Fresher's Question: Changing personal art style - How to go about it?

[Tintreas]

I'm a fresher at Uni studying Illustration. Up to now I've been self-taught back from 5 years ago when I saew anime and manga and first took up the pencil in time honoured Monkey-see monkey do.

I've come a long way and my drawing skills, both observational and imaginative are improving always, except one thing - The difficulty I'm having making any kind of break from anime and manga. The form so much of a part of my understanding as a whole but something in me is tired of my automatic retreat and wants to experiment. I've always learned from other artists, as many as I could, but while manga is a variation on a style, how can one possibly create a whole new visual language from the sheer variation of styles professional western illustrators produce?

Part of the difficulty is in my own lack of decision, I rarely see a style that dosn't have something I could learn from it, want to use - to imitate and change... but at the same time I seem to completely lack the ability to break my drawings away from what they've always been.


This is probably long enough - You probably got the idea about 2 paragraphs back. But.. Any suggestions?

[Redmond]

Draw from your own life, buddy!!!

[kev ferrara]

Copy over George Bridgman's anatomy books into your notebooks. Lots of artists do this. Its a rite of passage kinda of thing that "force feeds" your brain with form and anatomy.

kev

[Mirana]

Everyone draws from their interests. Feed your brain with new and different types of art. Try some of those styles out. Mash bits of things you like together. A personal style is a sum of you and really shouldn't be forced.

[Farvus]

That's why it's always good to start learning drawing by studying life rather than second-hand sources. It gives ability to quickly switch from one stylisation to another beacause you're free to experiment.

[pok82]

I've always learned from other artists, as many as I could, but while manga is a variation on a style, how can one possibly create a whole new visual language from the sheer variation of styles professional western illustrators produce?

Don't. Don't worry about "style". That'll happen as you draw. If you wanna break away from manga styles then just draw what you see. Don't interpret, don't try to stylize it, just draw it. I learned how to draw the same way you did. The skill we both used is mimicry, right? So just mimic live models.

The trick is to stop worrying about style. Style is just the way you do things, not something you try to come up with.

[Elwell]

As a freshman (and one who's barely a month in, if Irish schools run on a similar schedule to American ones), "style" should be the LAST thing you're worrying about.

[CCThrom]

how can one possibly create a whole new visual language from the sheer variation of styles professional western illustrators produce?

You can't. Draw what you're interested in, what speaks to you... style grows out of that, it's not something you hunt down. Try anything and everything, don't think about style, just keep practicing and experimenting.

[B u r l]

I think the fault must be resting on your lack of foundational drawing skills, as what's already been said. Style shouldn't come into play until after you learn how to actually draw. Draw from life. It's mentioned over and over because its for a reason. The fact you said that you can't break away from manga and anime shows you're lacking in the fundamentals of drawing. Getting a sound practice in the fundamentals gives you the freedom to explore whatever you like. If you take bits and pieces from other styles that you enjoy, you might pick up a little bit here and create a nice piece, but your foundations will still be weak, and so you will always be limited to what you can do and will not grow / progress as naturally as you should.

[Tintreas]

Redmond: Thank you! Thats actually helped quite a lot.

Kev: I actually use Sarah Simblet, whom I prefer. Not only is she clear and consise with large diagram building from skeleton to muscle, but she also overlays them over a series of models so one can see exactly how a particular shape fits a particular feature.

Mirana: I worry that my natural cartoonish/mangaish/semi-real style may be that sum. But surely its possible to change. And thank you!

Farvus: I do realise that importance and try to draw from life as often as possible. IF without a sketchbook I try to remember features and picture drawing them, or use bits of napkins and envelopes. I havn't had the opportnity to do a lot of nude life classes, but I have made it to a few with the mind to many more in future.


Pok: I can draw from life quite accuratly, The issue I have is trying to think of new ways to sylise it afterward, some way of drawing which isn't a copy of a copy of a copy. But I will continue to draw from life.

Elwell: Irish and english schools are run very differently, with a mind to a future career in one chosen subject. We've already been set both observational and imaginative projects, one in particular with a mind to sylisation.

CCthom: Thank you.

Burl: They aren't all that lacking considering my 4 and a half years of drawing. True I started in manga but I ahve done a LOT of observational, still life, anatomy classes, colour theory, compositional theory, conceptual theory, sculpture and life painting as well as the usual copying from pictures, masters and statues. I have a LOT further to go I recognise but at some point its got to all be put into practise..

[Redmond]

Besides, having studied manga/anime isn't lost. They're masters of simplification. And that's a good skill. Don't worry about detail. Just try to resume what you draw in as clear a manner as possible.

[riceface]

stop buying how to draw anime books

[Tintreas]

Thanks red :D

Rice: I've never bought one in my life. They're awful.