Stop trying to FIND an art style
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker discusses the concept of finding one's unique art style, arguing that it's not just about standing out but also about personal growth and exploration. They emphasize that everyone already has a style influenced by their tastes, culture, and experiences. The speaker advises against fixating on being original for its own sake, suggesting instead that artists should focus on growing their style through experimentation, studying fundamentals, and embracing change. They also touch on how style can impact one's career and personal brand, ultimately advocating for a mature approach to artistic development.
Takeaways
- 🎨 The idea of actively seeking an original art style can be problematic and may lead to creative stagnation.
- 🌟 Having a unique art style is often associated with standing out and being recognizable, but it can also be limiting.
- 🔍 The speaker's personal experience suggests that an art style was not as emphasized in the past as it is now, possibly due to social media's influence.
- 👩🎨 Style is described as a combination of voice, taste, and execution, which are influenced by personal preferences and experiences.
- 📚 The concept of style is not just about solving drawing problems but also about personal expression and bias.
- 👶 Encouragement to embrace the creativity of children, who are naturally original and unique, as a way to develop an art style.
- 🚀 The speaker advises against trying to be 'original' for the sake of it, suggesting that true originality comes from a mix of influences and breaking rules.
- 🔑 Recognizability through an art style can be beneficial for business, but it's not the only factor that attracts an audience or clients.
- 🛠️ To improve one's art style, the script recommends studying fundamentals, experimenting, and drawing outside of one's comfort zone.
- 🌱 The growth of an art style is likened to personal growth, requiring challenges, risks, and experiences to mature.
- 🏆 Success in art is not solely attributed to having a style, but also to the ability to evolve, experiment, and reflect personal identity in one's work.
Q & A
What is the main topic discussed in the video by Cynical Pantao?
-The main topic discussed in the video is the concept of finding and developing one's own original art style, and the potential issues associated with the pursuit of uniqueness in art.
Why do younger artists often seek to have their own original art style?
-Younger artists often seek to have their own original art style to stand out, be recognizable, avoid being accused of copying, secure work, and establish a business plan such as branding or merchandising.
What was the viewpoint on having an art style in the mid-2000s compared to now?
-In the mid-2000s, having an art style was not as emphasized and was sometimes associated with negative aspects like being stuck in bad drawing habits or comfort zones. Nowadays, with the influence of social media, having a unique art style has become more mainstream and desirable.
How does Cynical Pantao define 'style' in the context of art?
-Cynical Pantao defines 'style' as a combination of three elements: voice, which is the unique way an artist expresses themselves; tastes, which are the preferences and biases in what the artist values; and execution, which is how the artist decides to approach their work.
What are some common misconceptions about having an art style according to the video?
-Some common misconceptions include the belief that having an art style will automatically lead to success, that being original is always positive, and that an art style should remain static and not evolve.
What does Cynical Pantao suggest as an alternative to actively seeking an art style?
-Cynical Pantao suggests focusing on growing one's style naturally through experimentation, stepping out of comfort zones, studying fundamentals, and learning from a variety of influences.
Why might having a recognizable art style not always be beneficial?
-Having a recognizable art style can be beneficial for branding and standing out, but it can also be detrimental if the style is recognized for negative reasons, such as poor anatomy or being obnoxious.
What is the role of a 'style guide' in animation production?
-A 'style guide' in animation production provides specific instructions on how to draw certain characters and elements in a way that matches the overall style of the production, ensuring consistency across different artists' work.
How can an artist avoid being a mere copy of someone else?
-An artist can avoid being a mere copy by incorporating elements from various influences, adding their own unique interpretations, and challenging themselves to grow and evolve their style over time.
What is the relationship between an artist's personal identity and their art style?
-An artist's personal identity, including their tastes, preferences, and experiences, greatly influences their art style. By exploring and expressing their identity through their work, an artist can develop a style that is uniquely their own.
How does Cynical Pantao view the idea of being 'original' in art?
-Cynical Pantao argues that no one is truly original, as all artists draw inspiration from others. Instead of striving for originality, artists should focus on developing a style that reflects their own experiences and decisions.
Outlines
🎨 The Pursuit of Original Art Style
The speaker, Cynical Pantao, begins by addressing the common quest among artists to find a unique art style. They argue that the pressure to have a distinct style can be problematic and reminisce about the mid-2000s when style was less emphasized. Pantao suggests that style is not about solving drawing problems but rather a combination of an artist's voice, tastes, and execution. They encourage artists to analyze the works they admire to understand what appeals to them and to be aware of the biases that may narrow their perspectives.
