I stumbled upon this video from Monica Maldonado on YouTube. I kept saying, "Yes!" throughout the video because I agree so much with everything she talked about in her voiceover. In fact, most of the classes I teach are rooted in a similar philosophy of discovery. Watch the video for more:
To summarize:
- Style is what an artist uses to make their work recognizable. It can be a brush stroke, a technique, a subject, etc. Voice is how someone expresses an idea or feeling with their work. It's more than just style.
- Style and voice are different for everyone. We are all unique!
- Finding your style takes time, but it's worth it!
- Monica recommends (and so do I) experimenting with different techniques and mediums, studying and learning from other artists, and being open to feedback.
- Learn the basics of painting to focus less on mechanics and more on expressing yourself — especially composition and color theory. Once you take care of the basics, you can learn more about your voice and style.
- To learn: take a class, get a sketchbook to practice, find resources online, or in your local area to help you grow in your art and discover your style.
- Keep track of what inspires you. These things can impact and influence your style.
- Even the best artists have made bad art. Don't worry! Making bad art is part of the creative journey. Mistakes help us learn and give us great ideas.
- Sometimes creativity comes from exploration. Go somewhere new. Try something new. You never know how it may help you discover yourself and your style.
- Don't force yourself to create something if you don't feel inspired. Instead, take some time for yourself, even if it's only 5-15 minutes, and enjoy the experience. It may help you find your artistic voice and make art you're proud of.
Perhaps it's because I'm in the midst of teaching Design Boot Camp and prepping for my in-person class, Color Camp, but I'm hyper aware of how important "the basics" are. Many of us never take the time to understand and truly appreciate the "basics." The fact is, all artists can benefit from studying the fundamentals of composition, color theory, and more. I know that I have! I'm so much confident in my choices when I'm creating. I can tell when things are "off" and I know how to fix them. I love it!
I hope you enjoy Monica's video as much as I did! You can also follow her on instagram.
Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, this makes me realize that my “style” is all over the map! Since most of what I do is illustrations, I frequently adapt the style to match the tone of the story I’m trying to tell. That’s one of the reasons I love mixed media: I can say “Oh, that needs really intense color” and reach for the alcohol inks, or “this needs to be muted and gritty” and pull out my crackle paste and/or pumice gel. That said, I can see how much I’ve learned over the years about composition — a lot of my early stuff was a hot mess! And of course I’m looking forward to Color Camp to make me get serious about learning color.
Wow, this makes me realize that my “style” is all over the map! Since most of what I do is illustrations, I frequently adapt the style to match the tone of the story I’m trying to tell. That’s one of the reasons I love mixed media: I can say “Oh, that needs really intense color” and reach for the alcohol inks, or “this needs to be muted and gritty” and pull out my crackle paste and/or pumice gel. That said, I can see how much I’ve learned over the years about composition — a lot of my early stuff was a hot mess! And of course I’m looking forward to Color Camp to make me get serious about learning color.
Wow, this makes me realize that my “style” is all over the map! Since most of what I do is illustrations, I frequently adapt the style to match the tone of the story I’m trying to tell. That’s one of the reasons I love mixed media: I can say “Oh, that needs really intense color” and reach for the alcohol inks, or “this needs to be muted and gritty” and pull out my crackle paste and/or pumice gel. That said, I can see how much I’ve learned over the years about composition — a lot of my early stuff was a hot mess! And of course I’m looking forward to Color Camp to make me get serious about learning color.
Wow, this makes me realize that my “style” is all over the map! Since most of what I do is illustrations, I frequently adapt the style to match the tone of the story I’m trying to tell. That’s one of the reasons I love mixed media: I can say “Oh, that needs really intense color” and reach for the alcohol inks, or “this needs to be muted and gritty” and pull out my crackle paste and/or pumice gel. That said, I can see how much I’ve learned over the years about composition — a lot of my early stuff was a hot mess! And of course I’m looking forward to Color Camp to make me get serious about learning color.
Wow, this makes me realize that my “style” is all over the map! Since most of what I do is illustrations, I frequently adapt the style to match the tone of the story I’m trying to tell. That’s one of the reasons I love mixed media: I can say “Oh, that needs really intense color” and reach for the alcohol inks, or “this needs to be muted and gritty” and pull out my crackle paste and/or pumice gel. That said, I can see how much I’ve learned over the years about composition — a lot of my early stuff was a hot mess! And of course I’m looking forward to Color Camp to make me get serious about learning color.
Wow, this makes me realize that my “style” is all over the map! Since most of what I do is illustrations, I frequently adapt the style to match the tone of the story I’m trying to tell. That’s one of the reasons I love mixed media: I can say “Oh, that needs really intense color” and reach for the alcohol inks, or “this needs to be muted and gritty” and pull out my crackle paste and/or pumice gel. That said, I can see how much I’ve learned over the years about composition — a lot of my early stuff was a hot mess! And of course I’m looking forward to Color Camp to make me get serious about learning color.
Wow, this makes me realize that my “style” is all over the map! Since most of what I do is illustrations, I frequently adapt the style to match the tone of the story I’m trying to tell. That’s one of the reasons I love mixed media: I can say “Oh, that needs really intense color” and reach for the alcohol inks, or “this needs to be muted and gritty” and pull out my crackle paste and/or pumice gel. That said, I can see how much I’ve learned over the years about composition — a lot of my early stuff was a hot mess! And of course I’m looking forward to Color Camp to make me get serious about learning color.