The brief

Lucy Austin is a painter and printmaker from the UK who uses abstract imagery in reference to the urban landscape.  Austin frequently uses watercolour in her work.  Find another artist who uses watercolour predominantly in their work and then compare the work of the two artists. 

Lucy Austin

Lucy Austin is originally from Yorkshire, the historic country of England.  Today, she is based in Bristol and finds inspiration from the surrounding urban landscape, such as the forms and structures of the pylons, windmills, and spiral staircases.  She uses these structures as a starting point and then transforms them by using her imagination.  This particular brand of abstraction was developed in her work over more than twenty years.

“I make the paintings using layers of paint, playing with its technical qualities of opacity and transparency.  My paintings are usually made on heavy paper with watercolour and gouache.  I use traditional methods of masking out to make the paintings, which are revealed underneath by removing the previous layers.” (RWA, 2016)

Austin studied an Art & Design Foundation Course at Harrogate Art College in 1985, followed by a degree in Graphic Design (BA Hons) at The London College of Printing (1988), later specialising in Fine Art Printmaking at Manchester Metropolitan University (1994). (RWA, 2023)

She sometimes combines painting and collage, as seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

She explains her creative process, “sometimes I take photographs to remind me of what I’ve seen – other times I note down words that are interesting and might be useful.  I always have my sketchbook with me; it has become completely essential to record in it as a tool for thinking.”

“I am very easily bored and always want to try out new ways of doing something – as soon as I ‘know’ what’s going to happen, I abandon it and try a different way.” (RWA, 2023)

Isabelle Arsenault

I have chosen Isabelle Arsenault as the other artist who also uses watercolour in her work. I won’t say she uses watercolour predominantly, but rather when the narrative asks for it.

Arsenault is an award-winning illustrator and author of children’s picture books.  Among her numerous honours, she has been included in New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Books of the Year three times.  She is also a three-time winner of Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award.

Arsenault finds inspiration from her own children growing up in an urban environment.  She lives in Montreal, Canada.  At first, she thought it was inconceivable to raise children in a city with such an obscured horizon, little space and vegetation, but she observed her children playing with friends in the alleys which run behind all the houses, going from one backyard to another, creating imaginary worlds from thin air.  The children’s adventures are sparked from the tiniest detail. (Art of the Picture Book, 2020)

Lucy Austin is a fine artist, while Isabelle Arsenault is a children’s book illustrator, which leaves us with the question: How do you define the difference?

Arsenault answers this question in an interview: “Illustrators are undoubtedly artists. But I think that when one defines oneself more as an artist than an illustrator, it’s because there’s an allusion to the freedom of creation.  Despite the inherent constraints in our profession, it’s possible for illustrators to have a great deal of freedom.  It’s definitely something I value in my line of work and why it’s important for me to surround myself with people who trust me and support my creative process.” (Art of the Picture Book, 2020)

Isabelle Arsenault likes to use watercolour, gouache, pencil, charcoal and black ink.  Her use of watercolour is orientated to suit a purpose, and sometimes she even uses what seems to be black watercolour or ink mixed with water.

Arsenault says, “I often end up mixing mediums because that way I feel I can express a wider range of emotions.” (Lets talk picture books, 2019)

Arsenault creates illustrations based on how a story inspires her.  She adapts her process to each project and creates illustrations to support the story, not only visually, but conceptually. 

I have a great admiration for her use of colour and medium.  I sometimes find watercolour too subtle on its own, but the way Arsenault applies this beautiful transparent medium has inspired me.  Her watercolours have a whimsical effect with pattern-like images to create a cohesive feel with her charcoal and pencil drawings. 

When Isabelle Arsenault was asked if she is keeping an ongoing sketchbook, she replied, “I’m a little wayward when it comes to keeping a sketchbook.  I always have one to hand but I’m not systematic in putting pencil to paper.  This year, I said I would do a sketch a day based on something in the news that day.  I was disciplined for the first 100 days of the year, but then I lost interest.  Maybe the news depressed me a bit as well…Nevertheless, I did appreciate having a structure, a concept that provided a consistent routine.” (Art of the Picture Book, 2020)

Comparing the work of Lucy Austin and Isabelle Arsenault

• Lucy Austin is from England and Isabelle Arsenault is from Canada, but they both live in an urban area and draw their inspiration from their immediate environment.
• Both artists draw inspiration from their sketchbooks and use it alongside their existing projects.
• It is evident in Isabelle Arsenault’s watercolour work (Figure 4) that she uses methods of masking.  Austin also uses masking, although her result is rough and raised, while Arsenault’s outcome is matte and soft.
• Austin uses masking to reveal what is underneath by removing the previous layers, while Arsenault uses masking to achieve different tone values and layers in her illustrations. (See the white fish in the dark waters in Figure 4.)
• Both artists use their imagination, but Lucy Austin is a fine artist and works alone according to her own interpretation, which the viewer may or may not understand, while Isabelle Arsenault’s outcome needs to communicate the narrative of the book and is essential to be understood by the viewer.  Arsenault works with the author and publishing team.
• Lucy Austin works on thick paper with collage overlapping and obscuring areas of her work.  Her paintings are abstract and can be hung on a wall and viewed from a distance, while Isabelle Arsenault’s work is created for print and viewing in a book. Arsenault’s work has more attention to detail and is less abstract.  Arsenault’s colours change as the mood in the story changes.
• Although both artists use watercolour and gouache, I would’ve never guessed that Lucy Austin uses watercolour.  Her watercolour application seems more impasto with thick lines, while Isabelle Arsenault uses her watercolour with lots of water to get a whimsical and soft effect.
• Both artists like to use black in their work, but with different outcomes and effects.

By comparing these two artists, it was interesting to observe how the same mediums can be applied differently and subsequently have unalike outcomes.  An urban environment can be perceived and captured entirely differently, and our imaginations can steer in opposite directions. This is what makes us human beings so unique and results in each artist being original when creativity is adequately developed and embraced.

Works Cited

Lets talk picture books. (2019, October 29). Let’s talk illustrators. Retrieved from Let’s talk picture books: http://www.letstalkpicturebooks.com/2019/10/lets-talk-illustrators-123-isabelle.html#:~:text=IA%3A%20I%20worked%20here%20with,oriented%20to%20suit%20a%20purpose.

RWA. (2016, October 5). RWA The Atkinson Gallery Interviews. Retrieved from RWA: https://www.rwa.org.uk/blogs/blog/rwa-atkinson-gallery-interviews

Art of the Picture Book. (2020, February 9). An interview with Isabelle Arsenault. Retrieved from Art of the Picture Book: https://www.artofthepicturebook.com/-check-in-with/2020/1/14/an-interview-with-isabelle-arsenault

RWA. (2023, September 28). RWA. Retrieved from Lucy Austin: https://www.rwa.org.uk/blogs/artists/lucy-austin