Studying influences vs Subject matter

[Iris-Grimoire]

Yeah, I'm the kind of person that prefers to slowly build a style by practicing a reference and finding my way through it, rather than exactly what I see. Sometimes I'll study someone's style but it's for very quick excercises, like trying to emulate a cool texture or a very particular way of connecting details. Most of the time, let's say I practiced this type of process to draw a nose, I'm going to use this nose to try and find a good way of adjusting it for different shapes until I've got my own way of making them.

I'm also a REALLY messy artist so it's really about getting a "mental library" from many different sources to make a style based on what I like. When I remember I also have digital reference, which helps when I haven't drawn something in a while...

(this is just the folder for overall great sources, I also have specifically anatomy, props, hair, etc)

[nathanKmcwilliams]

That's pretty much what I do too. Let the chaos in my brain shuffle up techniques I've stored away.

[LCT_m_a_d]

So the techniques you stored away are ideas other artists used to get around a problem and then you kinda mixmatch them?

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Ah, I meant pretty much what @Iris-Grimoire said in their last post.
I tend to find my own way by using reference pictures, but most of the time I just have a repetoire of ideas built up over the years and I remember them at random.

[rajillustration]

I think all those things go hand and hand. You can't really do style without understanding anatomy and you can't just straight up draw good anatomy without having an understanding of design and style. And like trends and styles change a lot over time and are dependent on the project at hand for what you need. As my needs change, so do my interests in what I decide to study.

But in simple terms, if I see a piece I really like, I break it down--save the colors in my color picker so I can access them later--see if I can draw it myself (so copying, but with intent to learn and not ever actually posting my studies) and try to learn the technique and predict the brushes and the programs they used to paint it. But in order to do that and copy masters, I have to already know fundamentals like anatomy and color theory and stuff.

[LCT_m_a_d]

Makes since. The way you draw the dragon is pretty catchy but distinctive.
I'm finding If I wanted to draw a dragon realistic I would need to reference a few monitor lizards and maybe a lion.

To do it cartoony I would at best need to mixmatch 4 or five artists techniques

[nathanKmcwilliams]

I've found that cartoony is the easiest way for me to express my ideas. I have a hard time doing realistic stuff. Even with references.

[LCT_m_a_d]

Yeah, im an extreme when it comes to fundamental and theory, so Im just accepting my fate lol. It's a bit dull but it does make it more clear what went wrong and what was done well without requiring constant critique.

[Rhonder]

I swing back and forth with my focus leaning heavily to one side or the other at any given time, and usually with a large quantity of work in between shifts. For example recently:

In 2017 I had just been getting back into drawing after taking a long break through college. So I focused a lot on subject matter rather than style to get back into the swing of things.

But then after a while when I decided I wanted to get back into comics, I shifted my focus back towards style/influences such that I could refine them to a point that I was comfortable starting a lengthy project with.

After finally starting the comic late 2018 though, I started focusing way more on subject matter way more again. The style was in place, so it was more important to me to draw things to an acceptable level of accuracy (details, proportions, perspective, etc.) and continue improving that through the run of the comic.

Now I'm nearing the end of said comic and, while I'm wanting to work on both style and substance between now and starting the next arc, the style side is nagging at me more lol so I've been thinking about doing some proper studies into my influences to refine that some more in the near future.

[LCT_m_a_d]

Well props to you for being able to adjust. Im finding a little peace now having a direction, but it took too much out of me to figure it out. I still need to finish my ongoing project knowing that its not what I do.

[antimekii]

I personally try to at least spend 5-15 mins doing figure drawing studies before starting with my everday workflow. It works well as a warm up and I get to practice anatomy.

For style studying tho, I just don’t do it? I don’t personally go out of my way to figure out other people’s works. I just try to touch up my fundamentals and somehow my style keeps evolving as I go.

[nixxusnibelheim]

I do both, as you need both But I tend to focus more on studying subject matters because I don't care too much about my own style, I just let the flow lead the way.
And I know regardless of the artstyle, fundamentals apply all the time.

With a strong backbone on subject matter, it becomes easier to achieve the style you have in mind.
You can't really say that the other way around.

[LCT_m_a_d]

Nice! I think I developed my portrait style that way through sheer volume and familiarity, no tutorials or methodologies. The one's I use often I came up with (which were probably already invented)

[LCT_m_a_d]

Yeah i never learned to apply many fundamentals from my portrait works to my cartoon works, so embellishing the right elements and being expressive was a diceroll. I couldn't not make it a science. Having a clear external goal gives me enough foundation to maybe tweak and remove parts of the end product and I guess it still works. Muscle memory probably.

[carloswebcomic]

I never studied anything ever, except perspective. I tend to sit down and just try different things till I find something that works, which explains why my stuff is such a mess and I'm so far behind in skills

[LCT_m_a_d]

Interesting, why would you say your behind in skills and your art is a mess?

[carloswebcomic]

Interesting, why would you say your behind in skills and your art is a mess?

Well, I keep changing my mind on how to draw things. I don't have a consistent method of drawing characters.
Also, because I developed from scratch the way I draw things, I don't have the skill of someone who studied then developed their own style.
In hindsight, I should've just copied Masamune Shirow and used that as a base to develop my own thing. Instead, I did it all from scratch and, to be honest, it was not a good idea. I would be a lot more skilled if I had not been so obsessed with trying to reinvent the wheel.

[LCT_m_a_d]

That's really interesting! I actually have been very impressed with how consistent and clear your art looks despite how dynamic it is. I actually felt the exact same way about my comicart except I was thinking maybe something western for me.
I first learned to draw self-taught by redrawing looney tunes and disney coloring books. I actually regret burning so many years trying to invent my own thing and not realizing the stickiness factor.

[IdiotWithPencil]

I study purely subject matter, since it's basically study of the fundamentals, and with fundamentals you can do everything else. of course when it comes to some specific styles I wish to introduce I study techniques and other artist but only briefly to copy and then mold it into my own style.

[lwflouisa]

You would never know it, but I prefer the darker and edgier Moe style found in Manga like Saikano. I also really like the style of Battle Angel Alita. ( People might guess that more. )

But I actually study poetry as well, as the flow of words matters more than strict panel layout. And not the poetry form you might be thinking of.

Of course, there are aspects where I thought it was cool, I'm not sure where I got the idea from. Such as using charcoal for scenes meant to feel smoky and atmospheric. And used mixed media to convey different moods.

I still want to try charcoal / water color comics later.

Oh if there is a good mangaka to keep an eye out for that does Gearts and robotics really well, that isn't a battle armor / gundam manga, I'm all ears.