Find Your Illustration Style in 6 Simple Experiments

As a fledgeling artist or illustrator, the process to find your style can feel overwhelming, especially when you look at the work of established illustrators that feels like they must have been drawing that way since birth. The common advice that you just need to make a lot of art may leave you feeling like you are missing a piece of the puzzle. 

The truth is, there is no workaround to find your style. You’ve got to make art. But throughout this class, I’m going to show you my process to make work with intention. I’ll show you how I iterate and experiment to build a repertoire of motifs that feel like me, and how I reflect on my work to hone in on what I love, uncover my biases and direct me on where to focus next. With this process, you’ll be on the fast track to making illustrations that feel true to you.

We’ll get started by exploring What Style Is, and reviewing the Elements of Design. Then, we’ll jump into six bug-themed experiments I use that will give you concrete tools to develop your style quickly. Each experiment is based around one of the six elements of design:

• Line
• Shape
• Space
• Value
• Colour and
• Texture.

This is a multimedia class that is suitable for all skill levels. It can be completed with whatever supplies you have on hand. It’s not a class about making good art or even bad art. It’s just about making a lot of art and taking the time to reflect on and record what you see to push your style to new heights!

Your final project may include: 

• Photos or scans of your experiments: Complete one, two, three or all six, it's totally up to you! 
  
• Things you learned in your reflections or observed as you were experimenting, and what you may have discovered about your style!

• Introduction
• Project
• Materials
• Style
• Elements
• Experiment One: Line
• Reflection One: Line
• Experiment Two: Shape
• Reflection Two: Shape
• Experiment Three: Space
• Reflection Three: Space
• Experiment Four: Value
• Reflection Four: Value
• Experiment Five: Colour
• Reflection Five: Colour
• Experiment Six: Texture
• Reflection Six: Texture
• Continuing
• Thank You