Discover Your Signature Style: 3 Exercises to Unlock Your Inner Artist

1. Discover Your Signature Style: 3 Exercises to Unlock Your Inner Artist: My name is Keri Cantwell and I'm an illustrator, surface designer, and educator. If I asked you to draw something, what would you do? Would you pull up Instagram and Pinterest and see how other artists draw things? It's okay if you answered yes to that question. As artists, it's impossible not to be inspired and influenced by the art that we see around us every day. But if you want to stand out and you want your art to be recognizable, even without your name on it, then you will want to develop a signature style. I'm going to help you get closer to doing that in this class. I'm going to teach you the three key elements that make up a signature style and I'll show you how to start identifying which motifs, mediums, and moods resonate with you. I will also show you how to create art that looks consistent and cohesive from one piece to another, and how to connect with different art styles. By defining who you are, what your beliefs are, and the aesthetics that you find pleasing, you can unlock the signature style that already exists within you. It's what shines through in all of your work and differentiates you from other artists. This class is for any visual creative, whether you're an illustrator, pattern designer, fine artist, who's interested in developing their signature style. This is a beginner friendly class and it's also great for artists at any point along their journey who are looking to define their signature style. You don't need any prior knowledge or special tools to take this class. For this class, I'm giving you two super helpful workbooks that will teach you how to identify and switch up key elements that make up a signature style and how to achieve consistency in your art. The workbooks also have a ton of great ideas to get you inspired and excited about making art and they'll help you discover your true inner artist. By the end of this class, you'll have a fresh perspective on a style that resonates with you and you'll have a guide for identifying and defining what makes your art uniquely you. Are you ready to jump in? Let's do this. [MUSIC] 2. Class Project: [MUSIC] For the class project, create and share 1-3 pieces of art exploring motifs, mediums, and moods that resonate with you. Use the class workbooks for three helpful exercises plus get inspiration and ideas. Go ahead and grab the free workbook that's included with this class by heading down below this video to the Projects and Resources tab. You'll find it under resources on the right and you can download it directly from here. This workbook has the three class project exercises plus excellent tools to help you discover your inner artist. You can also snag my bonus workbook, which will help you dive more in-depth into motifs, mediums, and moods and it has a ton of great ideas to inspire you and get you excited about making art. It also includes themes you can explore and some fun art prompts to get your creative juices flowing. You can grab the bonus workbook for free by heading down to the About tab below. It's a link in the class description. For the class project, you'll be creating 1-3 pieces of art. Now, when I said that, what was your gut reaction? What tools did you reach for? What motifs did you imagine? What color palettes were you envisioning? I want you to pay attention to that. I want you to pick a motif that you want to draw, a medium that you want to work in, and think about a mood that you want to evoke with a specific color palette and create something. Choose a motif. For instance, you could draw a cat or a tree, a bicycle or a person. Choose a medium, whether it's watercolor or digital or something else, and pick a mood or a color palette that you like. You don't have to overthink it. Don't spend more than about an hour. Then I want you to share it with us in the project gallery. Just head down below. Click on the Projects and Resources tab and click on the green button on the right that says Create Project. I really want to emphasize that this does not have to be perfect. This is an exploration for you and you'll be sharing it because we all want to learn from each other. Don't worry about whether or not your work is exactly as you want it to look in the end. Don't think about whether or not you would want to sell this work, etc. Just explore and play around with motif, medium, and mood. The point of this class project is to get you comfortable and used to focusing on motif, medium, and mood when you create art. That way, you will be able to start defining your signature style, your signature motifs that you love creating, the signature medium that you love working in, or the color palettes that evoke the moods that you want to evoke. Now, if you want, you can stop there and be super proud of yourself for completing the class project. If you want to go a bit further into your exploration on signature style, try Exercises 2 and 3. These will help you focus more on what you want to create and how you want to create it, which will get you closer to defining your signature style. For Exercise 2, I want you to create another piece of art. But switch up one of the three elements, motif, medium, or mood. Here's an example of how you can switch up just the motif. If you originally drew a bicycle motif using a digital medium and you used a soft muted color palette to create an ethereal relaxing mood, try drawing a different motif, like a hat for instance, but use the same digital medium you used for the bicycle and use the same color palette to evoke the same mood you did with the colors you used in the bicycle. Here's an example of how you can switch up just the medium. If you want to switch up just the medium, try creating the same motif using the