🔍 The Myth of Originality in Art
The paragraph delves into the reasons why artists desire originality, such as standing out and being recognizable, and challenges the notion that being original is always positive. Pantao points out that children are naturally creative and unique, but this creativity can be stifled by adherence to rules and fear of being wrong. They suggest that aspiring to be original is often a desire for universal appeal and appreciation, but this can lead to a narrow focus on what is considered 'right' in art. The speaker also discusses the fear of being a copy of someone else and emphasizes the importance of taking inspiration from various sources to develop a personal style.
🎬 Art Style and Professional Opportunities
This section discusses the relationship between an artist's style and their professional opportunities, particularly in animation. Pantao explains that studios often look for artists whose style can match their production needs, using style guides to ensure consistency. They note that having a unique style can be beneficial for branding and business purposes, but it's not a guarantee for immediate success. The speaker also touches on the idea that an artist's style should reflect their identity and personal interests to truly stand out and resonate with audiences.
🛠️ Growing and Evolving Your Art Style
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of growth and evolution in an artist's style. Pantao advises artists to focus on developing their style through experimentation, stepping out of their comfort zones, and embracing a variety of influences. They argue against the idea of finding a style for the sake of career success and instead advocate for a lifelong commitment to artistic development. The speaker concludes by encouraging artists to embrace change and challenges as part of their artistic journey, suggesting that a changing style is a sign of maturity and experience.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Style
💡Originality
💡Art Style
💡Comfort Zone
💡Bias
💡Fundamentals
💡Influence
💡Maturity
💡Experimentation
💡Recognition
💡Personal Identity
Highlights
The idea of finding one's own art style can be problematic and may lead to creative limitations.
Original art style is often sought for reasons such as standing out, being recognizable, avoiding accusations of copying, securing work, and establishing a business plan.
In the mid-2000s, having an art style was associated with negative aspects like bad drawing habits and comfort zones.
Style is described as a combination of an artist's voice, tastes, and execution, rather than just problem-solving in drawing.
An artist's voice in their work is compared to the distinctness of a person's handwriting or singing voice.
Tastes refer to an artist's preferences and biases, which can be as diverse as their likes and dislikes in animation or other media.
Execution is influenced by an artist's approach and priorities in their work, which can be shaped by various factors and circumstances.
Bias in art preferences is not necessarily negative and can help keep an artist grounded and focused on their goals.
Analyzing the work of admired artists to understand what makes it appealing can be a valuable exercise for personal growth.
Everyone already has a unique style influenced by culture, background, tastes, and personal experiences.
Improving one's art style involves stepping out of comfort zones, studying fundamentals, and experimenting with different subjects.
Being recognizable or original does not guarantee that an art style will be well-received or universally liked.
Children's art is often uniquely creative and unbound by conventional rules, suggesting that originality can be learned.
Originality in art does not equate to quality, and an artist can be both unique and poorly received.
Fear of being a copy or ripoff can be overcome by integrating various influences into one's work rather than mimicking a single source.
Having an art style can be beneficial for securing work in animation or other industries that value a specific look.
An art style should evolve and mature through experiences and challenges, reflecting the artist's growth and decisions.
Artists should focus on growing their style through experimentation and learning rather than fixating on finding a static style.
The artist's identity and the themes they explore can be as important as their style in making their work stand out.
For business purposes, having a unique art style can be beneficial, but it should not come at the expense of artistic growth and exploration.
Artists should be honest with themselves about their goals and intentions when creating art, focusing on the present moment.
