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On Self Identity
11 years ago
Been doing lots of soul searching this year ever since I left my full time job in October 2013 and attempted to go full time freelance/independent artist. One of the things I think about sometimes is regarding style. As in art style. I don't feel like I have a particularly distinctive art style and yet friends, peers, lecturers; they've always been able to identify my work. And I'm not sure exactly what they are seeing. Is it line work? Colour choices? Ideas? Because I'm not sure how any of those are uniquely mine in the sense that I don't work with only one kind of line work style or a set of signature colours only that are undeniably 'my' colours.
I used to have students come up to me while still in school and they'd all ask me how to find their style and how I managed to find mine. And I told them all the same thing : Firstly you don't go around hunting for your style, that stuff will come to you over time. Secondly, I had no idea how I had found mine.. implying that I was still in the process of finding myself. And I think we are all constantly in the process of finding ourselves. We don't really find a style we like and go yep that's it and stick with it forever. At least, I don't think that's what people do.
I find that my stuff shifts around a lot due to necessity. Working in the studios here, I had to shuffle between styles at the drop of a hat. One day it'd be Monsters Inc stuff and the next, it would be something from Dreamworks and then it would abruptly shift to something extremely anime and chibi. At the end of the day I'd end up with a wide body of art styles... that somehow people could still tell was my own.
If any of my lovely watchers could point out what is it about how I draw that makes it my style, that would be great. Most of the time I don't even stop to think about this; I'm too busy drawing.
I used to have students come up to me while still in school and they'd all ask me how to find their style and how I managed to find mine. And I told them all the same thing : Firstly you don't go around hunting for your style, that stuff will come to you over time. Secondly, I had no idea how I had found mine.. implying that I was still in the process of finding myself. And I think we are all constantly in the process of finding ourselves. We don't really find a style we like and go yep that's it and stick with it forever. At least, I don't think that's what people do.
I find that my stuff shifts around a lot due to necessity. Working in the studios here, I had to shuffle between styles at the drop of a hat. One day it'd be Monsters Inc stuff and the next, it would be something from Dreamworks and then it would abruptly shift to something extremely anime and chibi. At the end of the day I'd end up with a wide body of art styles... that somehow people could still tell was my own.
If any of my lovely watchers could point out what is it about how I draw that makes it my style, that would be great. Most of the time I don't even stop to think about this; I'm too busy drawing.
While I enjoy your gallery because it's pretty high-quality, your aesthetics aren't consistent-enough for me to pull your work out of a crowd. Between your subject matters and your scraps page, i might have a chance.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sgN4up5WM.....hisabeltan.jpg
Good luck with your work, I hope it works out for you! :D
"Shit I don't know. My work is a jalopy, once something breaks or I find something better I patch it on and keep chuggin' away."
As per your work I can always remember something you did, but as per your general modus operandi when it comes to your work no there is no one single, or set of traits they share that I can identify. But I think that speaks more for my lack of noticing distinctive qualities in individuals work rather than saying you don't have a signature style.
I think because I seem to approach my work more systematically I'll end up with a degree of sameness to my work as well, which is kinda why I watch in awe at your work. At times I'll have mind opening experiences where it feels like I can draw anything and with grand confidence, but when that high goes away I feel simply left with a set of systems to rely on to simply get me through whatever illustration, comic, storyboard, etc. I'm working on.
Your work looks like you come to each drawing with a new mind, new perspective and a lack of fear when it comes to any principle. Whether it be a sense of proportions, lineweight, color, movement, just going the distance to do something new seems to come naturally for you. Like you don't just lightly brush on the new, you kick down the door and take it as yours.
I try to be like that, I honestly do- but I feel more like I approach it with more caution which more or less keeps me stagnant.
So yes! That nebulous thing of what you do- keep doing it, and do it hard!
But pardon my rambling, I wanted to say that, perhaps you should try experimenting with something along those lines - narrow down a few works that you absolutely love (could definitely be from your own gallery too), and pick out the features that you like from them that you can see yourself utilizing for a larger body of work.