Finding Your Art Style: My Progress Report
Have you ever looked at your artwork and felt something was missing? That’s exactly where I found myself last year! The journey of developing art style isn’t always straightforward, but it’s incredibly rewarding. As someone who’s been documenting my creative journey, I wanted to share my progress report with you. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your existing style, this post will explore the ups and downs of artistic growth and provide practical insights from my own experience.
What Exactly Is an Art Style?
An art style is like your creative fingerprint—a distinctive way you express yourself that makes your work recognizably yours. Think of it as the unique combination of techniques, subject preferences, color choices, and emotional qualities that appear consistently across your body of work. Developing art style isn’t about finding a formula to repeat, but rather uncovering your authentic artistic voice.
Many artists confuse technique with style. Technique refers to the specific skills and methods you use to create art—like crosshatching, glazing, or perspective drawing. Style, however, emerges from how you uniquely apply these techniques and which you naturally gravitate toward. It’s the difference between knowing how to paint realistically (technique) and choosing to exaggerate certain features in your portraits (style).
Your art style evolves organically through consistent practice. As you create more work, patterns naturally emerge—preferred color palettes, recurring motifs, or characteristic linework. These unconscious choices are often the building blocks of your developing style. The more you create, the more these elements refine themselves.
Ironically, actively forcing yourself to adopt a specific style often backfires. Many artists experience creative blocks when they attempt to fit their work into a predetermined aesthetic. True style development happens when you focus on making art that excites you rather than trying to look a particular way.
Finding your balance between inspiration and imitation is crucial. Study artists you admire, but avoid directly copying them. Instead, analyze what elements resonate with you and why, then incorporate those influences thoughtfully into your own creative expression. I quote Oscar Wilde: ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.’
My Starting Point: Identifying Influences
When I began my journey of developing art style, I realized I needed to first understand what attracted me to certain artwork. I started by creating a folder of pieces that made me stop scrolling—art that gave me that immediate “wow” reaction. Rather than just collecting pretty images, I took time to analyze why each piece resonated with me. Was it the color palette? The composition? The emotional impact? The subject matter?
I converted this digital collection into a tangible visual mood board—printing images and arranging them on my studio wall. This physical representation allowed me to step back and observe patterns I hadn’t noticed before. Some artists used bold linework that I loved, while others created atmosphere through subtle color transitions. Having these references visible during my creative sessions subtly influenced my work without direct copying.
As I studied my collection, clear patterns emerged. I consistently gravitated toward high contrast, bold and bright color palettes, and slightly exaggerated proportions. I found myself drawn to art that combined realistic rendering with unexpected elements of abstraction and stylization. I love to find little worlds hidden within my work that can be then interpreted into recognizable motifs. I these discoveries weren’t about finding a style to copy but identifying elements that spoke to my aesthetic sensibilities.
I purposely sought diverse influences beyond my comfort zone—exploring artists from different cultures, time periods, and mediums. Historical patterns like Toile de Jouy. What Is Toile? and why is named Jouy? Every wonder where indigo comes from? Pursuing knowledge about these elements really helps to build on your creative diversity and opens new doors to explore. I highly recommend this book: “Urban Watercolor Sketching” by: Felix Scheinberger. It’s a great book about watercolor techniques and color but so much more. Felix Scheinberger — Illustration
This breadth prevented my developing art style from becoming derivative of a single influence. I discovered that combining elements from abstract art, classical painting, and contemporary digital work created something more uniquely mine.
The most significant breakthrough came when I stopped trying to emulate others and instead focused on what felt natural in my own hand. I connected with my authentic voice when I finally gave myself permission to create without judgment—letting my natural tendencies shine through rather than forcing something that didn’t feel true to me. I can also say that this released a lot of stress on me to just “produce” something. Instead, I gave myself permission to literally “Play” everyday.
