[Sara Gómez Woolley]

Week 2 reading of the semester is from:

Inside the Business of Illustration by Heller and Arisman

You will find Chapter 2 in FILES, located to the upper right of the screen.

Please Read discuss:
What are your take-aways from the chapter. Were there any statements or pieces of information that stuck out or were surprising to you?

We will continue the discussion in class.

• This topic was modified 8 months ago by Sara Gómez Woolley.

[Stephanie Erazo]

In this chapter, what stood out was how people struggle to find their style and often adopt someone else’s. Many artists and illustrators get inspired by the work of others who came before them. Learning from and trying to copy the techniques and styles of artists you admire to get better at your craft is normal. But you should be careful not to let that influence take over too much and make your work unoriginal. Keeping your unique voice and style in your creations is essential. One of my favorite artists developed his unique style by amalgamating his influences and inspirations from other artists he admired. I always felt like I had to rush to find my style. While it’s important to improve your craft, it’s also essential to take breaks. Sometimes, that’s all you need. Give yourself time to soak in all influences and fully explore your artistic identity.

[Layla_Flores]

This chapter addressed the different styles there are and how one can form a style without copying. Looking to others for inspiration is good as long as you don’t take on too many of that art style’s characteristics. The process of finding your style is important not only so that your art can be identified easily but so that you can experiment as well. Once an artist finds their style they often stick to it and dont experiment beyond it. This can stop them from progressing their art and get them stuck. It’s difficult for artists since they can get overwhelmed by trying to find their style when it will most likely find them over time.

[Anthony Bermejo Vazquez]

Reading this chapter opened my eyes because I myself am struggling to really solidify my own style, growing up I drew exclusively Dragon Ball and Pokemon without any regard to what I could do for myself, For a long time all I did was just copy and paste and while it did get me compliments and the sort it did always leave me feeling a bit empty inside, Come late middle school I really started to branch out more as all I drew were dragons. The reason I bring this up is because in the chapter it is stated that when an illustrator is purely a stylist the work lacks emotion and often times the work they receive will also come out soulless and while visually appealing it is not them. To find a style in my opinion is to keep evolving not just as an artist but as a person, find new experiences to bring forward in your artwork and finally just try to keep moving forward.

[antigonebuzhala]

In this chapter, what stood out to me the most is how we create a style. Sometimes artists, especially young artists and students, rush to find their own style by being influenced by the art of others, which can turn out to be very similar and can be plagiarism. As stated in this chapter, style is developed by being influenced by the art of others, but it must be unique. Also, is important that the style evolves and adapts to demands of the buyers because if we are always the same we become monotonous, this does not mean changing the style, but adopting commercial elements.

[Stephanie Erazo]

Hi Anthony!

I understand. I also copied or drew the same characters or cartoons as a kid. Looking back, it was necessary to overcome that phase. It helped me discover my passion for illustration and improve my drawing skills. While it may not be the ideal way to find your style, it’s a good starting point to enhance and explore your interests.

[Sebastian Chapman]

This reading was an anxiety trip for me. Style is something I was not concerned with at all and since the beginning of this semester it has become an overpowering voice in my head. Seems that the answer is to just keep drawing and creating since there is no exact formula to it; this brings some peace of mind. I am happy that Stephanie shared her experience because that makes me feel like I’m on the right track and maybe I don’t have to worry so much. I think it would be hard to be relevant with only one style since trends are so intense nowadays and my mind can’t wrap around a style that would work for everything.