How I developed my art style over the past 6 years

If you’re just starting on your art journey, are discovering your style, or feel like you have to have THE original style of the century, this article is for you. 

Why Art Style Matters:

Art is ultimately a remix of the inspirations that we have, and it is critical that we learn from the giants who came before us and continue to be inspired by teh community we are a part of. That is what the artist journey is all about, not whether red or blue will deter your ideal art audience. 

Myths I wish I could debunk sooner: 

My art feels… unoriginal. 

My art style should stay the same over the years. 

My artist and art brand journey have to be identical. 

This is a journey of self to discover and get to. 

What I’ve learned over the past 6 years about art style: 

1. Art Brand Direction: Not personal work, but when it came to paid art, getting feedback directly from my customers shaped the direction of my brand. This was a key distinction that prevented me from second guessing my work and its value. I would simply ask, “why did you decide to get this piece” or “what is 1-2 words that come up when you see this piece?” 

2. Art Journey Direction: However, when it came to the personal, interpersonal journey of finding your art style and exploring new skills, I could only get this from being surrounded by art and various mediums that inspired me, and asking myself the same questions before starting every piece: what purpose does this piece have? What feeling is this aiming to evoke? What do I hope people take away from this piece? 

3. Overthinking Made me too Technically Comfortable: Early in my work, i would overthink every single decision in my art process that made my art style “less predictable.” Will people hate my art if i add Lineart? What about higher contrast colors? I was focused on playing the game of building an art brand instead of focusing on growing and discovering new things as an artist. Ultimately, yes. The sacrifice of discovering your own artistic identity does cost the followers and people who are expecting the same visual appeal over and over again. HOWEVER. As a self taught artist, this moment and key surrender to the artist journey was key for me to grow in my skill set. It allowed me to play so much more with rendering, new ideas, new emotions, and I found a new niche. While my work used to be cute, simplified, and a picturesque median of the works I saw on Instagram, my current work is a narrow edge at dreamy art of deeper stories with words like whimsical, warm, comforting that come at the forefront of people’s mind when they see my work. 

4. My work is the median of these things: Ultimately, my work is the average of my a) artist inspirations b) my community of artist friends c) the impact my work has on my ideal customer d) the philosophies or art theory that i engage myself in. As long as the quality and selection of these 4 areas were aligned with me, I felt content with the direction my art was heading in. 

5. Starting with WHY: When it came to my own journey or with customers, the best thing I could have ever done was ask WHY. Why did you choose this piece you bought today? Does it remind you of anything? Why am I choosing to use these colors or take inspiration from this piece I admire? Starting with the right intention can drastically affect the impact and thematic direction of your pieces. 

If I could do the journey again:

Inspiration Board:

I would start with a list of inspirations in one board that I can learn from every time I draw. A list of video games, animated movies, real movies, music, visual artists that I admire. This would be my catalog of creative inspiration I can tap into anytime. 

Isolated Art Studies:

from this board, I would pull every time and ask a question to myself: What is one thing from xx inspiration piece I can learn from today and implement into my own flavor or spin? That is precisely what we interpret as “drawing in your style” 

Ask for feedback:

I would ask customers or people I trust what words came to mind when they saw my piece. I would compare that with my intention in creating the piece. The closer that bridge, the better my execution. The larger it was, the more work I had to do. 

A clear distinction between art brand and artist journey:

From the beginning, I would share everything from my journey but I would create a more clear distinction between my art brand and my artistic explorations and curiosities. Between what makes me money and what makes me fulfilled as an artist. 

In conclusion about discovering art styles: 

Ultimately, our work is a remix of the works we admire and came before us. 

Take inspiration from life, emotions, and other artists in the community. 

Take feedback to shape the direction of your art brand, but continue to grow and experiment as an artist. The journey will surprise you the more you surrender. 

If you’re interested to see the meaning of pieces that resonated with my audience, check out my online gallery here.