Transcripts
some people have said my style is pretty
distinct those people ask me how do i
get my own style how do i find it how do
i just
find a style but to be honest i never
actively looked for a style
and honestly i feel that this whole idea
of trying to find your own style can be
problematic
[Music]
[Music]
hey guys it's cynical pantoa and today
i'd like to talk about the topic of
trying to find your own original art
style
uh style let's talk about this so
there's many reasons why a lot of
younger artists
want to have their own original art
style and the most common ones i've
heard are to stand out and to be
recognizable to be original not to get
called out for copying or just being a
mere copy of someone else
to get work and be hired based on your
style and
to have a business plan with it whether
that's branding merchandising whatever
it is
it's going to make something back for
you whether that's monetary or clout
however when i was learning how to draw
back in the mid 2000s
that viewpoint was kind of different
sure people did appreciate an original
or
cool art style but i remember that
having an art style was always
associated with pretty bad things
and those bad things could be drawing
habits that you can't get out of
comfort zones you're only going to draw
this because it's comfortable for you
drawing excuses this is something that
pops up every time someone critiques
someone's art they say
this is just my art style bro and then
this whole idea of failure to adapt to
other projects
so back then i didn't think that having
a unique and strong art style was
important
but maybe things have changed over time
especially with social media
how it's become a lot more mainstream
i'm pretty sure that adds a lot to that
mentality of trying to find your own art
style so you can stand out in a sea of
faces
paces daces gotta untie my shoelace
so first of all how would a schmuck like
me describe what style is
some artists will argue that style is a
way that an artist solves a drawing
problem or solution how they solve
problems but
i would strongly disagree with that
because that's more of a design point of
view rather than style
because some styles don't solve any
drawing problems at all
style to me is basically three things
for me it's voice
it's tastes and it's how you execute it
let's talk about voice some people like
to sing monotone
soprano falsetto some people have high
pitched voices some people have low
pitched voices
if you heard my voice it could be
distinct maybe not maybe if i talk like
this
sure it's annoying but hey it's distinct
i would also say that this is kind of
close to someone else's handwriting
then there's tastes a selection of
things that you like and don't like what
you value
or you don't value at all i would also
see this
as bias some people like anime whereas
some people prefer
western cartoons so yeah there's
definitely preference on this matter
in the animation production there's a
thing called the style guide and it
tells you how to draw
a certain character and how not to draw
a certain character even though
the wrong answer is technically right
but it's because of the style direction
that this production is going for
they're being selective and what to keep
and what to eliminate finally there's
execution
how you decide to go about it and that
could be based on factors some
circumstances
and highlighting on what to prioritize
in your work there's a lot of online
videos by artists and professionals who
talk about style and how to obtain it
and they'll show
examples of other art styles that they
like and talk about why it works for
them
and so there's already bias in these
videos now i personally don't think bias
is a bad thing
and in fact can be good if you're trying
to keep yourself grounded kind of
reminding things of your goal
where you want to be where you don't
want to be what you value and don't
value and honestly i would recommend
anyone to gather all the artists that
they like right now
get their art pieces and kind of break
down why it works for you what you get
out of each of them and what you can
learn from them
now the only thing i'd be careful about
especially when it comes to bias is that
someone new will watch these videos and
think
these are the only ways to get good you
should only look at these artists you
should only look up to these types of
individuals do this type of work
and if you're not careful that might
narrow a way of thinking so here's the
ultimate truth
you already have a style you have a
handwriting that's distinct a voice that
is distinct style is influenced by
things like culture
culture and background play a huge role
in your style overall tastes overall
bias
how you grew up what you like and don't
like what inspires you and what doesn't
you'd prefer waffles over pancakes and
so and so
so when you do draw or do art you're
kind of selecting inspirations and
influences you strive to absorb
i'm pretty sure there are art and
artists out there that i personally find
appealing that you won't find appealing
one day i showed ayami kojima to my
co-workers and talked about why i love
her work
but some of those co-workers did not see
value in that art and they just didn't
like it
look you can do things to improve your
own art style by doing things like
drawing
out of your comfort zone studying your
fundamentals studying from life that's a
big one
experimenting and studying from other
artists that you admire and
why they work for you like really think
about their work and analyze it like
what is it that makes it click for you
as i said you already have a style but
style needs maturity it needs to go
through experiences
it needs to take risks it needs to go
through hard times and fail
and those could be learning lessons and
self-discovery for that style and what
to do next and you need to explore that
and in that way you can help make that
style a bit more unique with
every journey it's been through so in
this video i'm just going to talk about
some of the most popular and the most
heard comments of why a lot of people
want a style like i pointed out earlier
and i would sort of kind of argue
against these pointers
first let's talk about being
recognizable to stand out and
