Lets talk about style

[Sketchmazoid]

Sometimes I see artists be like " I changed my style for this piece" and all they did is draw different eyes than the
ones they always do. Your style isn't how you draw eyes, its not how you draw faces, that should vary greatly!
Everyone looks different, so should your characters! Your style is your experience, it's something inherit in you,
that you cannot shake. It's not how you draw specific things. I know, it's scary to try to draw different characters
looking different. You're REALLY good at this one character. But that's growth.

Change is scary, showing your weaknesses is scary, failing is scary. But get over it and be a far better artist for it.

[Spinester]

My artistic journey is all about correcting tiny failures as I go.

[UzukiCheverie]

When I started Time Gate: Reaper, it was a really big jump for me, because I never really had any definitive way to draw my characters, aside from the way I drew my characters for my gag comics. I was kinda like "this is what I do and I want to draw it like this" and I've drawn it like that and realized that that's sorta been my style this whole time ever since. I don't really have a "unique" style, per se, considering it's just your run-of-the-mill manga, but I've seen people replicate it and heard people say that I do have a style, so cool beans.

I do agree that it's something you don't just "decide" to do. You really just find out your style as you go; there's no "I'm gonna draw like this!" , especially considering it has to be something you enjoy and are passionate about, and can't just be something you try and pick up for whatever reason, whether it's trying to get more readers or wanting to look like your favorite artist, etc.

[SpavVy]

I don't really change my main style m other than making everyone's faces different but I enjoy making more styles. The one thing I cannot stand though is when people blame style when there are some obvious flaws in the artwork. Now I'm all for artwork being broken because art isn't perfect but when one draws the eyes or ears way too high for example and after you point that out they blame their style and it's just annoying.

[Sketchmazoid]

If it's consistent it's a stylistic choice if it's on just that drawing it's lacking ability. But as long as you do something consistently and convincingly you'd be surprised what you can pull off.

[UzukiCheverie]

Well, there are exceptions to this. I mean, if it's their style, then it's their style.

Go look at Mr. Crocker from Fairly OddParents. His ear is on his neck. Anatomically speaking, it's not supposed to be there but . . . it's there, and there's nothing we can do about that :U

[Sketchmazoid]

Yeah again it's about consistency. His ears are ALWAYS on his neck. But you don't question it so it's consistently convincing.

[SpavVy]

That is style because it's a cartoon I meant anime o.o like more realistic

[VermillionWorks]

I actually feel I really need to get around to practicing different art styles. I don't do that nearly often enough...then again, I don't do any random practicing often enough. XP

I mean, I like my current style fine and I certainly find it unique in it's own way (I guess it's this weird hybrid thing of old, varous anime styles I've watched over the years mixed with something I'm not sure about...I guess that's the 'my own thing' part), but I'd like to practice trying out other looks and seeing what I can come up with...possibly for different looks on future projects, or at least just improvement. I do think trying different styles may teach you a few new 'tricks' that you can at least put into your own, usual style.

[UzukiCheverie]

You get my point though lol If the artwork has scratchy lineart, for example, but it's like, CONSISTENTLY scratchy, then it's just the style. Same goes for wonky eyes, crazy face shapes, etc.

Of course that's not to say that there haven't been artistic mistakes in comics over the years. Those are definitely a thing and it's funny to find those lol but if they're consistent in their appearance over a long period of time and many episodes, it's style.

[UzukiCheverie]

I agree :3 We often do this in our Character Design classes - draw characters in various styles. We've done it in Simpsons style, PowerPuff Girls, etc. It's a pretty good drawing exercise, to say the least, and of course, it does help you figure out what works and what doesn't for you as an artist.

For example, the eyes I draw are a merge of my own style and the eye style from Bakuman/Takeshi Obata's works. Meanwhile the way I draw my bodies is just the way I've learned how to draw them over the years u o u

[AnnaLandin]

"Style" is such an amorphous concept. The borders are blurry at the best of times, and trying to define your "style" as one thing is not only incredibly difficult - it's also very limiting. It restricts you to drawing in a certain, set manner, if you are intent on adhering to that style for the sake of style. Limiting yourself can also lead to artists excusing lacking anatomy skills or ignorance of composition or colour-theory with "it's my style". Even cartoonish drawings require solid skills - some even more so, because they demand you know the basics well enough to abstract them.

I draw the way I draw. I don't bother with editing in terms of style - like, I always have to draw noses a certain way, or hair a certain way, or ink with a particular kind of line. I change depending on what I draw, when I draw it, why I draw it, etc., etc. If something needs to be cartoony - then I draw it cartoony. If it needs to be more realistic, I draw it in a more realistic style.

Are there common elements that are recogniseably mine? I'm sure there are, but I don't bother labelling them. I leave that for anyone who looks at it. I mean, sometimes I draw cartoony - and sometimes I don't. They're both me. The stylistic decisions I made were made because of the final result I wanted - not because I wished to stick to a certain style.

[VermillionWorks]

Limiting yourself can also lead to artists excusing lacking anatomy skills or ignorance of composition or colour-theory with "it's my style". Even cartoonish drawings require solid skills - some even more so, because they demand you know the basics well enough to abstract them.

Oh god, this this this. Some artists I've seen don't seem to get when you get the harder stuff down first, the more cartoony stuff gets easier and better...and more fun too! XD Even I just didn't get that for a long time.

_{Practicing from life more is another thing on my to-do list that will take forever for me to actually do. .__.}

[Raven_C]

I think @Sketchmazoid said it the best about style. It's not about how you draw things. It's experience, it's your artwork's personality, and it's how you choose to tell a story.

An artist I came across said at one point: “Style” only means that thing that I can’t turn off that makes my drawings always look like I did them. If somebody else stood beside me and drew the same thing, theirs would look different.

Style isn't something you choose to "put on." It's something you can't turn off.

[gateofselidor]

Style is a weird thing, and I don't think most artists really know what effect is has on our work. I took some 3D modelling classes a couple of years ago, and afterwards I modelled a shark for practice. One of the friends I showed it to told me that even though it was in a completely different medium to the rest of my work, he could still see it was by me.

[Sketchmazoid]

Oh for sure, the only reason we don't see style applying much in 3d/cg media is limitations by studio heads.Which is sad.

[Sketchmazoid]

Well the point I am making is style isn't something you choose or change, it's everything you love and everything you have experienced ingrained in you. How an artist draws faces or stylizes their inking isn't inherently their style, style shines through all of those things.

[sarahrebecca58]

I have a style, but I'm not sure how to really translate it. Like it's not the drawing itself, but like the emotional take away you get from the drawing. Does that make sense?

Sort of like how a Monet is different from a Van Gogh is different from a Picasso. (I'm nowhere near that good, I just mean the overall take away from it.)