Finding Your Style

Sketch Constantly

I find sketching to be a relaxing activity, because there are no expectations. You are drawing what is around you and coming up with spontaneous ideas. Carry a notebook with you and art supplies. I don’t paint in my notebooks, but many people do. A lot of my sketches have written suggestions, to give a fuller picture of the idea, often with colour recommendations. No matter how you sketch, you are practicing your art and improving your skills. For beginners especially, this helps gain confidence, while making some art.

Look At What Your Peers Are Doing

Build a social media profile. By this point I am certain you have figured out what style of art you wish to focus on. Follow the artists that inspire you. For one thing, you are making connections with your peers and building a picture of what you like. You will quickly realise what specifically attracts to a particular idea and what love about different artworks. This will help you to choose the direction you wish for your art to develop. When you are looking at many artworks, you start to develop an eye for good and bad art. Eventually you will choose artists for the way they compose their artworks or an interesting colour that may offer you inspiration. All those elements will combine into your art and a unique style will come out of that.

Look For And Accept Constructive Criticism

On social media most people are kind and supportive. It is unlikely that people will diminish your art. Sometimes people will give constructive critiques and it is interesting what people have to say. If people are criticising your work without any thought, ignore that, some people just enjoy saying unkind things to be contrary. When someone gives you a constructive critique you don’t have to accept it and you don’t have to agree with it; you may have a different opinion. On forums, Reddit, on social media you can show your art while asking people to offer opinions. Some artists on Patreon will look over your art and give you their opinion, but it is for a fee.

Draw From Real Life

Still life teaches you perspective and composition. If you keep drawing your style will emerge. There are so many ways to draw still life. No matter, this will improve your skills and you will learn how to draw. It may be that you already have an idea in your head how your drawing should look and it is only a matter of practicing to achieve the best result.

Try A Different Medium Or Style For Fun

Just doing something different may give you a new perspective of art. It may give you a new way of painting and looking at art, that may influence your style.

Find Something You Love To Draw

Do challenges to inspire and motivate you. If you don’t know what to draw, Jake Parker has a “Draw 100 Somethings Challenge”. For his challenge he drew robots. You are only limited by your imagination what you draw. This can be something love or something that has been bothersome. It is a wonderful challenge, you can use it to draw something you lack confidence and by the 100th drawing you will certainly have a better grasp of what you intend to draw. I am not certain if there is a time limit, to add to the challenge you could put deadline in. You will start to notice a style forming with learning what kind of shading, line work, composition and things you prefer to draw. So start drawing