same colors but use different tools. If you originally digitally drew a cat motif using simple black as your color or mood, try drawing another cat using a different medium like ink. You're getting off your computer and exploring a hand done medium instead. Here is an example of how you can switch up just the mood. You could try switching up the mood by changing some of your colors to evoke a different mood. For instance, if you originally created a tree motif using a digital medium and bright colors, try creating another tree motif using a digital medium, but use more muted colors. Then you've stuck with the same motif, a tree, and the same medium, which is digital, but you've changed the mood of your art by switching up the color palette. You're employing the rule of two. You're keeping two of those three things consistent. Remember, the three key elements that we discuss in this class are motif, medium, and mood. Don't forget to share the art you created for Exercise 2 in the project gallery. If you want to try Exercise 3, create one more piece of art that's related to the art you created in Exercises 1 and 2, but this time try switching up a different one of those three key elements that make up a signature style. If for Exercise 2 you tried a different medium like ink, but you stuck with the same motif, a cat, and mood, black, then for Exercise 3, try switching up motif this time. Try creating another animal. You're switching up the motif, but it's related and stick with the same medium you used for Exercise 1, which is digital, and the same color you used for Exercises 1 and 2, which was black. This exercise is really going to get your creative juices flowing and will help you learn how to focus on consistency from one piece of art to another. That's what signature style is all about. Don't forget to share your third piece of art from Exercise 3 in the project gallery. I want you to play around with mixing and matching motifs, mediums, and moods as much as you want, and you can share as many drawings as you want with the class. But I want you to try to remember to stick to a rule of two. Try to keep two of those three elements consistent. You might notice that you do have a signature style that is emerging through the art that you're creating. Now that you've drawn three things, I want you to look at which motifs, mediums, and moods you chose, which ones resonate most with you? Do you see yourself using these going forward, or do you not like these very much? Let me tell you guys a little story. When I first started creating art, I actually used a lot of muted colors because I thought those were more sophisticated, I guess, and because they felt more sophisticated. But the thing is, I really like youthful vibrant things and I love bright colors and I'm a pretty outgoing person, as you can probably tell. Once I started using a color palette that resonated more with me, which is brighter colors, my art started feeling more authentic. I just want you to ask yourself questions like that and the workbooks will help you with a lot of this. I want you to also remember that if you don't like what you're doing, that's okay. I want you to keep trying. Try different motifs, different mediums, different moods, different color palettes, and see what you like. It's really through experimentation that you will start deciding and discovering what you like. In this class, I'm focusing on drawing because that's how I work. If you're a visual artist, chances are you most likely do start a lot of your art projects with concept sketches, but you can absolutely approach this project in any way you see fit. I cannot wait to see what you come up with. 3. 3 Key Elements of Signature Style: [MUSIC] I define signature style with three key terms. Motif, medium and mood. Motif is the subject of or the recurring theme in the art. Some artists are known for their organic florals, others are known for their characters or the people they draw and others are known for abstract shapes. Medium is the way something was created. Some examples of medium would be paint, digital, pen and ink, watercolor, to name just a few. The medium is what creates the overall look of the art. Whether it's crisp and smooth or soft and wispy, whether it's line-work versus solid shapes and whether it's textured or flat. Medium can also describe how something looks like it was created. Even if something was created digitally, it can be made to look textured and hand done. Medium is really fun to play with because there are an infinite number of ways to create. Software like Procreate and Adobe Photoshop, just to name a few, have amazing tools to help you make digital art look less digital and more natural. Mood is the meaning of the art and the feeling the art conveys. Mood can be achieved through a message and through color. Is the art telling a story? Or is the art just there to provide a visual escape from the everyday? Color evokes emotion. Color is probably the first thing you see when you notice an artist's style. You just feel something when you look at it. Now that you know the three key elements that make up an art style, start thinking about which motifs, mediums and moods resonate most with you. Create the art that you want to see in the world and that you want to be known for. [MUSIC] 4. What Do You Want to Create?: [MUSIC] Although all art is about self-expression, being all over the place can make your art feel a little bit inconsistent and somewhat incoherent. To achieve a signature style, it helps to create some rules for yourself and stick to them. It's okay to experiment in the beginning. But once you start focusing and narrowing down your motifs, mediums, and moods, you will start seeing a signature style emerge naturally. One way you can start defining your style is to think about what themes are important to