Interview

Lisa Hand

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I started, as most artists do, from an early age; pretty much as soon as I could finger paint. It was one of the very few things I was good at - I wasn’t good at sport, I’m not particularly musical, I’m not good at languages… but I could win prizes for the pictures I drew. I was talked out of doing art as a career, so I studied English Language and Literature, which I loved, and then went into working at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, always making and selling my artwork on the side. It wasn’t until 2019 that I decided to take up art and illustration as a career choice and I’ve been on this road since then.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“Sometimes my editorial pieces make a political comment, but, for the most part, I aim to evoke a mood in the spectator, like happiness, joy, love or nostalgia. I love doing detailed pictures for kids that involve finding things in the illustration.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

"A bit of both! Usually, I get struck by inspiration and then plan it from there, trying to keep the initial adrenaline int he sketches and finished piece, and of course if there is a design brief I’ve been given by a client then I plan the work to fit the brief. I always try to find as much joy as I can in the process, so that that can be woven into the finished piece.”

Are there any art world trends you are following?

“I follow the pantone colour of the year colour pallets, but other than that I try not to be influenced by other artists’ work because it can be a rabbit hole to fall down - the rabbit hole of comparison, and also subconsciously being influenced by other people’s work; I try to keep mine completely influenced from within.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“I sketch - figuring out the composition, and characters. Then, I choose a colour pallet, sketch the whole thing in pencil, rub out most of it, then I take a photo and put it into Photoshop or Procreate to try different colour placements. Then, once I’ve figured out exactly what looks best, I do a layer of Chinese ink with a teeny tiny brush, then I paint with watercolour. Lastly, I’ll darken any areas that need more contrast. Then, I scan it and put it into Photoshop or Procreate and add any extra lighting.”

What does your art mean to you?

“Everything - which I’m sure every artist says. Not being able to do art, and it has happened in a couple of periods of my life, like right after having a baby, is like not being able to breathe and, at the same time, forgetting who your are, and feeling really, really tightly wound. I think for many, many artists, art is not just a career choice or ‘this thing we like to do’; it is an expression of our souls and our identities, and without it there is no outlet, no reason, no trail of breadcrumbs through this mad world. Without it we are like fish above the surface, getting more and more panicked and stressed until we are back where we belong.”

What’s your favourite artwork and why?

“Oh gosh. I can’t choose just one. There are some pieces that I love because of the person I was making them for and the feelings of love that went into it, there are others that I am just so proud of. I do really like the Witches Shopfront that I did for a book, because I loved doing all the details and the signs and the jokes that are more for adults than children.”