For the past few years, I quietly struggled with my art style.
I was stuck between wanting to keep it the same, because I thought people expected my work to look a certain way, and treating it like a scavenger hunt. I kept searching for the right combination of influences, techniques, inspirations and aesthetics. I spent hours on Pinterest, hoping to find the spark that would elevate my art. I did style studies, trying to push my work in a new direction, because I felt like “my style” wasn’t versatile enough. But the more I chased the voice and success of others, the quieter my own artistic voice became.
In the past months, my perspective has shifted. While writing this, I’m taking a break from back-to-back commission work to pay attention to what I actually like. The colors I reach for when I draw, the marks that feel good to make with my hand, the subjects that interest me the most. Down to the smallest skin folds that others might ignore, but that catch my attention. I’m exploring what makes my art special and unique. All this time, I thought that style was what I’d find somewhere else. In reality, it was something I had to stop suppressing.
Art style, not as a Goal
This may sound controversial, but art style, for me, is not a goal anymore. I no longer strive for a certain style, because my art style will no longer be defined by expectations and aesthetics. It will flow naturally, like my speech, and it will shift over time, just like the way I talk has changed throughout my life. My art is communication. It shows the world what I see with my eyes, what I see in my mind’s eye, what I pay attention to, and what I like.
My goal is not to have a pretty or unique style. I can choose to communicate beauty, but beauty is subjective. My idea of “pretty” might not match yours, and that is fine. As for uniqueness, that will happen as a byproduct of using my art.
And that’s, in essence, where my mindset is going: I’m not producing art, I’m using art to say something. At each step of my process, I ask myself whether the work communicates what I wanted to say. I make it just for myself and for those willing to listen.
The Difference between Influence and Imitation
There will always be outside elements that shape my art style, but trying to force this intentionally has never worked for me. I have pushed my hand toward styles I admired, but it never felt right. I wasn’t saying anything anymore. I was trying to figure out what someone else was saying.
Other people’s creations can still shape how we communicate. Something we see in another artist’s work can make us realize we haven’t paid enough attention to a certain detail, and that can spark an interest in exploring it ourselves. There is nothing wrong with that. For me, it just needs to happen naturally.
What held me back the most was constantly thinking about what would look good, or fit aesthetically, or match the style I had built so far. I avoided many things because I assumed my audience would not appreciate them. Deep down, I know that assumption is wrong.
It felt like forcing myself to speak in a dialect I didn’t know, instead of using my own words and intonation.
Chat, is this Anything?
My art doesn’t have to be anything. I love sharing my work, and I have been doing so for more than twenty years. But it builds the inner expectation that each drawing needs a clear, immediate purpose. This is difficult to shake for me. I am used to thinking that my time spent “working” needs to end in a “result”.
Is it a commission? A concept for a project? Is this a possible print, maybe a sticker, or a charm? Is this a comic page? A trend meme?
Sometimes it’s none of these, and that’s fine. Art and art style grow through repetition and curiosity. This means that inevitably, many hours have to be spent on works that just exist. Some shared, others hidden between the pages of a sketchbook.
The point is that none of it is worthless or a waste of time.
A page done in ink and watercolor depicting my original characters and the environment they live in. Done purely for fun and for myself.
Leading with Joy, not Insecurity
As an artist mainly advertising on the internet, and thus dealing with social media, it’s easy to let insecurity and anxiety accumulate. In order to post effectively on these platforms, we need to understand how they work. We pay attention to trends and look for ways to get more eyes on our work. We also enjoy looking at art, which means spending time on these platforms, befriending other artists, and surrounding ourselves with a constant stream of creative work. All of this creates a fertile environment for insecurity, comparison, anxiety and dread. Whether we want to believe it or not, these feelings show up in our brush or pen strokes.
You might see an artist with very clean lines sell a lot of commissions. You think that style is appealing. You connect the dots: “This appealing art style that I like could make me a lot of money. I should do what they’re doing. My commissions should be lined cleanly too. It’s what the clients would want. I see the evidence right here in front of me.”
This is the trap I have fallen into many times. These thoughts have changed my art, but not always in a positive way. Not completely, at least. There is no denying that this kind of experimentation, and the discipline needed to pull off certain looks, has sharpened my skills. These are skills I can tap into when I want to. They are not rules I have to follow.
Where there is a rule, there is also the feeling of insecurity, maybe even guilt, when you break it. I believe that artists, by definition, have to break rules. If you think there is a rule about what your art should look like, for example because you want to draw in an anime-inspired style, ask yourself whether there is a rule you follow even though you do not find it enjoyable. Then find out what happens when you break it.
Break the rules and lead with joy. Instead of lining cleanly, what would you enjoy more? Cleaning up your sketch layer, or painting over it? Using much thicker or thinner strokes, or adding more variation in line weight?
Find out what moves and excites you. I do not think you can find your style. What you can find is joy and excitement, and these will naturally shape your art style as you continue creating.
Want to read more about the joy of making? While I was writing this blog, my friend Mikael shared similar sentiments via free post on his Patreon. He also creates some of the best damn indie comics I’ve read. Check out his work here.
