You are probably here because you want to find and adopt your own painting style in order to stand out. You want people to know when a painting is done by you, you want your friends to recognize your style and you want to be original.
Congratulations, that’s the most important step in becoming a good artist. But don’t let your guard down just yet, finding your own unique style might be the hardest step on the journey.
What is my style? This is a question that many painters and artists ask themselves often.
From the beginner amateur to the confirmed professional, there is a moment when this question has been asked and something has been tried to find a particular style and adopt it in order to stand out, to make oneself known and to sell one’s work.
And so it is that when you walk through the stands of the painting symposiums, on long summer Sundays, that you see here blue abstracts, there horses, on the other side, big hyperrealistic flowers, and look!
What’s he doing there? With this mixture of paintings in all styles? Different sizes of paintings? Different subjects? Sometimes realistic, sometimes impressionist? Doesn’t he want to sell anything?
Yes, he hopes to sell his paintings as much as the others, but he will be less lucky because he doesn’t stand out. Unless you paint for pleasure or just as a hobby and you’re not interested in selling your art, then you don’t have to worry too much about being unique and having your own style.
Do you still want to find your own painting style?
If you’re still reading this – it means I didn’t scare you. Good. Keep reading, then.
Let’s talk about a real style, one that comes looking for you or that anchors itself in you without your knowledge. Your true style, your true artistic self.
So, what exactly is a painting style? Or even a style, for that matter?
Style is learned, adopted and developed over time. Sometimes even by accident. Style is a combination of a technique, a composition, a palette of colors that will be found in your paintings, no matter the subject.
The style settles, evolves, disappears to make room for another style.
One can also have adopted a style without noticing it. It settled little by little from one canvas to another, simply by listening to our tastes and desires, freely.
How do you know if you already have a style or not?
You can find out by looking at your paintings and asking yourself a few questions:
- Are there elements that you find in each of your paintings?
- What themes are often found in your paintings?
- What do your works have in common?
- Is there something special in your paintings that you can’t find in the paintings of other artists?
Although let’s put this out on the table, no artist is entirely original. Inspiration always comes from somewhere, from something or someone!
The influence and stimulus of the outside world is the source of the artist’s inspiration, which he then transforms it with his hands and mind in… art.
If you look at your works, lined up side by side, and feel that they come from different artists, you probably haven’t found your style yet or you are still in your exploratory phase.
And in that case, there’s nothing wrong with it. Finding your style takes years and work. Yes, work. We are no longer in the practice of painting “leisure”!
And if you want a little help, here are a few tips on how to find your painting style or adopt a style:
- Get inspiration from the artists you love. Or just take just a part you like from several artists to create something unique and new.
- Get inspired by the world around you. Settle down in nature or on the street and observe. Hone your technical skills or experiment with new techniques or mediums.
- Stop thinking and take action. Practice often and for a long time. Once a month or even once a week is not enough. Several times a week is much better. Every day is ideal.
- Get out of your comfort zone. Don’t do what you know how to do or how you know how to do it. Change tools, leave your brushes and pick up a knife. Put away your oil tubes and pick up some oil sticks or gouache.
- Enjoy yourself. Try things without expecting results. Place more importance on the action than on the success of the finished work.
Final thoughts
Finding and developing one’s style in painting is not a race. Some have found their way quickly and others are still searching after years of hard work.
You have to let the style come to you, but at the same time show it the way.
There you go! That’s a nice sentence! I’ll have to write it down! Now it’s your turn to play or work!
Leave a Reply