How To Find Your Art Style
ImagineFX|April 2019

Aesthetic sharers .Is crafting a style something artists can strive for, or is it a by-product of just having some fun? Dom Carter explores how to develop a look

Dom Carter
How To Find Your Art Style

If you were asked to make a list of your favourite artists, chances are you’d be able to explain the small quirks or creative decisions they’ve made that made an impact on you. You might have even tried to recreate these styles in your own pieces. But is honing a style – either someone else’s or your own – an achievable goal? Or is it counterintuitive to your development as an artist? The answers depend on how you want to work, and to figure everything out you need to listen to your instincts.

Various factors contribute to the development of a style. For fantasy illustrator Djamila Knopf, it can all be traced back to watching Sailor Moon for the first time. “The minute that intro came on I was completely mesmerised,” she explains. “To my five-year-old self, the colours, the style, the story, the transformation scenes – it was all perfect. From then on, I drew Sailor Moon fan art non-stop and tried to emulate the style.”

ART AS ALTERNATE REALITY

Today Djamila describes her work as evoking a “sense of wonder and nostalgia”, which sounds like a fitting way of carrying forward her formative anime experience. “I use colours that are far from realistic and so they create a more dream-like, alternate reality.”

Freelance illustrator Toni Infante had a similar experience upon discovering manga. “Dragon Ball was probably the first one I came across,” he says. ”Seeing those powerful characters with weird hair really left an impression on me. I think it’s still easy to see the influence of Dragon Ball writer and illustrator Akira Toriyama on my style, which includes plenty of dynamic shapes and angles.”

CAREER OPTIONS

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2019 من ImagineFX.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2019 من ImagineFX.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من IMAGINEFX مشاهدة الكل
PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK
ImagineFX

PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK

Warhammer illustrator THOMAS ELLIOTT shows you how to create an epic science fiction fight scene with this step-by-step guide

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025
CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS
ImagineFX

CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS

Daria Anako demonstrates her process for creating a whimsical piece of art with some spellbinding touches

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025
First Impressions
ImagineFX

First Impressions

We discover the early influences that inspired the artist

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2025
ZBrush for iPad
ImagineFX

ZBrush for iPad

GAME CHANGER The desktop version of popular 3D sculpting software ZBrush has been redesigned for iPad - and it's brilliant

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
BenQ GW2786TC
ImagineFX

BenQ GW2786TC

GET AN EYEFUL Don't scrimp out on your health with a monitor that's kind on the eyes and good for creative tasks

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
Huion Kamvas Pro 19
ImagineFX

Huion Kamvas Pro 19

TABLET WARS An attractive pen display does an excellent job of balancing price and performance as it sets out to challenge its rivals in the mobile marketplace

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
DRAGON OFORCEC
ImagineFX

DRAGON OFORCEC

Legendary D&D artist Larry Elmore explains the keys to crafting timeless fantasy art.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
DUNGEON MASTERS
ImagineFX

DUNGEON MASTERS

ImagineFX marks the milestone 50th anniversary of the launch of Dungeons & Dragons with a look at its rich tradition of illustration

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025
Erik Ly
ImagineFX

Erik Ly

Gamer's haven Why the artist enjoys a maximalist aesthetic more than the minimalist approach.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging
ImagineFX

2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging

Interdimensional As VFX and animation evolve and tools become more accessible, Tanya Combrinck asks whether the separation between the mediums is reducing

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025