April: Style

“Art enables us to find ourselves and loose ourselves at the same time.”

-Thomas Merton



Things I love about April - that feeling of new beginnings. Suddenly the world feels more charged. As new buds form on the trees, it feels like an awakening is happening. This month, I want to match that energy and talk about style.

As we start to uncover our unique art style, it too feels like an awakening. There is no better experience. Everything feels easier and the work starts to flow. Suddenly, when presented with a subject matter to illustrate, you know exactly how you want to do it. You approach your work with new confidence.

The toughest part about finding your unique style is that it takes time and a whole lot of trial and error. You have persevere harder than you ever have. When we are just beginner artists, not having a unique style can make us want to give up. Few people have the grit to push through this phase. In those first few years of making art, so much growth happens. And growth is painful. Then, you start to find your style. And the growth slows down. And things aren’t as painful, but they aren’t as exciting either. You have to push yourself to keep trying new things and cultivate your style further. Even once you think you’ve found your voice, you’ve only uncovered a portion of it. Finding your unique style is not a destination, but a never ending journey.

I like to say we are “uncovering” our unique style because it’s always there, dormant within us. We go through life, acquiring experiences and forming personality traits. Our art is just an expression of who we are. And it’s important to note that we are always changing. The work is figuring out how to express the deepest part of ourselves through our work. How can we use things like color, medium, pattern, and subject matter to communicate”us” in our art?

When cultivating our unique style, we must remember that no art is truly unique. Even though we are using style to express what’s uniquely us, the way we do it is through acquiring ideas that already exist. Ideas can be found not only in art but in music, writing, design, etc. Any form of creative expression can offer us something. The key is to acquire as many ideas as we can and mesh them together into something unique. I like to compare this process to a recipe. Nothing is unique about simple ingredients like flour, eggs, and baking soda. However, acquire enough ingredients and combine them in unique amounts in a unique way, and suddenly you have a unique recipe.

My favorite book on this topic is Steal like an Artist by Austin Kleon. If you’ve already read the book, it may be worth rereading. Every time I pick this book up, I discover something new.

This month, let’s take everything we’ve learned so far and focus on putting our own spin on it. How can we make art that’s uniquely us? I suggest following your jealousy. All artists experience it. However, instead of seeing jealousy as a negative emotion, use it as a compass. Usually the creators we’re most jealous of have something we can incorporate into our work. We just need to pinpoint exactly what that is. Maybe it’s the way someone uses color that you are jealous of. Or maybe it’s the way they use patterns. Whatever it is, think of how you can incorporate the idea in a unique way. I say unique, because the person shouldn’t be able to tell that you pulled ideas from their work. If the work does feel too similar, that’s okay too. Just make sure to credit the artist who inspired you when posting online and not make it something you sell.

Journal Prompts:

  1. What has been the most frustrating part about finding my own unique style? How about the most rewarding?

  2. In what ways does my art still not feel like me?

  3. What are the biggest influences on my art? Are there influences I can incorporate that I haven’t thought of?

  4. Which creators am I most jealous of? Why?

Sketchbook Prompts:

  1. Illustrate a spread of your favorite clothing items you own.

  2. Illustrate a spread of your favorite home decor items you own.

  3. Find a piece of art you made a long time ago and receate an updated version in your current style.

  4. Recreate a piece of art another artist has made in your current style. Preferably an artist from the past. Make sure to credit them when posting online.

Assignment:

Create a mood board that represents your unique style. Not just in art, but in all things. I like Pinterest for this. Incorporate as many influences as you can. Every time you create new work or need new ideas, reference your mood board.

Fun Finds:

Nicole Cicak