Heather Ihn Martin from the USA demonstrates her favorite palette and painting techniques using gouache.
Here’s a brief Q&A with her:
¿Por qué haces arte?
Creating art brings me a sense of calm and peace like nothing else. I find it very meditative. I also thrive on challenges and am heavily driven by curiosity and exploration. There are so many different paths and possibilities with art – it never gets boring.
¿Cuánto tiempo llevas pintando?
I started painting late in high school and into college, but had about a decade where I was doing just digital art and working in the gaming industry. It felt weird going back to traditional art in 2016, but since then I’ve been painting on a regular basis.
¿Recibiste formación artística formal?
Yes! I went to the Ringling College of Art and Design for Illustration. However, I honestly believe I learned an equal amount, if not more, by painting directly from life on a daily basis for a year. Not that the teachers weren’t good, but I was so young and did not fully appreciate the resources available at the time. I’d love to go back and try it all over again!
¿Eres artista profesional o aficionado?
I’m a working artist and have been in the fine art industry since 2018.
¿Quién te inspira?
Honestly, I’m easily influenced so I try to let my own intuition and curiosity take the reigns. It would be wrong to say I didn’t have artists that I look up to though, I often look back at old masters. Some of my favorites are Monet, John Singer Sargent, Klimt, and Sorolla.
¿Qué tipo de música escuchas mientras pintas?
I’m often listening to podcasts or audiobooks. I’m not sure how, but my brain can easily simultaneously paint and actively listen to an engaging conversation. Lately I’ve been enjoying comedy podcasts like Smartless, y Conan Needs a Friend. I can usually be seen laughing to myself like a weirdo.
¿Has tenido algún mentor?
I call him my unofficial mentor, but Christopher Greco is a very good friend and artist who has given me so much help and advice over the years. He is so thoughtful and brilliant with such a vast library of art knowledge stored in his brain!
¿Pintas todos los días?
I used to – sometimes more than once a day. But now I’ve slowed down a bit – I try to get 3-4 paintings done each week. It sounds like a lot, but the difficulty varies according to my energy levels, and I am aiming for a more balanced approach.
¿Pintas una pieza a la vez o trabajas en varias simultáneamente?
Typically, I just paint one at a time, usually all in one session that lasts between 1-3 hours. There are rare occasions when a painting will take 2-3 sessions.
¿Primero creas un boceto conceptual?
I do not. I always felt guilty, especially after being trained in illustration school where we are taught to do multiple thumbnails and color studies before moving to the final, but my creative spark can be quickly diminished by those things. I’ve learned to embrace my impulsive, energetic nature and go with my gut instincts.
¿Prefieres pintar en estudio o al aire libre?
You can probably guess my answer based on the other questions, but I love plein air! I paint still life in the studio as well, but any subjects from life is what I’m interested in. I especially love plein air because of the smells, sounds, and unpredictable events that occur.
¿Cuántos colores básicos utilizas?
My palette varies, but the usual suspects are a warm and cool of all the primaries: Blanco titanio, Luz amarilla Hansa, Hansa Amarillo Mediano, Naranja de pirrol, Rojo de pirrol, Magenta de quinacridona, Azul ultramar, Phthalo Blue, and then some earth colors as short cuts – ocre amarillo, Siena tostada, Tierra de Siena tostada y Negro. I try to not get too attached to any color and I’m quite flexible on the exact pigments that I use.
¿Cuándo sabes que tu obra está terminada?
When there’s nothing more that I want to add or take away. I’m always stepping back and analyzing it at different stages, looking for things that need to be brought forward or pushed back. It’s definitely something that takes some practice.
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