Experimentation: The Heart of Style Development
Developing art style requires stepping outside your comfort zone, which is why experimentation became the cornerstone of my journey. I set aside time each day to “play “. I just love creating, so for me it’s easy to make time for it. I try mediums and techniques without pressure to create finished work. I explored everything from traditional charcoal and watercolors to digital procreate brushes and even coffee stains! Each medium taught me something new about my preferences and natural tendencies.
What surprised me most was discovering how creative constraints actually enhanced my developing style. When I limited myself to just three colors or a single type of mark-making, I was forced to solve visual problems more creatively. These limitations prevented me from falling back on comfortable habits and pushed me to develop distinctive approaches. For instance, I have a known bad habit of overworking a design. So, I have been focusing on doing lots of editing. Restricting myself to using only dots for a week led me to develop a unique stippling technique that’s now characteristic of my work.
The most transformative experiment so far was to challenge myself to a “100 drawings” challenge. I recently committed to creating 100 small sketches/patterns design/doodles each day and each one different. I can say that first few were predictable, drawing on familiar techniques. But each day has brough out a new vision and although this is still in the beginning stages, I am so excited to see where I will end up. Fingers crossed; I’m trusting the process!! Hope you will check it out as well. http://www.instagram.com/design2repeat
Through this experimentation, I am finding joy in approaches I’d previously dismissed. Collage, which I’d always viewed as “not real art,” became one of my favorite techniques for adding texture and depth to my compositions. As I mentioned in my From Initial Sketch to Pattern Collection sometimes limitations lead to the most significant breakthroughs in your artistic growth.
Recognizing Patterns in My Work
A few months into my dedicated practice, I began noticing certain elements appearing consistently across my art without conscious intent. I gravitated toward certain color combinations even when starting with different palettes. These recurring elements weren’t planned—they were simply my hand and eye making natural choices that felt right to me.
These unconscious patterns are particularly significant in developing art style because they reveal your authentic artistic voice. Unlike deliberately adopted techniques, these natural tendencies emerge from something deeper—your unique way of seeing and interpreting the world. When I stopped fighting these patterns and instead leaned into them, my work began to feel more cohesive and distinctly mine.
Feedback from trusted peers provided invaluable perspective on my developing style. Often, others recognized consistent elements in my work long before I did. One friend pointed out my distinctive way of handling negative space, which I hadn’t consciously noticed but now intentionally incorporate as part of my visual language.
Perhaps most importantly, I learned to embrace “happy accidents” as style signifiers. That unusual texture created when my paper got wet? The odd color interaction when I mixed pigments incorrectly? Instead of seeing these as mistakes, I began cataloging them as potential signature elements that made my work uniquely mine. Additionally, I learned what I liked and didn’t like about my work. This has helped me focus on my style verse just random topics.
Intentional Practice vs. Organic Growth
The journey of developing art style requires navigating the delicate balance between structured practice and spontaneous exploration. I discovered that dedicating certain sessions to deliberate skill-building (like anatomy studies or perspective exercises) while reserving others for playful experimentation created the ideal environment for my style to flourish. This dual approach ensured I was building technical foundations while allowing creative intuition to guide my artistic expression. Courses for creatives! Domestika courses helped broaden my scope and I was able to try new techniques. https://www.domestika.org/en
My art journal became an invaluable tool for tracking my style development over time. Unlike finished pieces where I felt pressure to perform, these informal pages became a safe space to experiment without judgment. I dated each entry and occasionally wrote brief notes about my intentions or feelings. Flipping through these journals reveals a visual timeline of my evolving aesthetic choices—from early, hesitant marks to more confident, distinctive expressions that now characterize my work. One of my favorites sketchbooks (currently using in my 100 Day Challege) is . IT has held up to some serious work…..mediums from India Ink, watercolors, arcylic and pencil so far so good 10/10
Setting meaningful goals without restricting creative freedom proved challenging but essential. Rather than focusing on outcome-based targets (“create art that looks like X”), I established process-oriented objectives (“explore five different ways to render shadows” or “complete twenty small studies”). This approach directed my growth while leaving room for unexpected discoveries that ultimately shaped my unique style.
