Interview #41: The Art of Charlotte Durance
How drawing from life can help you boost your creativity and find new ideas
Hello art community :)) Today's artist, Charlotte Durance, is a recent graduate who proves that it's never too late to change paths and embark on a career in illustration. She will also tell us about her drawing summer challenge!
A little housekeeping note: there will only be one interview in August (specifically on Friday, August 8).
For those just finding me - I’m Madalina, an artist and illustrator who loves discovering and talking to many fellow artists. I now share these conversations through bi-monthly interviews available to read for everyone :)
Charlotte Durance is a UK award-winning children's book illustrator who loves using color, texture, and humor in her work. In addition to her illustration work, she draws a lot in her sketchbooks and even co hosts the Three Materials Challenge on her IG every year. Let's find out more about her creative practice and her drawing challenge!
★ Hi Charlotte and thank you for joining forArtists. How would you describe your artistic journey that led you to where you are today?
My journey began quite recently. I was a primary school teacher and was taking some time out to be with my family when we went into lockdown in 2020. During that time lots of courses were available online. I enrolled in illustration classes and these made me realise that I really wished I’d gone to art school and that books and storytelling were what I wanted to focus on.
I did the Cambridge School of Art Summer School which I loved and enrolled on the MA in Children’s Book Illustration the following year. I’ve just graduated and I’m excited about starting a career in illustration. It’s never too late to start drawing!
★ How has your art style and practice changed since attending the Cambridge School of Art Children’s Book Illustration MA?
Looking back I can see that collage was something I experimented with before the course, but learning about printmaking and Risograph really helped me zoom in on shape and color which is so important in my work now.
I’ve learned so much about storytelling and how important it is to draw from life. I think this is much more evident in my work now.
★ When did you come up with the idea for the Three Materials Challenge and what are your goals when doing it?
The Three Materials Challenge was started by Kathryn Boyt one summer. She set herself the target to draw from life every day of the summer holidays, using no more than 3 materials and spending no more than 30 mins each day.
It was a way to make it easy to use a sketchbook every day. Kathryn now co hosts it with me and Naomi Tipping. We love using our sketchbooks and the challenge is a way to have accountability over the summer. It’s grown into a big community of artists that join in and share work.
Although there are no prompts set in the challenge, I like to work on my own goals so that I’m learning from the challenge too.
★ Who would you recommend to participate in this challenge?
Anyone who wants to do something creative over the summer. The people that join range from people starting out who are drawing every day for the first time in a sketchbook, to artists who enjoy the accountability of making time for personal work as a break from client work or deadlines.
I love using a sketchbook. It was such a breakthrough when I started drawing from life. It felt like I’d replaced my camera with my sketchbook. My drawings capture each summer so vividly and when I look at them I can remember where I was, who I was with and how I felt.
I’d encourage anyone to join the challenge even if it’s just for a few days. We’re drawing every day in August but there’s no pressure to join every day or even share the work on Instagram. I’ve written a free post on my Substack with all the information.
★ How do you usually pick the 3 tools to use each day? And what criteria do you follow for the color palette?
It depends on what my focus is that week. I tend to set myself some goals. One week it was based on wanting to use materials that I’ve never really explored so I used a soft pastel as one of the materials each day.
Other themes have included working my way around the color wheel, using complementary colors and exploring the Bauhaus contrasts of color.
★ What precious gems did you discover by the end of last year's challenge and continue to use in your work?
I really like dipping a water soluble pencil in water and applying it over a wash of color for texture. Highlighter pens are fun to use for a pop of color too. I really want to experiment with marker pens more but never seem to get around to it. Maybe this year!
★ How do you infuse your sketchbook practice and findings into your illustration work and vice versa?
Color experiments in my sketches really help with my illustration work. I often practice composition, storytelling and page turn in my sketchbook too. I love finding a surprising page turn in my sketchbooks when I’m flicking through, eg. the effect of a picture of a landscape and then a zoomed in sketch on the page turn.
I also have lots of play notebooks which I fill on a theme. Play is a key part of my process and the beginning of all my projects. I love playing with shapes in my sketchbooks as it always leads to new ideas.
★ I really love your work for the book ‘‘Fishy Friday’’! Could you explain what technique you used and how you came up with the idea?
Thank you! It was inspired by the fish vans that deliver locally to villages. I thought about all that food travelling around and which animals might be interested in it!
I made it in collage and then printed it in blue and orange ink on a Risograph printer. I love the puzzle of the separation of colors in the planning of the spreads and the way the different opacities overlap to create new colours.
★ What advice would you give to artists who want to write and illustrate their own picture books?
I would say to think about what you really love. Which books inspire you and why? What do you enjoy drawing? It’s so much more fun creating the world of a book if it’s something that brings you joy.
Drawing from life and playing with materials are also big parts of my process and inspire new book projects.
★ What are your dream projects?
I would love to make a book about music. I also love design and transport so a poster for Transport for London would be exciting!
☆☆ Learn more about Charlotte's work on her website, blog, and Instagram.
Ahh I love the way you use sketchbooks especially the ones dedicated to a certain theme 🤩
Lovely work - thanks for sharing your process 💙