Charles Houghton

Charles Houghton is a New York-based artist and designer whose work spans architecture, product and environment design, painting, comics, and storytelling. He earned a B.ENVD in Architecture, followed by advanced studies at Art Center College of Design and UCLA. His experiential design work with Yanira Castro & Company won a Bessie Award, recognizing his commitment to immersive, story-driven spaces. As President of the 1100 Watercolor Society, he champions excellence in water-based media while showing work among a vibrant community of fellow artists. Known for a structured yet adaptive teaching style, Charles meets students where they are, believing there’s no single “right way” to create—only new horizons for seeing, thinking, and creating. He guides artists past fear into confident exploration, helping them build solid technical foundations while uncovering their most compelling artistic voice. Above all, he is obsessed with visual storytelling.