maybe eventually to be famous
the fear of being generic is a common
thing i often hear
and there's many things that can
contribute to this whether it's just
drawing in the same comfort zone over
and over again so let's say you like
drawing
cute girls for example and you only draw
cute girls then that's probably the only
thing that you're going to be good at
drawing
another contribution to this is if
you're only drawing inspiration from one
or a few artists
so you're really only going to be doing
that type of work over and over again
without adding anything new to the table
so again there's a few things that can
make an art style feel generic
only taking inspiration from only one or
two artists not studying
from life and drastic not breaking
out of your comfort zone and not even
tackling different subject matters
if you're good at only drawing cute
girls try drawing grotesque older men
and that will probably challenge the way
you approach drawing do you only draw
characters and by the way i'm guilty of
this
well i should try drawing more
backgrounds and maybe i can learn a
thing or two from that
also the idea of being recognizable does
not always mean good
and in fact can also mean you're
recognizable for obnoxious reasons and
there's a lot of artists who
are famous and recognizable but tend to
break the anatomy or make it purposely
hard to look at
so yeah you can stand out for having an
obnoxious art style
to be original and unique and this is
kind of related to the last one i talked
about
so for anyone who's learning how to draw
or is undergoing training on how to draw
or how to animate or how to paint
you're not original most of the
universally well-known
and highly followed artists online right
now are a knockoff of several different
other artists
i think the most creative people on the
planet are children ask them to draw an
invention and they'd like
make something that is something really
absurd and
would probably not work in real life
children are also incredibly unique and
creative because they aren't grounded by
all these rules for what
is right and what's not and there's a
ted talk talking about how children tend
to lose their creativity and uniqueness
over time when they undergo training
when they're doing something and they're
often told you're doing it wrong you're
supposed to do it this way
and therefore it makes them a bit more
timid about
taking more risks and the same thing can
be applied to this industry too
where we're only following certain
artists because it's what should be
considered
right if you still want to be super
original and unique maybe just think
like a kid
and break a lot of rules however
uniqueness or originality does not
always mean
it's well appreciated or good you can
still be a terrible artist
and be originally unique i think what
most younger artists want
really and generally is a style that is
appealing universally
i think deep down they're really
thinking i want a style that can be
universally well liked
and highly appreciated it can attract a
lot of people or clients
but to them that is blanketed with
having an original and unique style
now there's another fear that i do want
to cover which is the fear of being a
copy of someone else or just being a
ripoff of someone else
that usually only happens if you copy
every decision making that they make in
their drawing habits
into your own work and not adding or
implementing
any of your own takes on it so let's say
you look at milt's call drawings and you
only draw that melt call face or that
melts call facial expression
and nothing else people will only see
you as an imitation of milt's call
whereas you could draw inspiration from
you know japanese animation russian
animation painters and then
mix all of that with your love for melts
calls so
let's say you like egon shield paintings
too and then you love 70s japanese
animation and then mix that up with your
love for melt call
that way you're kind of challenging your
own execution which is a part of your
own style
to maybe make that work honestly i would
ditch the whole idea of trying to be
original because
no one's original you're not original
and if you see a lot of popular artists
out there they've taken bits and pieces
from other artists and then utilized
that in their own work
if you want to be a bit more unique you
have to take many different inspirations
and again
break traditions and rules of what is
considered correct drawing
you know taking risks and just getting
out of your comfort zone and in that way
you can help grow your style
now let's look at another reason to get
work and to be hired now
there's some small truth to this
honestly since working for a production
is mostly about
you know matching a certain style i
think this is something where we'll have
to talk about different scenarios so
let's talk about an animation so an
animation
sometimes they'll look at your overall
work look at your portfolio
and look at your style and make a
conclusion if you can match their
overall production
so let's say you're trying to get into
disney animation they're most likely
going to try and find elements
in your portfolio that sort of matches
what they're looking for
or elements in your style that matches
that studio style
and this applies to many different
studios so it would be weird to submit
a portfolio full of spongebob-esque
style drawings for
a studio like mirror which does avatar
cora
last airbender voltron and that's why
people make portfolios to cater to
certain studios
now let's say they see potential in your
work and they'll see that you meet some
of their criteria
either they decide to bring you in or
they give you a test to see if you are
actually fit
for that production but then let's talk
a bit about the animation production
itself because most of that work is
matching to
a certain style you have to be able to
draw in their style to get the work done
and that's why in animation productions
there's this thing called the style
guide like i mentioned earlier it's a
guide that tells you how to draw certain
characters how to draw short hands
or drawing rules set for that production
so again you have to have decent
draftsmanship to be able to match to
other different styles
