Uncovering Your Own Unique Art Style

We’ve made it as artists if we’re able to uncover our own unique style, and then be appreciated for it so we can get paid. Years ago, that’s all I dreamed about. It’s a tall order that often feels impossible to achieve. Especially in the beginning. Yet, we see so many talented artists thriving, making work that feels unique to them. These are the artists that make the rest of us jealous. So jealous, it hurts. They seem to have discovered something the rest of us haven’t. What are we missing?

While I haven’t reached this stage of illustration enlightenment yet, I’m the closest I’ve ever been. I no longer hear that my work looks like someone else’s. I used to hear that about my old work all the time. Anyone who doesn’t make art thinks this is a major compliment. For us artists, it stings, because we’re desperately trying to make unique work. Now, I hear that my art looks so “me.” Or that it’s so cool my work is cohesive. When I hear things like this, it makes my day.

To get where I am today has been grueling. I’ve toiled away for years trying to find my unique voice as an artist. I would try something new, back up, and try something different. Some days, it felt like bumping my head against a wall over and over again. Recently, my work has felt easier. I don’t have to push as hard to find my voice in each piece. Usually there’s a clear pathway, and it tells me where I need to go as an artist. I can always make little adjustments, try a new medium, or paint something different. However, even when I try new techniques, I can’t shake the “me-ness” of the piece. It’s just there now, and it won’t go away.

In the beginning, I would spend hours studying the work of other artists. Now, this feels like a distraction that takes my style a few steps back. There’s a myth in the art world that style is something that needs to be collected or found. I once subscribed to this idea as well. Now, I realize how damaging this myth is. Your unique style is within yourself, and it’s always been there. Finding it feels like an uncovering versus a discovering.

If our unique style is within ourselves, why does it feel impossible to find? One word - noise. We’re surrounded by too much mental chatter. We’re busy looking at other artists’ work and wanting to be better. We’ve lost the connection to our intuition. Our style lives with our inner voice.

Uncovering your style is a lifelong journey. Beginners must study the work of other artists to learn how to speak the language. This phase is all about learning mediums and techniques. It’s figuring out what you like and don’t like. All artists go through a phase where it feels like they’re copying other artists’ styles. This phase is incredibly frustrating. One day your work will feel like one artist. Another day, someone else. Usually, it’s the artist whose work you were most recently admiring. It’s healthy to view this as a necessary step in your journey - one that will pass. This is all normal and okay, as long as you aren’t directly copying someone. And it’s always nice to give a shoutout to the artists who inspire you!

The only way to get through this phase of copying is to make a ton of work. Keep at it and, like an exorcism, it will suddenly get quiet and your work will start to look like you. When this happened for me, I’d been making art as a side hustle for 3-4 years. At this point, you’ve uncovered a basic recipe for your art. You know which patterns, colors, and subject matters yield the best result. If you check all the boxes, your work feels like you. Once your art starts to feel like you, the work of other artists will feel like noise. Your inspiration will begin flowing from non-art sources - like travel, music, and interior design. You’ll become a pro at making note of what inspires you, and what doesn’t. And you’ll know how your notes translate into work.

The road may feel long, but the time it takes to uncover your own style is different for everyone. Just remember, you’ll never find it if you give up too soon. Uncovering my unique voice as an artist is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my lifetime. It’s become an avenue of self-discovery. I know my art better, therefore I know myself better. It’s worth every second I’ve invested in my journey. I know I still have work to do, but it’s something I’ve started looking forward to instead of dreading. If I’ve gotten this far, who knows what my work will look like in the future? I’m excited to find out.

The best tip I can give, if you’re feeling stuck as an artist, is to narrow down your color palette. Colors are built into our DNA. There are specific shades we like, and don’t like. And they rarely change as we grow older. In my experience, beginner artists use too many colors - ones they don’t even like, but feel they have to use. Figure out the few shades you love, and only use those shades in your work. Get creative with how you use them. Don’t just paint everything the color it is in nature, and your art will instantly feel more you. Next, focus on finding a medium you love. In should be one that’s easy to use, and that feels like your style. It’s probably the medium all your favorite artists are using. Even better, find a way to combine mediums in a unique way, and you’ll be ten steps ahead of everyone else. My final tip is to listen to your absolute favorite music while you make art. It should be music that’s a reflection of your soul. This should help set the tone and feel for your art. Every time I paint, I listen to Ella Fitzgerald-esque music. I’m an old soul, and I credit this type of music for giving my pieces the vintage feel I’m seeking.

When I first read this definition, it changed my perspective:

Style: a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed.

This means that in order to uncover your own unique style, you need to figure out which techniques you like best. Then, make those same choices over and over again. It’s the figuring out part that is difficult. Because, in order to do that, you need to try a lot of things. That means a lot of failing. For example, I love painting little dots. I love the look of them too, so they’re in every single one of my pieces. These days, my dots are how most people know my work is mine. It took me a while to uncover my love of dots, and even to figure out how to use them in my work. I had to make a lot of bad work first.

Years ago, I wrote an ebook on how to find your unique style. Most of what I said in the book, I still believe today. The book also includes exercises, so you can speed the process along. If you’re interested in hearing more of my thoughts on this topic, you can check out the ebook here.