you and create what you care about. When it comes to motifs, think about what themes are important to you and what stories you want to tell with the art and create the art that you want to see in the world. Ask yourself, would I wear that pattern on clothing? Would I hang that piece of art on my wall? Do I want to be known for creating these types of themes or stories? If you said yes, then you are on the right track. Listen to and trust yourself. Do you love drawing people? Great. Draw lots of different people. Pay attention to how you draw something like their mouths. Do they have really simple, bold lips with just a solid color? Try to draw lots of different people with simple bold lips. Pay attention to not just what you draw, but how you draw to start defining your style. What mediums do you want to use to create art? Do you prefer digital or hand done? If you love painting with watercolor, pay attention to how you use your paintbrush. Do you create soft, ethereal light washes or dramatic explosive paint blooms? If you create digitally, do prefer symmetrical geometric shapes or do you like more loose shapes that are flat with smooth, crisp edges? The more you play, create and practice with a specific medium, the more your style will shine through. What moods do you want to evoke with your art? What colors convey those moods? Heller is the quickest and easiest way to start honing in on your personal style as an artist because you can create mood with color. Do you like muted, sophisticated colors or vibrant colors that evoke happy childhood memories? Do you prefer delicate, feminine, soft Hughes or bright pops of color? Do you want to use muted neutrals to create a calming effect with your art, or rich deep earth tones to evoke a mysterious feel. Do you like bright, vibrant colors that give your art and uplifting, energetic, youthful vibe or mid tones to make your art feel positive yet approachable? Do you like retro colors that recall era's gone by, or pastel colors that give off a delicate feminine effect? One excellent way to keep your style consistent is to create a color palette for yourself and stick to it as much as you can. Here's an example of the color palette that I use. By sticking to these colors, I ensure my style is consistent across motifs and mediums. You may have noticed I share a lot of different kinds of art in this class. If you can believe it, all the art that I show in this class, is art that I have created over the years. It took me a lot of experimentation with a lot of motifs, mediums, and moods. Until I found my artistic voice. I wish I had had a class like this when I first started out, because although I learned a lot along my journey, I could have started focusing a lot sooner. I hope you find this class valuable as a tool to help you focus and find your niche as an artist. Paying attention to what you want to create, and how you want to create it, as well as what you want to be known for. Then creating a lot of art in that style is the key to developing and defining your signature art style. The workbooks and exercises in this class will help you define who you are, what you care about, and what you love. What you want to create, and what you want to make more of. What you want to be known for as an artist. [MUSIC] 5. Get Inspiration in Unexpected Places: Instead of looking at art from similar artists on Instagram or Pinterest, which is what almost everyone does, try looking for inspiration in unexpected places. Absorb visual stimuli, and ask yourself what speaks to you and think about why. Is it the bright colors, the organic shapes. Get out in the world. Look to the natural world for inspiration. Take pictures. Sketch what you see taking the colors, shapes, movement, and think about how you can incorporate unexpected themes into your art. Do you want to create animal motifs? Don't just look at animals on your phone or your computer, get out and look at animals in their natural surroundings. Rummage through a junk shop or a thrift store, flip through old books, touch things, look at them in three-dimensions. There are so many ways to be inspired by the world around us, don't limit yourself to your phone or your computer. Seeing the world off screen will inspire a fresh new ideas for motifs to create, mediums to explore, and moods to evoke. Experience the world around you, you never know where it might take you and your art. 6. Show Up For Yourself!: [MUSIC] Show up for yourself. Discovering your style doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, practice, and creating lots of art. My one key takeaway from this class is to listen to yourself and stop looking around to other art to inform your creative process. You don't need to imitate or copy anyone else to be successful. You don't want to imitate or copy anyone either, at least not once you're creating art that you plan to share with the world. Because you can run into problems ranging anywhere from just not standing out to potential copyright infringement. If you create directly from your heart, the sincerity of your artwork will be obvious and unmistakable and it is the key to defining your signature style. Ask yourself regularly, am I being true to myself? Is my art reflecting what matters to me? What if your art is all over the place or you like experimenting with different styles? That's okay. But let me share something with you. When I first started out, I tried a lot of different things. My background was in graphic design and I've been working for other people for years. I really didn't know what my style was because I had spent so long making art for other people. I'd lost, or maybe I just hadn't yet found my artistic voice. It wasn't until I stopped creating work for other people. I stopped worrying about what might sell, and I stopped looking to other people's art for