A Question of Style

In my illustration classes at Syracuse (which feels like a long, long time ago) I felt like I needed to find a style to call my own and be known for, before I graduated. Our professors put some emphasis on finding your style and I was surrounded by artists who had found their niche aesthetic, but for me it seemed to be tough sledding. I had many influences and styles I was drawn to, but in the end it was the sheer fear of graduation that pushed me in a good (not great) direction.

At the time, there was only one digital illustration class provided and it really was more of a graphic design course. On my own and in the final semester (with real life looming) I decided to scan in my ink drawings and play with them in Photoshop. These drawings were the kind that only existed in the margins of my sketchbook, rarely seeing daylight and never a college level critique. At the same time a great friend of mine had written a children’s book for one of her Elementary Education classes and needed an Illustrator. I went to one of my favorite professors/illustrators (Roger Demuth) and begged to do this project instead of the final project he had assigned (probably something to do with flying weasels, mandolins and pop-culture… what a class). He said yes, mostly because it required me to do a total of 16 full color illustrations, rather than his tame 2-3. The perfect storm of fear, creativity and a friend’s book pushed me into a style I really enjoyed working in.

I showed Roger the book dummy and his excitement about it pushed me to adopt this look as my “style.” A couple of months after graduation and I was working as the marketing coordinator at a camp and retreat center and then as a youth pastor at a nearby church. I took a break from illustration for a long while. I didn’t even draw much for a couple of years. Youth ministry is draining work and I found little time to dig back into art.

When I returned to illustration, my aesthetic had shifted and my style had grown stale. I felt like I was in my final semester again, groping about for a look and a way to work that was clearly me and somewhat marketable. The last year and a half has been spent flopping around trying to figure it all out. My poor portfolio was a mix of styles (which most professionals will tell you lessens your ability to land clients).

With the freelance world a few months away, my aesthetic is more refined and I feel like I’m fairly close to hitting the mark I’m after. If someone (like an art director) were to ask me about style, I would use words like: Loose, Textured, Collage, Fun/Retro, Color. Can I put those things into a workable sentence or does my portfolio accurately represent those words?

Umm… Good thing I still have some time, huh?

(Questions for you, potential illustrator: Do you have a style? How did you arrive there? Do you market that style exclusively? Comments welcome.)

This is where I ramble on and you tell me about it below. Ok, I actually hope to do more than ramble, but the jury is still out.