We all begin as fledgling artists taking classes and struggling to master a new vocabulary, new skills and all sorts of materials. Hopefully, we progress to more competent and capable artists experimenting endlessly to develop our own personal style.
Since
early in my painting education (with a variety of excellent teachers) I have
kept a journal of my "Eureka!" Moments -- when something I had heard
hundreds of times finally made sense. Reading back over my journal
periodically has been a regular part of my art experience. Each time I
read it, I learn something new because I'm at a different level than I was before.
As
I read through the journal today, it dawned on me that I finally know what my
style is. It is a distillation of all the information that is percolating
in my brain as I listen to other artists, read art books, visit museums and
explore dozens of different media combined with the experiences of a lifetime. It
doesn't matter if I paint exactly the same scene as a dozen other artists, the
end result will be uniquely my own. What do all of us have to gain from a
realization like this one? Stop worrying about developing your own style!
As you learn and as you practice your craft, your style will emerge -- it
doesn't really have a choice.
Once we begin to recognize our
personal style, it is key to
intentionally cultivate it. Vincent Van Gogh's distinctive approach to painting evolved
over time, as he experimented with different types of brush strokes and color
palettes. If we look at his works we see that developmental
process. If you place three of your artworks created over time side-by-side, what will you see? As Alyson Stanfield says in The Art Biz Blog, [style is] "that extra little thing you do to distinguish your work from that of other artists." So, what's your extra little thing???
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| Van Gogh's Early Work |
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| Height of Van Gogh's Career |
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| One of His Last Paintings |
