Finding your own artistic style, that way of painting that makes a piece recognisably and uniquely yours, is something a lot of us find challenging. And it’s not just an issue for newbies, I’m discovering; it can be a sticking point for those of us who have been painting for a while too.
Before even putting brush to canvas, you might already be battling doubts about your abilities, old stories from insensitive school teachers, or overwhelm regarding what’s available in terms of courses and inspiration. Or all of the above!
It’s no wonder that finding our own clarity of style underneath all that can feel bewildering!
Today I’m looking at a few simple ways to start uncovering and developing your own style; it’s already in there, it just might need some help making itself known. In my experience, it’s an ever evolving combination of a few specific elements, plus a totally unnameable and invisible part that we can’t control. {The Creative Source, or Spirit part that comes through you, rather than from you.}
I know it seems obvious in a way, but it’s the combination of these elements that’s going to start to build the unique style that is just yours. And getting a bit left brained about it can give you a much clearer place from which to begin to know your own art better. The following is not exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start.
Have your past work handy and go through these questions, seeing what comes up. Make notes if you want to; a reference is very handy for moments when you’re ‘drawing a blank’. 😉 You can use the free workbook! Even if you feel like you don’t love or really identify with anything you’ve done so far, there’ll be threads you can start to pull at.
We’re going on a treasure hunt. The treasure is the art that is yours. 🙂
think about what you most often paint or draw
Let’s start off by putting all that ‘out there’ stuff on hold for a moment, and really have a good look inside at what you love most. What subjects do you most often choose to paint or draw? Check your sketchbooks and paintings if you’ve gone blank right now!
I have a running list {mental, although I think I have written it down somewhere as I also go blank at times!} so that if I’m ever ready to go but stuck on the ‘what’, I can refer to it and remember. I love to draw boats! And fish, and figures, and trees.
It doesn’t have to be exhaustive, and you can absolutely expect it to change, but for now just have a couple of favourite subjects in mind so you have a starting point.
Various explorations of trees and plants; you can see a general – although not exclusive – tendency towards sinuous lines and blind contour {surprise}
what colours do you love?
Think about the colour palette you most often seem to default to; what does your past work have to tell you about your repeated choices?
For me, that currently looks like aqua, blues, Naples yellow, fluorescent pink, and white {for which I use gesso}. That gives me a good range of dark, medium and light tones and I get a real kick out of playing with those colours; they feel like me right now. What feels like you in the colour department?
This is one of my own photos, reinterpreted in a more ‘me’ colour palette, with experimental mark making
what’s your mark making style?
Ok, now let’s look at how you make marks on paper {or canvas}. Do you love line, or do you tend towards big areas of colour? Do you like to make unusual marks with your brush? Do you prefer not to use a brush? Do you like to make patterns, or do you prefer something more quirky and eclectic?
You probably know that my answer to this question is that I adore blind contour drawing, and like my lines to be wobbly and messy. Egon Schiele is a big inspiration for me on that front. I also love wonky circles, sometimes concentric, and adding in random marks, often in threes. Get to know what feels fun to you, and keep pushing it.
Walnut ink drawing of a fish with experimental lines
what is your favourite medium?
You probably have more than one, but what’s the one you tend to favour most? I love using my Neocolors and oil pastels, but my favourite go to medium, especially for large areas, is acrylic paint, in particular fluid acrylics. I love that it’s easy to manipulate, dries quickly and is also easy to clean up.
Having a particular favourite means you’ll really explore its possibilities and become more confident and skilled in using it.
No reference image for this one; just my two favourite media – acrylics and oil pastels
what inspires you?
So now you have some clues about your personal preferences in key areas, we can go ‘out there’ and see what we can bring inside to support what’s ours.
I recommend doing this after the first four points, because you want to be standing on something solid before you start looking at other people’s work. If you’re feeling shaky about what’s yours, it makes you more liable to pick up someone else’s style and end up copying them. It muddies the waters, and we’re looking for clarity and purity here!
For this step I recommend Pinterest. It’s basically a search engine for images, and it’s easy to type in a few key words and pull up a wealth of visual information. Start a board for painting inspiration {you can see mine here}, and pin to it anything that gives you that little spark of excitement, be it a composition, a colour palette, a style or a subject.
