# What's your "style"?



## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

I still haven't found a style that I can say is my style of painting. I've been musing through pictures and you know how you can tell who made a picture before you even check the name. That's what I want a style that is recognizable. Well it's only been a year and I'm still developing basic skills so I guess it's early in the game. 

One thing I know is I love using Oil paint even with all it's draw backs so that is part of my style. Other than that I'm very inconsistent with my paintings. Landscapes, seascapes, animals, people, even done some still life pictures. 

Just kind of thinking about it and would love to here about your thoughts on your style.


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

My style. That's an interesting question. I don't think I have figured it out yet. I mean I am not focused on hyperrealism..my work doesn't fit in the traditional "cowboy art" category..It's not illustrative (meaning it wouldn't translate well into print)..

I honestly don't think I have been really compared to anybody else. Maybe because I developed my own drawing technique on my own and my influences were sort of broad and I just pick up what I like from a variety of places to make it my own? I have an idol (Wesley Dennis) but I never really studied the "masters" until I was in college and by that point I had already hit the path I am currently on...When you look at my drawings I think it's hard to tell who influenced me because I had a lot of influences. 

My style is recognizable because it's unique to me but I don't think it really fits into a category.


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

As I think about it though...the style I want is not so much a style. If that makes sense. The reason I loved Wesley Dennis so much (aside from adoring every flipping book he illustrated for Marguerite Henry) was not based on his artistic talent. Yes he was a talented man..but there were others who had a higher level of technical skill..what he had was the incredible ability to bring his artwork to life. His animals and his people held so much emotion. You could look at the picture and feel you knew the people he was drawing and what they were going through. His gift was bringing his art to the people and having them "get it"..It wasn't cold and stiff. His animal drawings - they had personality. He excelled with dogs in my opinion. His horse drawings were technically "eh" however you noticed the emotion of his horses long before you caught the technical imperfections. That's pretty hard to do in my opinion.

His drawings were alive and so full of character.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

I agree capturing the emotions is what it is all about when painting or drawing a live subject. Technical is definitely secondary. I don't consider what I do as realistic because I like to take 'artistic license' with pictures, especially landscapes and exaggerate the colors. I love color -- lot's of color. But I'm not into abstract, not that I don't love looking at it Adinon's pictures blow me away and I can look at them all day. I just can't do that stuff my brain doesn't work like that. 

I never studied art in school. My degree is in computer science and business -- I know you would never had guess that with how non-savvy I am on the computer these days. Truth is the technology has changed so much it's like I know nothing about computers anymore. When I was in school we used punch cards to load our programs. We didn't even have monitors yet.

I have such a desire to learn more techniques to discover what works for me. I am planning to take an online course after the summer. I'm definitely going to start that cabin after I get home from the grocery store. My biggest problem with doing houses is getting the angels of corners correct. I'm going to see about using a compass on this picture and see if it helps...it should.

I think I might post a new thread asking how others get their angels right.


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

I think as you progress and as you pick up bits and pieces from other artists your style will develop naturally. It's not something I would worry about a whole lot. I say do what you enjoy..in time you will get better and your art will develop it's own life. 

I understand about the computers. When I first started on computers it was hooked to a tv..then I had an apple 2gs and did basic programing on huge monster IBM with floppy disks. Amazing how far technology has, and continues to, advance. I started off in college with a scholarship in art..wound up with a Bachelor of science in Natural Resources specializing in wildlife biology. Kind of a far cry from an art degree.

Drawing in perspective is the best method for buildings and structures and pretty much anything actually.


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

I am so glad u brought that up!! I'm on Instagram a lot, and I follow several wonderful artists that have this unique style, whether it's a particular type of flower that is consistently drawn, to only using pastels. It makes me want my own "style", but I'm still learning so much, plus I'm a little ADD sometimes about different media. I just want to know all of it now. 😁


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## Toriya (Jun 2, 2015)

TerryCurley, If you think You haven't found your style, you have it is still there. And I really like. Some mistakes in the pictures give personality and your unique style. I want to tell about my style. First I learned to paint with oil in a realistic style. Then I found him. I would call it naive art. I switched to acrylic painting in a decorative style and felt that I belong to the soul.


