Connaissance des Arts

David Hockney

Painter

British·b. 1937

Known for:

the California swimming pool paintings; A Bigger Splash (1967)

Education:

Bradford College of Art (1953-1957); Royal College of Art, London (1959-1962)

David Hockney emerged from the Royal College of Art in London in the early 1960s and has maintained a practice of almost relentless formal experiment across painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, fax art, and digital media for more than six decades. His California swimming pool paintings of the late 1960s brought him international recognition; his late Yorkshire landscape paintings, made en plein air with an iPad, attracted enormous audiences when exhibited at the Royal Academy in 2012. He is among the most commercially successful living artists.

David Hockney's Gear List(2)

Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic

Liquitex

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CowlingandwilcoxWebsite

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Hockney switched from oils to Liquitex acrylics after they introduced High Viscosity Artist Color in 1963. Used for the California pool paintings including "A Bigger Splash" — palette included cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, raw sienna, burnt sienna, raw umber, Hooker's green, Naples yellow, titanium white.

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Related artists

James Jean

Painter

Last updated March 20, 2026

Liquitex introduced the first water-based acrylic paint for artists in 1955 and launched its Heavy Body formulation — the original High Viscosity Artist Color — in 1963. The buttery consistency and fast drying time made it the paint that convinced David Hockney and other 1960s painters to switch from oils.

iPad Pro

Apple

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RoyalacademyInterview

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Hockney adopted the iPad as a primary drawing tool shortly after its introduction and has discussed it extensively in interviews and exhibitions. His Yorkshire Landscapes iPad drawings were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 2012 and he has described the device as the most exciting drawing tool he has encountered.

Product description

Apple's high-end tablet, widely used by artists for digital drawing and painting with the Apple Pencil. Runs creative apps including Procreate, Adobe Fresco, and Affinity Designer. Available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes with M-series chips.

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