Stop trying to FIND an art style

My thoughts about "art style" and that mentality of trying to find an art style.

00:00 opening and intro
01:48 How I would define Art Style
03:45 You already have an art style
05:26 To be recognizable
06:42 To be original and unique
09:25 To get work get hired
11:13 Business Plan
12:02 What are your goals?
15:44 Final thoughts

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Equipment I use:

Software I use:
Animation - TVPAINT
Animation - Adobe Flash/Animate CC, ToonBoom
Compositing - After Effects
Painting and Illustration - Photoshop
Video Editing - Premiere
3D - BLENDER

[ArningEchanoPH]

“Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known.” ~Chuck Palahniuk

[IshikaShanai]

I understand why people say to develop a style if you want to be hired against a sea of other candidates, but it really just is a code for: practice the fundamentals to build a foundation for your work and then put your own view of the world into it. The focus on "style" is really just another attempt to gloss over the fact that you need to put time into making good work and there's no cutting corners for achieving that.

[mercy]

I still remember when I stopped searching for style.

I was in a figure drawing class, with a bunch of other talented artists, all of (in my opinion) similar levels of skill.
We drew the same things, in basically the same way (we were being graded on proper anatomy and rendering the form) albeit at different angles because we were all seated around whoever we hired to be a model. Same education, same training, same tools even down to the paper.

One day after our midterms I came to pick up my piece. I started apologizing for forgetting to sign it, and my professor just smiled before handing me my work.

"I can always tell which one is yours, even on blind critique days."

Sure enough, everytime it was on the wall (for blind critique we wouldn't sign our work, and would tack it to a canvas wall next to each other's) he'd critique mine and look at me from then on. It was a huge ego boost, and it went a long way to making me feel less anxious about who I am as an artist, and more secure in feeling like I can do whatever I set myself to do. Even if it's drawing a naked 60 year old musician friend of our professor lol.

I still don't know what my style is. But I'm content with whatever it is right now. I just focus on improving as an artist, in improving my workflow, and figuring out whatever the hell I'm gonna do with it.

[animatorireenie]

I personally have different "artstyles" for different projects. Like, for my comic I have a palette for common shades and lights, I made reference sheets etc. For singular drawings I use more detailed shading than in comics and animations. It's more difference in techniques than in style though.

[shiawasekappukekiful]

Trying to find a style is *nothing* in the face of actually knowing the technicals
Styles themselves are built on how you bend reality, not a clear sign that you know your stuff
A true style is not the only thing you can do, it’s what you *choose* to do but you’re still able to draw however you want

[veggsbacon]

Here's my harsh tip for artstyle:
Research and just draw, while having some fun.
Like I did.

[illoistration]

I couldn't agree with this more. Students and beginners (like me) should avoid finding an art style early on in their career. It would only hinder you from developing and only keep you warm and cozy.

[etherealhatred]

What most newbies don't understand is the fact that your art style is literally a direct reflection of the things you learned and how you assemble them

Nothing more, nothing else

[geegee]

Found this out a while ago and its really freeing to finally let go of the "artsyle searching" phase. Another great video Toniko!

[toughtalktanny]

Your Annoying Guy Voice is just half of Young Male Voices in 90s anime somehow and I love you for it.

[Coughdropeater]

I just draw, I don't try to stick to a certain style, I just draw and let my style improve/change

[Possumbreath]

This is such a good video and really gets at the meat of why the whole focus on art style annoys me. You already have a style, and no matter what you draw it will show through. The important thing is continuing to draw and learn and grow, and you can have twenty different 'styles' and they'll still all read as yours. The way I draw illustrations is not how I draw comics. I'd die if I tried to render out a comic or an animation in the same way as an illustration. Flexibility and understanding of what a piece requires is more important than being perfectly consistent and stagnating in the name of having a 'brand'.

[NodokenStar-k]

So the word “art style” is defined not by trying to be original, but have a voice, tastes and execution.

Good to know! Thanks, man!

[MM-xmot]

It's hard when a different conflicting art styles appeal to you equally. Super stylized simple cartoons AND detailed realistic anime styles both appeal to me a lot and I can't choose or "settle". I guess the solution would be to find some kind of middle ground between them...

[samson-stardew-]

personally I've never actively looked for an art style, i just drew the best i could. and eventually i stumbled upon some styles that i liked a lot and took inspiration from them

[Artsia]

Yaaay, art styles is one my favorite topics to have discussions over

[juliarainemaglalang]

People do tend to forget "style" doesn't only apply to the visual parts of an artwork but also the "narrative" part of it when its applicable. My favorite way to draw is using vibrant colors (barely using the color black even for outlines) and using "feelings/emotions" as my subject in my art that isn't character design since I don't express this so well IRL. As for character designs, I enjoy making my characters look fashionable when IRL I dress like a homeless gremlin HAHA.

Truth is though my current style is the result of trying out the Frankenstein Method where I took inspiration from different artists and their visual and/or narrative style. Although when I take a step back and look at my work, turns out I just sorta worked everything in reverse because this is really how I drew anyway and none of the styles I took inspiration from is blatantly obvious when you look at my art. My biggest challenges are definitely background, character-building and story-telling and that's what I'm playing around with right now although I tried doing some and it turns out to be super fun to just experiment.

[hey-zel]

Yeah I started comparing art styles to basically practicing someone else’s handwriting and taking things your like from that. Thank you for this video because it has given me so much clarity. Not having an art style actually made me stop drawing and made me depressed but i’m ready to get back out there and start drawing again. You have no idea how much this explaination has helped me

[dragonskunkstudio]

Style is important, it shows what you choose to emphasise in terms of appeal. You can be very geometric, very detailed, very cute, mostly you have to find what is most cozy with your eyes not your hands.

[EvyDevy]

You're so right. We all already have a style. And improving it for the sake of making it an original style isn't the best idea. I think I'm just gonna draw how I like. Wether it's an iconic style or not.