Drawing is very versatile. On the one hand, we admire the realistic images of the world around us, and on the other hand, we enjoy its distortions. At least some kinds of distortion. What is the difference between your unrealistic drawing and an unrealistic work of art created by a professional?
Are there any rules of unreality that need to be followed? And how do you create your own professional style?
We conclude our series of tutorials on How to learn to draw with the most difficult-to-understand practical skill. This time I won’t be able to tell you exactly what to do – it will be more of a series of suggestions you can use on your development path.
What is style, and why is it needed?
Before you get started, check out my old article, Realism, Photorealism, and Style in Painting, where I explained in detail what style is. Understanding this theme is critical to creating your style.
Let’s compare drawing with another line-drawing skill you already have – writing. They both convey meaning through visual representation. And although there is only one value, there are many ways to pass it.
When you learn to write, you first learn how to hold a pencil/pen properly and create meaningless strokes with it (stage 1). Then you simply copy the symbols that already make sense (step 2) with precision.
Later, you learn to transfer words from your head to paper so that others understand them (stage 3). You will eventually find your way of writing – fast, effortless, to match the natural rhythm of your hand (step 4).
Another great way of learning painting is through video calls with people with some skills. You can find a community of people who will be eager to share their skills with each other without charging any fees. Thus you can create a zoom meeting and invite them to have a video call and share their talents. It is another simple and easy way to learn tips and tricks from your peers.
Do you have style?
The general meaning of “style” is “a well-developed, unique, recognizable style.” That’s why the expression “She has style!” is a compliment, not a statement of the apparent fact. There is nothing unusual about having style. This means that certain features appear in your drawings intentionally or not.
Style is based on rules. This is the only way to become something. If you can’t describe something, it doesn’t exist anywhere – neither in reality nor in your head. Therefore, the more random elements in your “style,” the less style it is. For example, if each of your wolves has different anatomy, it’s not a style; it’s a guessing game.
Styles are not good or bad by definition. “Bad style” is a subjective definition. For you, Picasso’s paintings may be the wrong style. You prefer realism. At the same time, there is a “lack of style, ” which will already be judged objectively. First, this is the percentage of randomness in your style.
Test yourself: draw something today and the same thing in a week. The less similar the drawings, the less style you have. The example doesn’t have to be as contrasty as the one in the picture above.
If the width of the neck has changed or the eyes are located differently, you paint spontaneously. You can consider looking for a guide to drawing eyes by BIOWARS, as you can get some tips and tricks and add them to your own style.
Drawing vs. writing comparison skill
As you can see, there is no difference between these two skills. This means that you already have your own style – writing style. The quality of the writing does not affect the ability to draw – for example, my handwriting is not clear even to me! The real similarity lies in the source of style.
Your handwriting is a distorted version of the original letters you studied years ago. You distorted them not because you didn’t like them – it happened “by the way” when you were trying to speed up.
You did it without even thinking. You weren’t looking for ways to connect letters faster or change their shape for writing fluency. Even now, it would be difficult for you to describe the elements of your style from memory!
The only reason this happened was that you wanted to convey the meaning in the fastest and most convenient way. Although you have been taught to write letters of certain shapes, you have found that they are understandable even if they are changed. Of course, there are some limitations in operation.
Painting as a business
If you have learned painting through educational videos, you can start your business in the field. Do not feel overwhelmed with all the organizational stuff, as you can always hire a virtual assistant from the United Kingdom who can help you with all the organizational parts and other tasks. If you are creative, then you can be more flexible.
Nowadays, there are many businesses that offer different kinds of paintings at high prices. You can be creative and have adequate price ranges, and attract more people. As a beginner, you need to have a guide for your buyers so they can understand how they can use your services and trust you.
Again if you think it is too early for you to start an e-commerce business, you can always start with the educational factor. Start teaching people how to paint and share your skills with them. You can settle a small amount of money to charge and teach them to have some self-image representation.
There is available scheduling software for education businesses that allows them to organize and schedule tasks easily. You are no longer alone and there are many online tools that you can use and have the maximum benefits.
Creativity and design
There is a reason why the most pronounced styles come from cartoons and comics. When you want to create a cartoon, you need to draw dozens of the same pictures for a simple movement. That’s why the style you use should be easy to reproduce.
It’s the same with comics – if you want to tell a story, you must draw the characters many times. It would be pointless to spend hours on each section, knowing that readers will skim through them in a matter of seconds.
These styles seem more manageable and, thus, more enjoyable for beginners. By applying a couple of simple rules, you can create drawings with a clear meaning and even hide the inability to draw realistically. In other words, these styles ensure that your pictures look professional with minimal effort.
That’s why cartoon and manga styles are so popular. They offer simple rules you can follow to create a drawing – a drawing that looks like it was made by an experienced artist, although the process it was based on is entirely different.
Final notes
Learning painting from educational videos is easy, and if you are eager to learn how to paint, surely you can succeed. The essential thing is your motivation and not listening to the people who say painting is only a talent. It is still a skill you can get quickly if you work hard on yourself and create your own style. Do not be afraid to be bold and authentic with your style.