who visited him produced an article that Roberts felt was concerned more with his rather spartan lifestyle than with his work.