Renowned Fairy Artist Amy Brown

My greatest influences have been Brian Froud and Michael Parkes, which is evident in my paintings. I have also been greatly inspired by the urban fantasy stories of Charles deLint and the lovely, haunting music of Loreena McKennitt.

When I begin a piece, I usually have a good idea as to what I want the finished image to look like. However, by the time I actually complete the painting it has often evolved into something completely different. I start with a blank piece of paper and begin drawing. I rarely do preliminary sketches unless there is a troublesome area that needs special attention or I can't decide on the layout of the overall piece. The initial drawing can take anywhere from fifteen minutes to hours, days, months, and sometimes years.

After the pencil drawing is completed, I break out my Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors and Windsor and Newton brushes and begin laying down the background colors. I prefer to work with 140lb or 300lb Arches cold press watercolor paper. The texture of Arches seems the most conducive to the mix of textures I like to use when painting. Normally I complete the background first and then concentrate on the characters. Having never received any formal art training, I begin each painting with a bit of trepidation….praying it turns out well. Over the years I have developed my own techniques by trial and error as well as studying the work of other artists.

When I paint, I paint for myself. I find it hard to be passionate about another person's ideas. For this reason I don't take on commissions, as they tend to put me in a disagreeable mood and take away my creative license. After completing more than 800 paintings, I have found that the images which were painted for my own delight are often the images most well received by the public. Ultimately, I wish for each painting to evoke a deep emotion in the viewer….hopefully a longing to become a part of the painting itself.

I spent much of my childhood and teen years doodling, but was never very serious about my art. In 1992, at the age of 20, I got a job working as a custom picture framer at a local gallery, which I continued to do for more than 7 years. This was the best step I could have taken towards my eventual career. I was exposed to a wide range of art in all mediums. Working with mat boards and frames gave me a good background for color, texture, and design.

About four months after I started at the gallery, my boss and now good friend Shawn, handed me an empty frame that had been lying around the shop for months and said 'Here, paint something to fit in this frame….maybe a little fairy or something.' I had always had an interest in fairies, ever since my aunt gave me the book FAERIES by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. However, I never attempted to draw any. So, I went home that night and painted a faery hovering next to a clump of pink foxgloves. We put the finished piece out in the gallery and it sold a few days later…..that was how it all started.

In 1993 I started testing the market for my work by having laser prints made. It enabled me to print my images in small, affordable batches with out going broke from large printing fees. I sold my prints at a few street fairs and was fortunate enough to have a couple of friends with shops who were willing to carry my work. A year or two later my boyfriend, now husband, decided I should have a website. To my surprise and delight he had a previously untapped flair for designing websites. My first site had one gallery with around ten images. Now, in 2003 it has grown to multiple galleries and over 140 images.

To date, my favorite painting is "Mystique". My favorite images are always the ones that I can look back on and say 'I wouldn't change a thing'. Ironically, these are rarely the images best received by the public. Quite the reverse…..if I hate it, everyone else thinks it's great."

What does Amy foresee in her artistic future and does she see change? She replies, "I just hope I'll keep getting better. I don't see myself branching off to paint some other subject. I will always paint winged critters."

Amy's images are sold as cards, prints, and calendars world wide. There is also a wide range of licensed items including figurines, journals, stickers, jewelry and even lunch boxes. Her work can be viewed and purchased on her website at www.amybrownart.com. Certainly a place for faery inspiration and not to be missed!

Most of my paintings begin with an idea, sometimes just the tiniest spark of an idea. It can be triggered by a word heard in passing, a book I might be reading, a song, movie, or the work of another artist. Sometimes a painting begins with nothing more than an interesting pose. I like to keep a journal of all of my ideas. Then, when I'm stuck without inspiration, I can flip through the book and hopefully find inspiration. When I have an image in my head, I start to draw. Sometimes what I start out envisioning is not what I end up with. I drawing can take many different paths before it's completed. That is one of the things I love most about faery art. There are no rules-anything goes.

I rarely do preliminary sketches. Occasionally, if the idea I have is too unformed in my head, I will spend thirty minutes or so sketching out the main character and then I will transfer it to watercolor paper via a light table. Usually, I start drawing directly on the watercolor paper, though lightly so I can erase and re-draw when necessary. If a drawing refuses to evolve properly, I will set it aside and start on another. Some drawings can take ages to complete.
When I am happy with the drawing, I start to paint. I always do the background first, whether it consists of light washes of color or multiple layers of paint. Next I focus on any inanimate objects in the background, including trees, rocks, walls, water. I will use salt, wax, ink or colored pencil to help create different textures. After the entire background is finished I will work on any secondary figures. These might be goblins, pixies, or animals. I prefer to paint the central figure last. I focus on skin tones first, then follow with clothing, wings and hair.

Each aspect of a painting involves a gradual build up of colors. Background washes can have as many as five or six layers of paint. Clothing usually has at least 2 layers, while four or five layers are needed for hair. I use white gouache or colored pencil for accents and highlights. Sometimes I will outline the image in ink before I begin adding watercolor washes.

I often am asked how I paint skin tones. I believe skin is the most challenging for most artists. My usual recipe for skin tones starts with shading in Dark Umber, followed by purple, blue or red accents, depending on the mood and color scheme of the piece. Next I add a layer of Burnt Umber and top it off with a very watered down layer of Buff Titanium. For pale, vampire-like skin, I will focus on using blues and purples in very light washes. Darker skin tones are the most difficult, as they need a warm under glow to look realistic. I highlight several areas in red tones before adding washes of warm brown. If I've done it correctly, the red undertone will give a lively, flushed effect.

I like to work small. Most of my paintings are smaller than 11x17 inches. I find that I can easily get bored with an image, so I try not to spend more than 3 days on any piece, whether it's 8x10 inches or the rare 22x30 inches. Normally, I will spend roughly six to ten hours on a small painting. That does not include the drawing time, as some drawings can take days, months, or even years before I am happy enough with them to start adding color. I prefer to paint simple pieces, with a strong, single character. I feel a simple image has more emotion. The viewer can look at the painting and get an instant, raw emotional reaction. While I enjoy looking at very detailed pieces, I find I do not have the patience to work with them.

Back to Amy Brown Signature Series Page