You’ll see from my board that most of my inspiration is not other paintings. That doesn’t mean I’m not inspired by other artists’ work, it just means that I want my subject inspiration for my own paintings to be ‘neutral’, so I can more easily make it my own. Working with reference images can really help, so having a readily available source will stand you in good stead. Plus looking through your board will give you more clues about what you’re most drawn to.
Yes, Pinterest is a rabbit hole! Set a timer if you need.
This photo is from Pinterest {link below}; I changed the shape and created it anew in my favourite colours
{The image of the boy diving is here. I haven’t been able to find the original credit.}
If you only ask yourself ONE question, let it be this:
What feels REALLY exciting to me right now?
That one question has stood me in good stead when I want to paint and am not sure where to start, or can’t remember how ‘I’ paint. And of course it invites me to carve out and follow my own path.
Think of the subject you most want to try in this moment, find a reference image if that will help, and pick a few colours you LOVE in the medium you most feel like using. You’re ready. What will you paint?
Looking for a bit more structure and guidance when it comes to uncovering what’s yours about your art? Abstractify is a self paced course designed to help you reveal what’s true and authentic to you as an artist.
It’s so easy to get caught up in work that inspires us and allow it to influence our own, but there comes a point for most of us when that is no longer enough. We want to be telling the truth about who we are through our art. Abstractify is a way to help you start to unpick what’s borrowed from what’s yours. Click here to find out more.
I love your writing! Great advice as usual 🙂
Thank you Erica! So pleased to hear it’s useful. 🙂
Hi Tara! Is it a cosmic coincidence that we posted about the same subject on the same day? Great post. xo
Must be! Loved to read your perspective on it too; so interesting how everyone approaches things in their unique way. And congratulations on your residency! That’s so exciting!
This is such a helpful post Tara thank you. And I love all of your paintings in this post xx
Oh I’m so pleased Deb! Always love to hear that. And thank you! 🙂 x
Great post Tara! Interesting and helpful. I Think that it could be also bénéficial to do that kind of exercise regularly even If you already know your style … To question your own work can help to go further. Merci pour tes articles Tara.
Excellent point Sophie – doing this regularly would definitely bring greater clarity to your work whatever stage you’re at.
Thank you for this post Tara. The questions and activities you suggest cut through “noise” and help me to focus on the essence underneath.
Best wishes, Mairim
Excellent, I’m so pleased it’s helpful Mairim!
Thanks.• Enjoyed your thoughts. sp
Most welcome!
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I’m trying to find my style and i think i’m one of those who like to experiment and to sketch out things from my mind or directly from sight. I really like doing only-colored drawings.
Sounds like some excellent clarity right there!
Learning to paint. I have no idea what my style is…HELPPPPP
Hi Daphane – well this post is a good start! And there’s plenty on this website to help you. If you have any specific questions I’ll be happy to help if I can.
I like your breakdown of specific steps to ask yourself
It really clarifies what to paint and to use colours that lift YOUR soul. I feel we need to focus on what we love to paint and forget about what would be pleasing to others. Follow your spirit and let it roam freely. Thank you for your clear guidelines. Cheers.
Glad you found something useful here Marie! I agree it’s best to reference internally first – makes it easier when we’re looking for inspiration ‘out there’! 🙂
Interesting. I look forward to trying this out.
Hi, Tara, I’m just coming across your post. You’re very encouraging and helpful. I have never taken the time to really think about what I love to draw (which is my first love) or paint (which I haven’t done much of). I have enjoyed both, but feel very inadequate to do any of it. The hardest think is to put that first mark on paper, or canvas, whatever the case may be. So, needless to say, I don’t do much of either. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on Pinterest, looking at things I want to “try” to draw, paint, make, etc, but don’t ever “do it.” But, maybe with your words of encouragement, I will return to the arts that I love. Thx.
Hi Roni – so glad you’ve taken something helpful from it! I think often we assume that art should somehow come easy if you’re a ‘real artist’, but actually it does require a lot of thought and learning – that’s part of the process. I can only encourage you to just begin, on scrap paper if it helps lower the barrier to entry. 🙂 That’s why I always advocate the experimental mindset – much more forgiving!