My progress wasn’t immediately apparent day-to-day, but looking back over six-month intervals revealed significant evolution. The most noticeable shifts happened around the eight-month and fourteen-month marks, where distinct elements of my current style suddenly crystallized after periods of consistent practice.
Perhaps the most important lesson was accepting that artistic growth isn’t linear. I experienced exciting breakthroughs followed by frustrating plateaus where my work seemed stagnant. Understanding this natural rhythm helped me persist through difficult periods, trusting that these apparent setbacks were actually essential integration phases in developing my authentic artistic voice.
Common Challenges in Style Development
The path of developing art style is rarely smooth, and comparison has been my most persistent obstacle. Social media makes it dangerously easy to measure my progress against others’, often triggering imposter syndrome—that nagging feeling that my work isn’t “unique enough” or that I’m somehow faking it. I’ve learned to combat this by limiting social media browsing to specific times and following artists who inspire rather than intimidate me. Most importantly, I remind myself that every artist I admire once stood exactly where I stand now.
Creative plateaus hit me several times throughout my journey. These frustrating periods—where nothing seems to improve despite consistent practice—are actually crucial incubation phases. When facing a plateau, I’ve found it helpful to temporarily shift to a completely different medium or subject matter. This mental “palette cleanser” often unblocks progress in unexpected ways. After two weeks of sculpting during a painting plateau, I returned to my canvas with fresh insights about form and dimension.
During slow progress periods, maintaining motivation requires intentional strategies. I created a “wins” folder containing positive feedback and personal favorite pieces that I review when feeling discouraged. Setting smaller, achievable goals also helps—instead of “develop a distinctive style,” I aim for “experiment with five new mark-making techniques this week.”
One of the trickiest aspects of style development involves balancing audience expectations with authentic personal expression. Early positive responses to certain elements can tempt you to overemphasize these at the expense of natural growth. I’ve established a practice of creating some work purely for myself—pieces no one else sees—to maintain my creative integrity.
Perhaps most transformative was reframing “mistakes” as style opportunities. That unusual color bleeding or unexpected texture that initially seemed like a failure? These “accidents” often become the most distinctive elements of developing art style. My now-signature approach to depicting foliage originated from a “failed” experiment with splatter techniques that I initially considered ruined. By embracing rather than correcting these deviations, I’ve discovered some of my most authentic creative expressions.
Final Thoughts
Developing art style is a deeply personal journey that combines intentional practice with organic discovery. Looking back at my own path, I can see how both methodical study and spontaneous play contributed equally to finding my artistic voice. There were moments of frustration where I felt my work lacked cohesion, followed by unexpected breakthroughs that seemed to arrive precisely when I stopped searching so desperately.
What I’ve learned most clearly is that authentic style can’t be forced—it emerges gradually through consistent creation and thoughtful reflection. The exercises and approaches I’ve shared in this progress report aren’t prescriptive formulas but rather invitations to explore your own creative instincts. Some strategies that transformed my practice might not resonate with you, while techniques I’ve overlooked might become central to your expression.
The timeline of style development varies tremendously from artist to artist. Some discover their distinctive approach within months, while others evolve continuously over decades. Neither path is superior—they simply reflect different creative journeys. What matters most is maintaining curiosity and compassion toward your own artistic growth.
Remember that developing art style isn’t about arriving at a fixed destination but embracing an ongoing evolution. Even established artists continue refining and reimagining their approach as they grow. Give yourself permission to change, experiment, and occasionally struggle as you nurture your creative voice.
I truly believe that honest self-expression is what connects most deeply with viewers. As you continue developing your unique style, I’d love to see where your journey is taking you! Share your work or questions in the comments below—our community thrives when we learn from each other’s experiences.
Happy creating,
Jacqui
