John Walsom trained as an architect but worked in several different creative jobs before becoming an illustrator. His drawing skills were passed on to him by his father, who was an engineer but could do a great Donald Duck and is still a painter today.
In addition to painting, John enjoys playing guitar and has been in various bands. He likes astronomy too, and looks at stars through a telescope pondering how small we are down here on Earth. Along with his dog, he goes out exploring old woodlands where not much has changed for thousands of years. Good beer, malt whisky, rain at night and silence are some of his other pleasures.
Training
John has a BA in Architecture from the University of Sheffield and a DipArch also from Sheffield. He has practiced as an architect, and as an architectural photographer and illustrator, and has also worked as a scenic artist at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.Approach
Most of John’s illustrations are done in watercolour, though he sometimes uses acrylics. He sets up perspective views on a drawing board in the traditional way and uses a range of stencils for ellipses and curves, working with pencils, brushes and paint.Styles
His watercolour images are usually more detailed and accurate than his acrylic paintings. He spends more time doing the drawing than the painting, which is fairly loose and adventurous, with a rich colour palette. If he can, he’ll paint in oils en plein air – he likes to work fast with the changing light.