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## Bushcraftonfire (Apr 22, 2015)

In My Opinion (which isn't worth an awful lot.. LOL)...

Forget trying to find your style.. After you paint (draw, etc) 100 - 200 pieces.. your style will be there. I think if you *TRY *to find a style.. your work will suffer. There are some who have tried to make their style like some other famous artist.. and they never became who *THEY *are meant to be.We don't need another Rembrandt.. We need a Terry.. or a Chanda.. or a Leighann..


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## Toriya (Jun 2, 2015)

Bushcraftonfire said:


> In My Opinion (which isn't worth an awful lot.. LOL)...
> 
> Forget trying to find your style.. After you paint (draw, etc) 100 - 200 pieces.. your style will be there. I think if you *TRY *to find a style.. your work will suffer. There are some who have tried to make their style like some other famous artist.. and they never became who *THEY *are meant to be.We don't need another Rembrandt.. We need a Terry.. or a Chanda.. or a Leighann..


Find your style is to draw in a way that inspires you. The Rembrandt is not necessary. You need to feel yourself. This point comes only after experimenting in painting. Their own experiments. Then the artist begins to love his paintings. Appears the individuality, style. And in this case, viewers also love his paintings. Increasing in popularity. .


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## SuddenLife (Jun 2, 2015)

I'd say my style would best be described as rough yet realistic; I don't go out of my way to add every single little detail when the suggestion works - though sometimes it can be fun to work out every tiny bit - but it's still usually recognizable enough. I also have a tendency to use a lot of brown and muddy colours. So there's that. :')


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## Sorin (Jun 15, 2015)

Don't worry about it. Kinda like bowls of candy... We old foggies are running out but you kids have full bowls to enjoy!


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## Eddieblz (Jun 15, 2013)

Bushcraftonfire said:


> In My Opinion (which isn't worth an awful lot.. LOL)...
> 
> Forget trying to find your style.. After you paint (draw, etc) 100 - 200 pieces.. your style will be there. I think if you *TRY *to find a style.. your work will suffer. There are some who have tried to make their style like some other famous artist.. and they never became who *THEY *are meant to be.We don't need another Rembrandt.. We need a Terry.. or a Chanda.. or a Leighann..


That is exactly right. My style is I keep the lead side down and the eraser side up. Or what ever medium I'm using. U get the *point*.


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## Mark Lane (Jun 24, 2015)

*Finally found a style*

Years (decades!) ago I used to do pastel seascapes, and just recently I got back into art, spent a couple of hundred quid on the full range of promarkers and decided to try caricatures...but now I have decided to concentrate on scribbled pen portraits, I really enjoy doing them! This will be my style for the foreseeable future, I think. Got all me promarkers stashed in case I veer off at some point 

Here's my latest.

https://500px.com/photo/112900225/lines-of-wisdom-by-mark-?from=user


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## Susan Mulno (Apr 13, 2015)

Nice work!


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## Mark Lane (Jun 24, 2015)

Susan Mulno said:


> Nice work!


Thanks Sue!


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

Mark Lane said:


> Years (decades!) ago I used to do pastel seascapes, and just recently I got back into art, spent a couple of hundred quid on the full range of promarkers and decided to try caricatures...but now I have decided to concentrate on scribbled pen portraits, I really enjoy doing them! This will be my style for the foreseeable future, I think. Got all me promarkers stashed in case I veer off at some point
> 
> Here's my latest.
> 
> https://500px.com/photo/112900225/lines-of-wisdom-by-mark-?from=user


 Your work is really good. You have a lot of talent.


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

I'm not sure I will ever have a certain "style". I like to switch things up too often. I did nothing but sketches for a bit, then veered off onto Mandalas, and now I'm dabbling in watercolors. There's just too many mediums out there I haven't tried.


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