Tara you are so beautiful and it comes through your art????
This has helped e tons!
Thanks
Lynn
Thank you so much Lynn, I’m so glad!
ThankYouThankYouTara
So glad I cam across your HOw toos on Pinterest
Iam ready to get going
Barb
Yay! So happy to hear that Barb.
Ok, so I may be the person who cannot settle on less than five styles and media. Ive thought of having different names like writers do, for my different “artists”. I’ve been at this, trying to narrow down my art, for two years now. I have stuck to one thing for the most, well, two weeks. I have changed three times in one day! I must admit that I am 62, have artistic skills and have worked as a professional artist. I have plenty of supplies…….oils, acrylics, pastels, pan pastels, colored pencils, pastel pencils, ink pens, watercolor, colored ink. Yes I have overloaded myself with choices. My brain seems to be clogging as I age, and is stopping me from being able to see the choices I should make. Well I dont expect you to tell me what to do in three words or less! I just think I needed to vent. Its so frustrating. I do love art and really need to have a bit of extra income. So theres a certain pressure involved. To they have art therapists? I’ll have to ask my regular therapist : ). Thanks for your information. It was helpful……
Oh so sorry Tara! I scrolled back up to the top of the web page and saw you have emailings, a book, a free course, and an online course to do exactly what I was fussing about. Yes, it is getting past my bedtime and find my thinking is slowing down. But I signed up with my name and email and I will come back in the next few days to check your other things. You know it is very tough for us in the U.S. We have trump for president and it is quite awful. Almost makes us all scared to wake up in the morning and watch what horrible thing he’s done now…….
Hi Ruth – you’re not alone in wanting to do all the things and feeling unable to narrow it down or specialise! I’m of two minds about it to be honest, which I think in itself speaks to the flexible nature of creativity. On one hand, of COURSE we want to do everything – we’re creative beings and that means being endlessly curious. On the other, when you want to sell your art it helps a lot to be able to make consistent work and become known for something specific. So we always have this push pull going on, and we have to find our own ways around it. Some make work they know sells even if their heart’s not in it. I don’t feel comfortable doing that but then my main income doesn’t come from selling my paintings, so motivation is a factor too. I think it’s totally valid to do many different things artistically; you can always make small series within a style to exhibit or sell. Glad you found the offerings – enjoy!
Thanks Tara, It helped to have you confirm some of the things I was already thinking. Especially about when it comes to selling your artwork. You have to have a market for it of course, for that to happen, so just because I love to paint chickens dressed in Victorian gowns (not really) doesn’t mean anyone would buy one! I think I can narrow down the media I use to either oils or watercolor embellished with colored pencil and pastel. I am thinking I may be able to do them both as I have seen some well established artists doing two different media. But they did stick with the same style, I’ll keep you posted, so you can see what this crazy lady comes up with. And I look forward to reading your materials and hope to take your online class. Thanks so much for your time!!
This has been incredibly helpful. I started to find that I was really good at copying others works from grade school to today. Copying came so naturally, that I even had a part-time job at one of those painting and wine gigs which is not only copying, but breaking down and teaching the copying to others! Ha-ha.
I felt in a rut, like exactly as you said, feeling like my work isn’t unique and doubting my abilities. After writing down what I like, subject-color-mark making- and mediums, I feel exciting to start a project.
I am SO, SO happy I found this article. Thank you.
Absolutely delighted that you found something that helped you here Jillian! Excitement is really an excellent place to start. 🙂
You have simplified the simplification process ???? and that is very encouraging… I’m going to go play with your process and see what I come up with! Thank you!
Most welcome! Glad you found it helpful Carolyn – enjoy!
When is your next course and the price….
Length of course?
Next course is Expressive Charcoal, starts 10th September, is available with instant access so you can take it at your own pace, and costs £65. 🙂
Was told as a child I should be an artist and has always been a thought as I doodled but only became serious as I became older . So thankful for you outreach to others and maybe some direction.
You’re welcome! Go for it! 🙂
sum time the inter net give evrey thing what u want bet now it given me all my inner asking i find from ur web i try to cleiar my self thank you thank you thank you force be with you with love raghavan artist from india