Do artists naturally have style, or do they have to work for it?

[ArtemisBlue]

This is a very tantalizing thought for me. I personally believe that you have to work hard to gain a specific style. Style changes the more a person draws, writes, or does anything else artistic. For example, the way I draw now is so much different than my earlier attempts at it. Although I'm not sure which artists I draw like, I think of myself partially an impressionist and partially old, animated movie-style. Getting back on the original topic, how do you think? Does style naturally appear, or do you have to work hard for it? You tell me in this forum, and explain your stance.

[Seedling]

If style weren’t learned, then there would be no teams of animators all working together to make a single movie. :)

[Ian Mack]

I did a quick search for style in the art discussion/lounge forums and these are a few of the threads that came up. It's a popular question!

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=79513&highlight=style

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=100746&highlight=style

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=90166&highlight=style

As for my stance on the subject...I would have to say that style is not the goal since the goal is to become skilled at drawing/painting. Style is really the stamp on your technical ability that makes it yours. If you're style is anime, then you're probably quite good at drawing anime(as a result of drawing lots of anime).

You can copy anothers style which is what animators do but they do it for a good purpose: to create a unified visual look for the film. To copy another style for learning is good but think of why you're doing it. To solve a problem, or because you think it looks cool. A good example would be copying some anime artists eyes to figure out how to draw eyes from different angles. Maybe you think it looks cool, or maybe you just don't know how to draw eyes. If the second option is the the case then don't stop there, step back and try figure out another way to draw it, perhaps by looking at an illustrator you like, a fine artist, etc.

style I think is unavoidable and is mostly the result of your work being judged? I don't know... that last thought is kinda half-baked.

[Grief]

style is merely the gleaning of aspects which come from your experiences and skill. your style is not static, it changes as your brain feeds in new information, as you see more work, as you understand to see color. as you suggested you often do not know what your brain latches onto. you will unconsciously store information, and it will show in your work.

"style" is really an ugly word in art it encompasses too much and tells very little in return. different methods of working can be learned, new forms and methodologies will take root in your artistic arsenal.

[falconerofthephoenix]

Ok guys, I have a problem that is related to this thread.
I had to put off drawing for a year to concentrate on studies. Then suddenly, schools done and I try to get back into drawing but... I have no talent and have severe artist block. I cant think of anything good to draw.
I need to work hard to regain style, talent whatnot... because I want to be a concept artist and paint as a carreer.
Other than just hurdling into drawing again, does anyone know how I can reverse this?

[ArtemisBlue]

The key thing is not to think too much about actual pictures. Just sketch small things, like hands, feet, or faces. That'll probably put you on track. I draw random faces often just so I still have the feeling to draw. I hope it works!

[Seedling]

I need to work hard to regain style, talent whatnot... because I want to be a concept artist and paint as a carreer.
Other than just hurdling into drawing again, does anyone know how I can reverse this?

Your problem is not at all that you need to regain style. Or talent. You need to brush up on basics to get your feet back under you. Talent is a myth fostered by those who don't realize the key to learning how to draw is practice, and style should be the last thing on your mind.

Style is one of two different things: it is a chosen simplification that a group of artists will choose in order to make some big, unified project; or it is the natural result of pushing against the limits of your technical abilities - in which case it is an ever-changing thing that grows as your skills grow. The problem with style is that students often try for the first type, without realizing that doing so before being ready for it will inhibit their skill development. Thus the hoards of teens who draw awful, redundant anime and who never progress to a professional level in art.

So, instead of chasing the ever-elusive “style”, try drawing from observation, and from imagination. Try the various links in my sig for assignment ideas. We’re currently doing a perspective assignment in Classroom for All if you would like to join a live class.

[DavePalumbo]

Joe Quessada once told me that style is all the things that we do wrong in a drawing. It may be over simplifying, but I have to agree. The style of an image is generally where it deviates from actual life, whether it's intentional or accidental. The style of an artist is the pattern of those deviations.

So some artists are going to have very noticeable styles and some are going to have very subtle ones. All are going to be naturally occurring to a certain degree and all are going to be affected to a certain degree because we all have flaws and we all are influenced by the work of others. I personally feel that being influenced by others is a good thing, but attempts to ape somebody else is a bad thing.

[Ilaekae]

I had a lot of styles when I was a kid, but it was the sixties...you could look good in burlap and spray paint back then. Now i have no styles at all--I mix plaids and polka dots, shades of purple and red with orange-brown, you name it...my current favorite is blue plaid flannel shirts with orange, pink and brown striped pants and moccasins/slippers...

[armando]

All drawings are built from basic design elements: line, shape, value, texture, etc. Style is derived from picking and choosing from those elements. The more elements that are used in a particular style the more realistic it will look, the fewer elements the more cartoony it will look, for the most part.
We have a natural inclination to those elements in different degrees, and from that inclination we get our style. An artist should familiarize themself with all the elements, paying particular attention to those that interest them, then they'll be free to express themself any way they want.

[deepbluehue]

Maybe "Style" is a plateau that we don't want to leave when we think we have achieved success with a technique or concept. Each time we challenge ourselves to work with new concepts or techniques, we step up to a new plateau. I think that when we try to identify the style of an artist we admire, we are really simplifying the work into techniques and themes. It's easy to miss the bigger picture, meaning all the different things the artist was trying to achieve at once. Picasso tried to tackle many concepts in his career and never had one particular style that he held onto for all that time.

[Elwell]

Do artists naturally have style, or do they have to work for it?
You have to work really hard for things to come naturally.
Don't mistake style for genre.
Don't mistake style for technique.
Don't mistake style for shtick.
Style doesn't necessarily mean stylization.
Whatever you think your style is, you're probably wrong. The most distinctive things about your work are probably invisible to you.

[JJ McKool]

Style is you expressing a representation of your understanding about the heavens, and the earth, including your own self. It's a quick flashbang of your soul. It changes as much as you change, and just as you can willfully change your outlook on life, can you willfully change your style, no more, no less.