Matty Burnham, optimistic illustrator
Matty Burnham is an English ink and watercolour illustrator. Although originally from Cumbria, he now lives near Leeds in Yorkshire. The region’s beautiful landscapes are a significant source of inspiration for him. He also loves visiting less familiar areas such as the incredible Northumbrian castles or the lochside cottages of the Highlands, and illustrating them.
Fisherman, ink and watercolour on ARCHES® Aquarelle 300 gsm rough paper.
Sandsend, ink and watercolour on ARCHES® Aquarelle 300 gsm rough paper.
He discovered he had a passion for drawing and watercolour during the pandemic. Since then, Matty has never stopped painting and perfecting his style. He always does his watercolours on ARCHES® Aquarelle cotton paper, and thanks to the techniques he uses, he obtains a distinctive granulated effect in his washes. Having come to the conclusion that life is too short to make do with grey shadows, he mixes purples to create shade and cast shadows. And natural sunlight is central to his work.
Little cottage, ink and watercolour on ARCHES® Aquarelle 300 gsm rough paper.
York, ink and watercolour on ARCHES® Aquarelle 300 gsm rough paper.
“For the last 3 years, I’ve exclusively used ARCHES® paper, and of all the materials I use, I consider it the most important. I simply can’t achieve the same results with another paper. The experience of touching it is incredibly satisfying and pleasant when you’re painting with watercolours on Arches paper. The textured surface of ARCHES® Aquarelle rough paper is essential to produce the granulation that features in my illustrations. The other advantage of an irregular surface is that it’s excellent for the “dry brush” technique that I frequently use. I prefer to use ARCHES® Aquarelle paper on a block, because that way, you don’t have to stretch the paper first, and you can easily spin it round while you are painting.”