Image source: Zuttoworld.com
Why do some artists have so much trouble developing their style? You’d think that it’d be absurdly easy, kind of like figuring out whether they like a certain type of food. You take a bite. Does it taste good? Simple yes or no answer. The same goes with art. Draw. Do you like what you see? Again, it’s a simple yes or no answer.
And yet, discovering the underlying theme(s) of your personal art style is no easy matter. I think the main reason why it’s so complicated is that you have to be kind of self-reflective. Some people have trouble turning a critical eye inward to evaluate who they are as a person, what types of things they like, and why. For that reason, it can take years for an artist to fully grasp his style. I hope I can speed up your artistic journey by giving you some pointers from artists who have mastered style.
Zutto: Just Pick Up a Pen and Try Something New
For artist Zutto, style is something that can’t be found through a step-by-step plan. Zutto explains, “I’m still growing and trying a lot of new things to evolve my style. It wasn’t a conscious decision. When I began, I just picked stuff which inspired me. One day I made a picture that had an absolutely new look for me. I decided that moment that I found my own style. Then it started changing. I can’t say how it’s happening and where it’s going.”
Image source: Zuttoworld.com
That advice makes a lot of sense. If you’ve already created artwork that fits within your style, then you’d probably know it by now. Logically, that means that you’ve never created artwork in your soon-to-be-discovered style. The most sensible thing would be to keep trying completely new things until you find a technique that snaps into place. After all, if your style is out there in unexplored territory, why are you sitting in your comfort zone churning out familiar art? Challenge yourself with unorthodox assignments and crazy art techniques!
Julián Dorado: Draw Inspiration from the World Around You
Dorado started with a simple pun: turn typefaces into faces with type. Dorado takes letters and numbers, plays around with their shape a little bit, and then combines them into oddball characters. Dorado explained, “The process of creating Typefaces evolved in a very organic and natural way. Evidence of this appears when you look at the first Typefaces I’ve created and follow on the process to the latest one. It is really curious how the traces of the typography starts slowly fading away. When you look at my latest creations, it’s difficult to clearly distinguish the letterforms. I think that this is due to the fact that my technique gets better and better, evolving everyday.”
Image source: Vector.tutsplus.com
Clearly, there’s an element of practice involved. You can’t just stumble upon your style and all of a sudden you’re a pro. Like Dorado, you’ll have to keep cracking away at it until you pare down your art style into something truly meaningful.
Wotto: Forget Everybody Else
Wotto explained that trying to create a style to please others will get you nowhere fast: “I think it’s developed from my influences as an early illustrator, kicking against my university wanting me to have a style that matched their institution and wanting to stand out from the crowd. My work isn’t for everyone and that’s OK.”
Image source: Wottoart.com
Are you fretting over a recent art piece because your friends and colleagues are trashing on it? Just shrug it off. That’s the nice thing about personal style — it doesn’t need to please anybody else. It just needs to please you!