How to Make Unique Artwork

As artists, the desire to make unique art can drive us mad. For most of us, this motivation is what inspires us, or what torments us. When I’m at my worst, it’s usually because I don’t feel like my work is saying anything special. When I’m at my best, it feels like I’m making things I haven’t seen before. And that feels pretty darn good.

We all desperately want to make unique art, but how do we do this when it feels like everything has already been done?

Maybe the answer is simpler than we think.

The only unique thing about our artwork is us. Other artists around the world are using the same tools, and have access to the same online inspiration. But they aren’t you. They don’t have your personality or your life experiences. They don’t like the same things as you. As humans, we are all unique, and that’s what makes our art special. Therefore, unique art must come from within.

I wish making unique art were as simple as picking up some paints and hoping your personality comes through in your work. Unfortunately, there’s more of a process that needs to happen. First we need to get to know ourselves on a deeper level. Then, we need to figure out how this information translates into unique work that feels like us.

Getting to Know Ourselves

Getting to know ourselves is not going to happen by spending hours scrolling through other artists’ work on Instagram. This will have the opposite effect.

It is going to happen by looking within. Through journaling, looking at past life experiences, and meditating on what makes you “you.” This is why journaling is a great supplemental habit for artists. It helps us stay more connected to our inner landscape and less connected to what’s going on around us. Most of us haven’t taken the time to separate who we really are from who other’s have decided we are.

When I’m too connected to the art world in general, I start to lose site of who I am. We all do. When I let the work of other artists influence me, it negatively impacts my art. My work starts to feel generic. The good news is, we can always reset by looking within. Our unique selves are like an inner blueprint we can reference at any time.

Think about how you would describe your style and personality. What makes you unique? All the ways we describe ourselves should apply to our art as well. Our work should feel like a snapshot of our souls, or a piece of us. The ones who know us best should look at our artwork and think, “wow that’s so you.”

Translating Our “Us-ness” into Unique Work

Once you get to know yourself better, there’s a gap between the knowing and the application. This is the tricky part - translating your personality into technique. Think about when you were younger and you were trying to discover your fashion sense. You probably had to try out a lot of bad outfits before landing on a style that feels like you. And your style is probably still evolving even as an adult. Well art is the same way. Even when we know ourselves well, figuring out how to express our personalities in a visual way takes time.

You need to try on different techniques to see if they feel like you. When people say you need to make a lot of bad art before you can make good art, they are right. But I think what they’re really saying is that you need to make a lot of art that doesn’t feel like you, in order to start making art that does.

I always say that the easiest place to start cultivating your unique style is by finding a color palette that feels like you. This is because changing the colors you use doesn’t require a new skillset. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced artist, this can really start to make your work feel unique. Look at your closet and your home. Pay attention to the colors you see. Go online, and find color palettes that make your heart sing. Ones that capture your personality. Create as narrow of a palette as you can, and then start using it in your work. Your unique color palette should feel like your personality. If you’re a serious person, maybe you use neutral tones in your work. If you’re more playful, maybe hot pink and neon yellow are your jam.

Another easy way to incorporate your personality into your work is to think about patterns that feel like you. Are you a floral person? Then use floral patterns in your work. Or maybe you love a good checked pattern, and it’s all over your closet. Try this on for size. When I think of many artists, and their unique style, certain patterns come to mind.

One thing I struggle with is sticking to a specific subject matter. This is a great way to make your work feel unique too. As artists, we’re tempted to jump around a lot. However, everything you create should have a common theme. And that theme should be based on your life experiences. It’s okay to float around a bit, as long as you mostly stick to one subject matter, or related subject matters.

Lastly, you can add personality to your work with repeating elements. I like to think of this as an artist calling card. Say, for example, you love horses. Try to incorporate them into all of your paintings, whether that be in a big or small way. Or maybe you can’t get enough of hot air balloons because of an experience you had as a child. Can you place them in the background of all your paintings?

Continued Growth

Since we’re always evolving, our work must evolve with us. Our personality, preferences, and experiences will change over the years, and so will our art. And this is a good thing. In order to continue to make our best work, we must be open to change. But the change must come from within. It can’t originate from seeing another artist’s work and deciding we want to make work like that.

I’ve seen so many artists change their art style at the drop of a hat, simply because they like what someone else is making. It makes me sad, because this kind of change is for the wrong reasons. Deep down, it’s usually because they crave the notoriety that artist has. Or maybe the idea of having a unique style is what they envy. But if they copy that artist’s style, there’s nothing unique about what they’re doing. Nothing good can come from this. It’s a dead end, trust me.

A healthy way to look at the work of other artists is to simply appreciate it and move on. When I see an artist’s work I admire, I try to think about how happy I am for them that they found their unique style. Then I remind myself that they aren’t me. That I have something unique to say too. I often talk about putting blinders on when looking at the work of other artists, and this is what I mean. You can appreciate their work, as long as it doesn’t affect what you’re doing. At the very most, maybe you see a VERY SMALL technique they’re using and you think, “that is so me.” And this is fine, as long as you only copy a miniscule piece of what they are doing to use in your work.

You can see how difficult it is to view the work of other artists in a healthy way. This is why I like to pull inspiration from less obvious sources like interior design, photography, or music. It’s easier to borrow elements that feel like me from non-art sources. Sometimes the art itself is too distracting. Jealousy can prevent us from seeing clearly.

In my experience, changes in your art shouldn’t be too drastic. Just as sudden, drastic changes in your personality are usually a red flag. While you may see a big change over the years, this evolution should result from many little changes. If you’re feeling the urge to try out a new style all together, ask yourself why. Don’t do it to be like another artist. Do it because your intuition is telling you to experiment in a new space. Do it because it sounds fun. Do it with the plan of returning to where you left off soon.

And on the rare occasion a big change does happen in your art, usually that coincides with something big happening in your life. You just aren’t the same person you were, therefore your art isn’t either.