Conversation so far:
What kind of artist was Matthew Paris?
Matthew Paris was artist in illuminated manuscripts.
Did Matthew Paris do a lot of drawings?
Matthew Paris wrote a number of works, mostly historical, which he scribed and illuminated himself typically in drawings partly coloured with watercolour washes, sometimes called tinted drawings.
Did Matthew Paris influence other artists?
A strong influence Matthew Paris' style was the Carolingian Utrecht Psalter. This was copied in the 1020s in the Harley Psalter, and in the mid-12th century Eadwine Psalter.
Why did Nigel Morgan feel that Matthew Paris' influence on other artists of the period has been exaggerated?
This is likely because so much more is known about Matthew Paris than other English illuminators of the period, who are mostly anonymous.
Did Matthew Paris often work alone?
The manuscripts produced by Matthew Paris show few signs of collaboration, but art historians detect a School of St Albans' surviving after Paris' death, influenced by him.
What was Matthew Paris' art style described as?
Matthew Paris' style suggests it was formed by works from around 1200. He was somewhat old-fashioned in retaining a roundness in his figures, rather than adopting the thin angularity.

Question: What made his work so distinctive?
Self-contained rewrite: What made Matthew Paris' art style so distinctive?