Style. It’s the signature that sets you apart. It’s the magic that makes your art special. It’s the flair that’s so easy to see in others’ work but hard to find in your own. How do I find my style? is a question every young artist has asked early in their creative journey.
Here’s the thing, though. Discovering your art style is more about recognizing it rather than finding it. It doesn’t exist somewhere out there in the wild unknown waiting to be claimed. You already possess it.
Everyone has a style—or the seed of it—somewhere inside them, and all you really need to do is recognize it and develop it.
One reason that seems so difficult when we are starting out is that we don’t really like the look of our own work. We enjoy others’ art and compare our skills to theirs. Their way of drawing or painting looks so much cooler. And although it’s good to copy others in order to learn from them, there comes a time when you must start forging your own stylistic path. The key to doing that is–you guessed it—practice and practice and more practice. With practice comes skill, and with skill comes appreciation for your style.
With that in mind, here are several ways you can start to recognize and practice your particular, unique style.
Let’s begin at the beginning.
For however long you have been drawing (or painting, or sculpting), you’ve probably been drawing things you like.
Go back through your sketchbooks and try to ignore the voice of your inner critic. Instead, look for common themes and threads that appear throughout your work.
What subjects do you like? Human faces or flowers? Animals or machinery? Why? What you like making should be the core of what you’re known for making.
What mediums do you use all the time? Although artists often use or experiment with many mediums, everyone will have a few favorites. There might even be those that you hate. Perhaps you love the clean look of pencils and pens. Or maybe you’re enjoyed playing with colors and crayons since you were young. Accept your preferences, and keep using them.
How would you describe your own art? Do you like drawing loosely and spontaneously, or have you always loved pieces full of detail? Do you color, or stick to black and white? Do you lean towards realism or do you doodle cartoons? What comments have you received from others?
Ask lots of questions from yourself, and take notes. When you begin to notice and be conscious of what you like, you will be able to focus on it with greater intention.
You may love many types of art styles, so this might take a while. Start by listing your top five to ten favorite artists, those whose work calls you back again and again.
Why do you like their art? Be specific, name the aspects, go into detail. Perhaps you like their choice of subjects, their unusual medium, or their color palettes. Maybe it’s how they arrange their compositions, or the meaning behind it.
What do these artists have in common? Depending on your favorite artists, this might be hard to answer. It could be the mood of their paintings, the way they render details, how each piece tells a story.
Try your best to figure out why different artists impress you. Create and keep an inspiration board on Pinterest. Take note of what you like, and why you like it, because what you enjoy will influence what you create.
Now that you’ve observed your own work and that of your favorite artists, it’s time to start doing.