What the heck is "style"?

[layla]

Not style as in the Brigitte Bardot kind ... style as in art style. What is it, and why do so many artists spend so much time worrying about it?

Most fundamentally, I see my art as an extension of the writing process. I want to be able to use my art to bring my words to life. Somewhat less importantly, I want to be able to accurately reflect how the world looks. I'm kind of an art realist, I suppose.

I couldn't care less about style. I don't care if I have one. Actually, I'd rather not have one. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what style means, but I don't want everything I draw to have the same look to it. The important thing is to get the general look of each project fairly consistent -- beyond that, I'd rather have some variety. I tend to look more favorably on artists whose work varies considerably between different project. I guess if you find one thing you draw well, you want to go on drawing it, but I still wonder why they don't ever want to draw different stuff.

On the other hand, maybe I just *do* have a style and don't even know it. I find it much easier and more comfortable to draw realistic figures than cartoony ones. I've done some drawings in "anime style" (distorted faces, big eyes) and found it awkward and hard. On the other hand, the way I draw isn't hyper-realistic either -- there is a certain cartooniness to the faces that seems to be getting more exaggerated as things go on.

But I think Kismet looks fairly different from Raven's Children, and I like that.

What got me off on this was reading a web cartoonist's livejournal in which she was agonizing about not liking her art style (too anime, and all that). What I really wanted to say (but didn't, because I don't know her in real life and figured it'd be too intrusive) was, "Well, then draw something different for a while." If you feel your art style is too cartoony, then draw from life ... is that too blunt? Is it a hard thing? It doesn't seem like a hard thing to me ... I really don't get the whole thing with not liking the *way* that you draw, which is a problem a lot of beginning artists seem to have. I can see not being happy with your technical level of skill. I'm not happy with mine -- I'm frustrated to no end by my inability to draw certain things, or by my frequent incompetence at inking. But not liking the style in which you draw ... you have control over that, don't you? Get out there and DRAW SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Sheez.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Here's how I interpret style: I have an art style. I draw very 2D characters, with big eyes, big shoulders, narrow hips, etc, etc. They tend to have big hair and low forheads. For me, style is partly made up of my level is skill (I can't draw 3D yet), and partly personal preference (I like the big-eyed look). I agree with you that if a person's not happy with their style, they should change it. I tend to get unhappy with mine from time to time, which is why the Cytens have smaller eyes, and are more realistic-looking. The more technical skill and training you have, the easier it is to do this. For me, it's nearly impossible, and I'm to lazy to put in the effort to change it.

That aside, I certainly think that everyone has a style. The way you draw doesn't look like anyone else. It's true that Raven's Children and Kismet look different from each other, but there are many similarities, such as the 'realistic' look you were talking about (except when the Kismet characters do the big-eyed look and stuff like that). And your characters tend to have long upper lips, wide mouths, and little things like that. But it's not something that you couldn't change if you wanted to. It's one thing to have a style, and another to have one that never evolves.

Anyway, that's my two cents :-)

~Harmony

[laylalawlor.livejournal.com]

I suppose that trying to see your own art style is like trying to look at your own elbow. Hard to do. ;)

Hell, for all I know, maybe that is exactly why so many people (including me) think they don't have a "style". You just can't see your own.