inspiration that I was really able to let my own creative voice shine through and develop a signature style. I've been creating art using muted colors for a while, just because I thought those muted colors seemed more adult and more sophisticated. But bright colors really cheer me up. I decided one day to start using bright colors in my art. They just make me feel happier and they soothe me. Then I realized, hey, wait a minute, maybe other people need their day brightened too. Once I started using brighter colors, I noticed my art was resonating more with other people too. Maybe that's a coincidence, but I can't help but wonder if by being true to myself and creating the art that I wanted and needed to see in the world, my intention somehow came through in my art. Other people saw my sincerity and my vulnerability, and they responded well to it. This is where my workbooks are going to come in super handy. They are great tools to help you come up with themes and ideas and they are great tools to help you get to know yourself better and learn who your inner artist truly is. [MUSIC] 7. Explore Trends Without Losing Your Style: [MUSIC] Trends come and go, but your signature style should be consistent. A great way to explore trends without losing your style is to stick with the rule of two. Keeping in mind the three key elements of an art style, motif, medium, and mood. Try to keep two out of those three consistent with your signature style and just switch up one of them when trying a new trend. Try to stick to two out of the three that you normally use so your style shines through everything you create. I'm normally a digital artist. I'm very comfortable on a computer. But watercolor was super trendy and I wanted to explore the watercolor trend. I made sure to keep my motifs and my mood consistent with my signature style, even though I was trying a new medium. Because I draw a lot of floral motifs, I painted florals. My signature color palette is full of bright vibrant colors because I want to evoke a happy, youthful mood with my art. So I made sure to use brightly-colored paint when I created my watercolors. I normally create digitally because I like crisp edges graphics that look flat with little to no overlap between elements. In all honesty, I think the reason I love flat graphics is because the smooth edges calm the chaos in my mind. I struggle with anxiety and racing thoughts and creating graphics like this is very soothing to me. By thinking about stuff like that, it really helps me determine what kind of art I want to create and I do create art that comes really from within me and art that I want to see in the world. Even when trying a new medium like watercolor, I painted keeping my usual style in mind. I kept my mood consistent with the color and I stuck with motifs that I very often enjoy creating. I also mimicked the flat vector style I usually create with. As you can see, this watercolor came out looking very consistent with my signature style because I tried to keep all of these things in mind. I really feel like this floral is a perfect example of my signature style. You may recognize this because it's the background I use for all of the slides in this class. Why is this my signature style? Well, I use bright, vibrant, bold colors. I use a digital medium, so my graphics are pretty flat. I also don't tend to overlap things and I used a floral motif because I just really enjoy drawing flowers. By staying true to who I am and what I love, I was able to incorporate the watercolor trend into my portfolio while still being consistent with my signature style. Do you want to draw new trending motifs? Try using the medium you normally create in and use your signature color palette so your art is still recognizable as your signature style. Do you want to explore a new medium? Use your signature color palette or colors that evoke a similar mood and use motifs that you consistently create. Do you want to explore a different mood by using new colors? Do you want to incorporate trending colors like the Pantone Color of the Year into your art without losing your signature style? Try re-coloring art you've already created using motifs you've already designed and sticking with the medium you usually use, but switch up a few colors to incorporate trending colors. Use a rule of two. If you want to explore new trends, use two of your three signature style elements and you should always be sure to keep your style consistent while taking advantage of the latest trends so your art stays fresh and relevant. What if you don't yet have a signature style? Don't panic. Remember a signature style emerges over time. You have to create a lot of art before you can begin discovering which motifs you want to create, which mediums you want to work in, and what moods you want to evoke. Just keep creating art and a signature style will start emerging naturally over time. [MUSIC] 8. Thank You! Final Thoughts: [MUSIC] I hope you found this class fun and valuable. Please leave a review so you can let your fellow students know if this class is for them. You can do this by going to Reviews below and clicking on "Leave Review". Don't underestimate the value of your review. I personally enjoy reading all of them. Please make sure to share your class projects so we can all cheer each other on. Just head down below, click on the "Projects & Resources" tab, and click on the green button on the right that says "Create Project". Please follow me on Skillshare to stay up-to-date on any new classes I may publish. You can do this by clicking on the "Follow" link next to my name, just at the top of this video. Please say hello on Instagram, my Instagram handle is CarrieCantwellArt. Thank you again for taking this class. I very much appreciate you joining me on this journey and I will see you next time. Bye-bye. [MUSIC]