The Man in the Hat

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Jul 292012

“The Man in the Hat is a fictional character who incidentally appeared in my paintings when I started experimenting with watercolors, in Autumn 2011. At first, he was just an easy figure for my compositions, but as he kept appearing in my illustrations, he became the protagonist of the series. I’m a self-taught artist and illustrator based in Cork, Ireland. I like portraying quiet, light-hearted and beautiful scenes that the Man in the Hat finds in his amazing, imaginary journeys.

I use watercolor paints, ink pens and a touch of color pencils to achieve a colorful and lively style with a strong influence from comic books. Watercolor is my favourite medium as I love the transparency and brightness of the colors and how the ink complements them so well. As an artist, I find painting with a water medium is both great fun and very stimulating. The water creates shapes on its own and this adds an spontaneity that reflects into the illustrations.

The series has a strong narrative element, but there is no story as such. Through the different illustrations the viewer is able to make up their own story, through the many different locations and situations presented in the illustrations. This apparent but non-existent plot provides a solid narrative background which enhances the story-telling feeling of the series, which is presented as a travel journal, so travelling scenes are a recurrent theme.

As an artist, I try to make my artwork an illustrations to convey feelings of happiness, calm, and a cheerful and whimsical atmosphere.”

Artist name and written by: Antonio Bernal
Website: The Man in the Hat