Jim Butler (+ Pastiche)

Jim Butler is a Cambridge based Irish artist. The majority of his work revolves  around collage, drawing and printmaking. He's inspired by urban environments, and creates artwork in plein air using a combination of ink and collage.

I found Butler's work while searching for ideas and artists related to the project. I really like the messiness and relaxed approach to working - I find that it gives a sense of spontaneity to each piece. Additionally, I really liked how he uses collage - it's not usually a medium I find appealing, but I think that it gives a nice pop of colour in the context of his style.

During my own pastiche, I chose to work from a photo of my street, purely because it was a bit too cold for me to comfortably work outside on the day. I found it difficult to just dive in with pen, so admittedly I sketched out a rough scale beforehand. While I don't know if Butler does this, I think this has it's pros and cons; I sacrificed the loose / relaxed feel within the inking process in exchange for a better shot at creating an appropriate sense of perspective. Unfortunately, I think this makes my attempt a little less effective than his.

Additionally, my coloured paper collaging is more desaturated and less sporadic than the bright, vivid pops of colour. This was simply because it was the colours I was limited to at home. I don't think it deters from the overall image's look. I, personally, prefer that my collaged sections work a little better in terms of shaping - they don't look forced since they're not perfect shape. I think that they help break up and define areas of the image that were originally getting lost in the line work, and the green (used for plants / grass) adds a sense of life to the image.