You Don't Need to Find Your Artistic Style
Yes, that is what I said. You don't need to find your own artistic style. Because it isn't lost. No searching is required.
You can only paint, draw or write like you.
In your own style.
Whether you realise it or not, you already have a style.
All you have to do is keep producing the work. Keep showing up and making art until you recognise that style.
(If you’ve heard that before and are looking for actual actionable steps to take, fear not! I have some of those coming up.)
Do you remember those 3D stereogram hidden image pictures from the nineties? ( I have to confess I have wasted spent quite a lot of time staring at many of these this morning. I'm calling it research… okay? )
Anyway, the point is that if you do manage to see the hidden image below the surface, you realise it was there all along. You just needed to stare at it a little bit longer.
That is just like your style. You have to make enough art to be able to recognise what was always there.
When you choose a piece of clothing, a book, class, teacher, artistic medium you are already injecting your 'youness'. Other people may choose the same things as you but we will not all become identical copies of the teacher or each other.
Sure there will be some influence. But, each of us suffuses our unique set of past experiences and ideas with the new skills we are learning.
Your own style is inevitable.
Time to stop trying and start allowing.
Make more art.
You can only create like you. And only you can create like you.
What is an Artist’s Style, exactly?
“Style is attitude. Attitude, attitude, attitude. It ain’t what you do
it’s the way that you do it.” Iris Apfel
So, what exactly do we mean when we talk about style?
The dictionary gives us multiple meanings such as:
a particular kind, sort or type,
a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action
a mode of fashion; elegance; smartness.
I think the second of those meanings comes closest to what I think we mean when we talk of our artistic style. The thing we are aiming for is to make our art in a unique distinctive way, so that when someone looks at the artwork they recognise the artist.
While we admire and respect the artwork of others and probably in many circumstances want to paint ‘like them’ we don’t really want to be merely a copy. You want to paint like You.
What is calling to us in that artwork is the artist who has found their voice. They know who they are and what they are trying to say. And of course, they are bold enough to say it.
That is what is attractive. It appeals to the deep part inside of us that knows that the root of self expression is self knowledge. We admire it when we see that others have been brave enough to do this and it is the thing that our creativity is calling us to discover for ourselves.
Does this feel intimidating?
I hope not, but if it does seem that way then, at the very least, it’s a sign that this is important to you. If it didn’t matter it would have no effect on you. The thing is, I have always thought that you don’t really need to find your artistic style as such. Because it isn’t lost. I believe it is already there, because it is you.
It’s more of an uncovering process. It is just like your handwriting. You write the way you write. You can practice and improve, perhaps slightly modify it a bit but at the end of the day your handwriting is uniquely yours.
I believe the same applies to your artwork. As we grow up, we pile a whole lot of expectations and beliefs, not all of which are actually our own, on top of everything we do.
We are bombarded with stimuli, and like little sponges we soak it all up. It is exciting and fascinating. But it’s also noisy. So noisy that we can no longer hear our own voice.
Your style is in there, you just need to make enough art to be able to recognise it, to cut through all the noise and distinguish the parts that are truly an expression of you and not just the ghosts of your shoulds.
The Problem with ‘Just Making More Art’
It is true that all you need to do to develop your own artistic style is keep showing up, keep making art. However, that part can be easier said than done!
When you are doubting yourself and what you are producing, sitting down to draw and paint can feel impossible.
I know, I’ve been there.
So I have learned a few things over the years that helped me to overcome this problem. I managed to distill it down to a straight forward (and rather fun) 4 part process.
The best thing is that you can apply it to whatever subject matter and art medium you prefer.
Would you like me to take you through it step by step?
When someone suggests you ‘just make more art’ it can be a little infuriating. Even if it is true, it’s not helpful if figuring out your style is something you are actively trying to do.
It’s so much better if you have a clear and simple framework to follow.
Easy steps that you can execute, instead of all the wondering and doubting.
I used this process to draw my own whimsical mixed media girls, that now find their homes in books.
Let me take you through the process in my 4 part framework so that you can discover your very own girl.
Then take that process and apply it to whatever artwork you would like to make, portraits, landscapes, abstracts… the choice (like style) is yours.