How To Find Your Art Style (And Why It Matters!)

 

When I first rediscovered my love for art as a young teenager, I struggled to come up with my own ideas and designs. Even though I loved sketching and painting, I wasn’t confident enough in my skills and ideas to create pieces that were truly my own. Much of my early art consisted of drawings of Disney characters, actors and actresses, and characters from Jane Austen films, none of which were drawn in any unique or memorable way. I just tried to mimick whatever reference image I was using as closely as possible. I definitely strengthened my drawing and painting skills through creating such pieces, but one thing this practice didn’t teach me was how to find my art style. I began noticing how other creators I admired would draw Disney characters and other subjects in their recognizable styles. I had no clue how to do that! I tried hard to focus on developing my style, but it was so difficult. I knew what I liked, but I had no idea how to turn my tastes and interests into my own unique style. Even while I was trying to form my style and aesthetic, I still referred to my favorite artists a ton. I was far too reliant on them because I just didn't trust my own artistic abilities. This held me back for quite sometime from creating meaningful art that I could be genuinely proud of.

A little before I started college, when I began to realize that I could hardly draw anything confidently if I didn't have a reference image to look at, I knew something had to change. So, I started doing a ton of research on how I could find my art style. There were three main ideas that kept popping up in every article I read and video I watched, and I'll get to those in a little bit. But first, let's discuss why it's important to even have a unique, identifiable art style in the first place.

To put it plainly, developing one’s personal art style and pursuing originality is crucial to thriving as an artist. How can artists hope to stand out from their colleagues and create impactful pieces if they don't have a clear idea of their own unique styles? Originality is imperative.

First, however, let's be clear: there is actually no such thing as a truly “original” piece of art. As an artist, you will always be building off of ideas that others have had before you. And that’s okay! The goal is to move away from purposely imitating and copying others’ work regularly, and instead focus on creating artwork that is unique to you. Use the skills you've acquired from studying other artists to create pieces that will communicate stories and messages that matter to you, in your style. 

While there may not be anythin inherently "wrong" about imitating other artists' work, it's definitely a risky place in which to consistently find yourself. On the one hand, this practice can help artists hone their artistic skills and determine their favorite art styles. But it can also become a crutch to always rely on others for inspiration, and problematic if your entire creative career revolves around imitating others' artwork. When I was in the habit of mostly imitating art, I didn’t realize that while I was improving my drawing skills, I was inhibiting my creativity. Without looking at other artists’ work or a reference image, I had no idea where to start on a drawing or painting.

That's where the following three steps come into play!

The first step to finding your art style is to gather inspiration.

Discover what you love about other artists' work! Maybe it's their subject matter, media choices, color palettes, or overall style/genre. Make a Pinterest board, a physical mood board, or something similar to keep all of the pieces that inspire you in one place. While you're gathering inspiration, be sure to draw from multiple artists, as looking at the work of just a select few can increase your chances of creating art that too closely resembles theirs.

Artists can also be inspired by the media others use, as well as their color palettes, brushstrokes, pen lines, subject matter, and other techniques. There’s nothing wrong with admiring such stylistic choices and considering them when forming your own personal style.

The next step is to think deeply! What is it about your favorite artists' work that speaks to you? What do you naturally feel drawn to when choosing subject matter for your own artwork? What stories do you want to tell and what messages do you want to communicate? How do you want people to feel when they view your artwork? 

These are all very important questions to ask yourself when forming your art style! Considering the answers to these questions will help you give your artwork greater substance and meaning.

Finally, put what you discover into practice! Spend as much time as you need to figure out your favorite color schemes, favorite things to draw, and your favorite media. Don’t stop experimenting, and never stop growing and improving upon your artwork! Practice, experiment, and play around.

Developing your art style and creating original work that you can be proud of is a never-ending process. Your tastes, passions, interests, and beliefs will often change throughout your life, and this should naturally be reflected in your art as well. Working through these three steps as often as needed throughout one's life can help one continue to grow and flourish as an artist, no matter the season of life they find themselves in.