OCA Illustration Sketchbooks: Research Task 2.1: Lucy Austin

Lucy Austin

Lucy Austin is an artist from Yorkshire who specialises in Abstract painting of urban landscaping using watercolours predominantly in her work. Her work has been rewarded by being exhibited in many prestigious national venues and events such as The Jerrold drawing prize, Times watercolour competition and the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. She is now an Academician at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol.

In her work she uses urban elements as her subject such as road traffic cones, buildings, chairs, and then through different methods like collaging, layering, masking, transparency, opacity techniques and a desaturated colour palette, she creates these abstract and interesting kinds of pictures.

Dave McKean

Dave McKean is a British illustrator who works with a variety of material and techniques, he has worked on a series of projects, ranging from films, covers, comics, records, children’s books and posters. Some of his most notable works include the graphic novels “Batman: Arkham Asylum, Sandman, Black Orchid and Cages”, and Album coves for notable bands like Alice Cooper, Dream Theater.

In conclusion to his introduction, he has an almost never ending list of credits. His style is known by the abstract, surreal and dark tones. Similar to Lucy Austin, he uses a mixture of techniques and materials, including watercolour, collage, layering, traditional linework and painting, typography, photography, sculpture and even uses chains, doors and “fossilised” spiders.

Although both artists use a broad spectrum of materials, the choice of subject and mood differs considerably with Dave’s work being darker and more focused on abstraction and surrealism of the human figure, he kind of distorts his figures and give this dream-like appearance.