Style dilemma by deanna maich

hahahaha, I’ve gone and thought about this sort of thing for a while now. But I find that being in the animation and sometimes illustration business it’s good to have a diverse range of styles. You’re never stuck on one thing, makes the folio more interesting to look at and it makes you more adaptable to pick up other styles. It’s good to have a signature style too…but if that’s the only style you intend to sell and get known for. It becomes a bit limiting, like you’ll only get hired for that style but your work then becomes instantly recognizable. At the end of the day, it’s going to be what you want to draw and what you’re happy with. No sense sticking to one style if you end up feeling bored with it…I myself find it fun to develop as many unique looking styles that all look different to each other but are all still mine at the end of the day.

Hope this helps…I think I rambled on a bit too much…..all the best :D

When I sit down to draw, I have no idea what is going to come out. My pencil hits the paper and does its’ own thing. I have noticed that in the last year, my style has grown and evolved in many different ways, but there is still a certain something to where most people can still tell it’s mine. I honestly don’t think too much about it. My art is my art regardless of the style.

Don’t worry about it. Just let your art move you and you will do just fine.

I am supposed to be working………..but here I am putting my 2 cents worth in here. I sure identify with your concerns. I get flack all the time from local ‘professionals’ that I should stick to one style and develope that style. But sheesh, it gets boring! If I have to give up my joy in creating…….whatever it may be………just to market myself…..well, I might as well hang it up. So, I have thrown my hat into the creative ring and I am going to see what happens. Deanna, you go girl and I am along with you for the ride!

This question of ‘style’ seems to keep coming up regularly.
My advice to you Deanna is to forget the horrible word ‘style’ altogether and to paint and draw in the way that comes naturally to you – you will keep your integrity and you will always enjoy your work. Do not listen to ‘professional’ opinions – every one of us is different – develop your own work in your own way and at your own pace – you will be sucessful!

I will repeat (below) my contribution to a similar thread that came up about a month ago. I apologise for the length and the aggressive tone (I was getting fed up with listening to misguided advice handed out by well meaning but inexperienced contributors)
This is MY own personal take on the subject, which suits the way that I work. It has developed over a 25 year career as a working artist.

STYLE is something that hairdressers do to peoples hair, or interior decorators ‘do’ to a room.
ART is what happens inside an artists head, it has absolutely nothing to do with style.
What you are referring to is TECHNIQUE in all of its wondrous variety.
TECHNIQUE has nothing to do with ART, other than as the means to express it.
The artist is completely free to choose whatever TECHNIQUE they wish, whenever they wish – it is entirely up to them as long as they don’t confuse the two and make the classic mistake of thinking that their Technique is their ART.
This is complicated stuff which stems from the ambiguous character of artistic creativity. Artistic production is understood to be either, technological production (representational art), or, as I see it, (in existential terms) as an extension of human self-creativity (non-representational art).

It is either USEFUL art or FINE art.

The first approach is traditional (drawing inspiration from something that precedes), ie. the essence (the idea) precedes the artistic production (its’existence). Almost all design, illustration, photography and representational painting are naturally bound into this category by their reliance on the preceding idea, object, vista or client requirement that serves to dictate their outcome. This is neither a good or a bad thing, it is not an issue of subjective judgement or critical analysis, it is simply the nature of this type of art. Technique is paramount and a ‘good’ artist will be able to use a wide range of requisite skills to effortlessly complete the technical aspects of their work.

The second approach blurs the distinction between life and art. It follows the existential definitions that;
(a) “Existence precedes essence”, and
(b) “subjectivity must be the starting point”.
This allows far more scope for the artist as it essentially frees the artist from any notion of precedent. Generally the artist will often develop their own ‘technique’ simply as a means to express their own thoughts and emotions. (their ART)
The critical point is that the ART precedes the Technique.
Get it the other way around and you have produced an ILLUSTRATION (a worthy object in itself !)
Becoming obsessed with STYLE might make you a good designer (another worthy object) but it won’t make you an ARTIST.

hmm e’xistence precedes essence’ eh?..do I need a degree in existentialism to capish here? What the bleeeeep do I know?

tho cant help thinking that a ‘signature’ style/technique (plus of course application, proliferation, personality and a history) is what SELLS …for investors…e.g. ’that’s a ‘Pollock’, a J’ean-Michel Basquiat’, a ‘van gogh’….’ eclectic doesnt suit the gallery wall, …..a split personality? ….oops ok now Im on to the commercialism/true artist debate and never the twain shall meet???? Why not? thanks for semantic debate, appreciate terminology definitions AND appreciation of all art types design, illustration blah blah ugh :)

No Deanna, the second part of my writing (existence ,essence etc etc..) is what works for ME. I would never advocate or impose a way of thinking on anyone else. You are right ‘style’ does sell – all I meant to say was – don’t go looking for it, just let it happen naturally.

ps. you did ask for professional thoughts – I apologise if you did not get the answer that you wanted – no offence was intended.

Kafka sorry I need to work on social writing skills…forget readers can’t read my mind, face and it’s multifaceted ‘world coping’ idiocyncracies…stream of consciousness writing probably not the best comment mode…..

no offence taken…totally the opposite in fact….mucho grazias for professional answer.

No problem Deanna – happens all the time – in fact, I do it all the time too!!
good luck with your work – just be yourself and you WILL succeed.

Kafka,You so damn good!

thank you for this discussion, it has been so helpful to read – i am feeling so much better and more free to just do it – and to just get on with it, so thank you!