however it's a probably different story
if let's say you're a guest
artist or guest animator for a show or
they want a production to follow
under your style directly that's an
entirely different story
also don't think having an art style is
a reason for becoming an immediate
leader of a production
that's not how it works last but not
least to have a business plan with it
whether it's for clout
monetary income or branding actually
there is also some truth to this
since a unique art style can be
recognizable there's a lot of artists
online that i'm a fan of that i would
love to buy a sketchbook from because
i know exactly what i'm getting from
them so there is
truth to this but that is also a pretty
simple way of thinking about it
if i'm following an artist it's also for
the sole reason
of you know certain themes they're
tackling or the stories they tell and
the subjects they explore
when i look at art with characters in it
in a scenario i love to see
clear personalities that have wit and
charm and it makes it more engaging to
see it makes it feel a bit more alive
some artists do really simple comics and
tell some great stories whether grand or
miniscule in scale
sometimes i follow people who just make
you know gag comics just
you know for shooting giggles and it's
all done with a very crude and simple
art style but because i resonate with
the storytelling and the humor from
those comics
i associate the visual imagery and the
style with that
humor that i sort of relate to some
artists show more of their voice that
reveals that they're not just an artist
but someone who
you know shows their love for
skateboarding for fashion
for martial arts for teaching in general
i think if you want your art style to
take you far
and for you to become more unique how
can you use your current style to say
who you are
what kind of individual are you what who
do you cater to
what do you like and what are some
aspects of you that you'd like to tell
all the great artists that i adore isn't
just about
their art style whether it's appealing
but it's also the type of subject
matters and the things that they say
with it so if you were to look at an
artist you admire
try and find things in their work that
say a bit more about them their tastes
and what kind of subject matter they'd
like to do and if you look at them long
enough
you'll probably get something out of it
i think this also depends on what your
personal goals are when it comes to
drawing
art and this overall discussion of art
style so let's say you want to work for
a certain studio right
so let's say you want to work for disney
animation then you're probably going to
have to look at artists
who draw in that disney art style or
have a certain style that disney caters
to so again if you wanted to work for a
studio like studio mirror you're
probably going to have to look at
artists
and the studio's work look at the type
of work they do their style
and see if your own work kind of matches
theirs and some styles share similar
traits to each other so for example
people who cater to let's say studio
mirror action storyboards might also fit
well in
superhero storyboards for animation so i
guess it also depends on what kind of
work you'd want to do full time
okay so let's talk about standing out or
standing out away from the crowd
sure you can take a lot of different
inspirations different influences
and take bits and pieces that somewhat
add to your own style but i would also
say that it's more about
your identity too so maybe it's
recurring themes recurring subjects
things that you personally like to draw
and things that you like to explore
maybe you like to tell your own stories
tell your own narratives that kind of
shows what kind of stories and
narratives that you want to tell
maybe you're a fan of something and you
just want to give your own take that's
another way of showing
who you are that's another way of kind
of showcasing your identity of what you
like what you don't like
and things that you do cater to what if
it's for personal business
you know to get clout and monetary
income i think the things that i
mentioned about standing out
applies here too because as a business
you want to have that unique element
that makes you different from any other
business
but i would say that emphasis is also
more about trying to do what's
universally accepted
so you're probably going to do fan art
you're probably going to do a lot of
tribute art you're probably going to
draw in a style that's
pretty popular i think that having an
identity to show in your work is still
really important but if you see yourself
more as a business that really relies on
the audience then you're probably going
to do things that's going to cater to
that audience
now if you still really really want to
be original and unique
i think this is where you kind of want
to surrender that whole notion of doing
things that are considered universally
accepted
you're flipping the birds here art
teachers and you're probably breaking a
lot of rules
remember being originally unique does
not mean it's good or professional
or universally accepted so when it comes
to the whole discussion of
having your own art style you kind of
have to be honest with yourself like
what are you trying to achieve with your
own art style and you know what
in most cases most of you probably don't
know what you want to do with it
and that's totally fine and you know
honing that art style of yours is a
lifetime thing too
the only thing i would suggest is that
when you do draw or when you do
anything related to art have clear
intentions of what you're doing in that
present moment
like why are you drawing the way you do
and honestly i would just forget about
the whole art style thing
so if i were to replace a whole
mentality of trying to find your own art
style i would replace that entirely with
just
focusing on growing your style your art
and yourself
like i said those things can be
challenged through things like
experimentation
getting out of your comfort zone
tackling different subject matters
taking a lot of different inspiration
and just studying from life that's
actually a really big one
and just growing as a human being over
time you'll make drastic changes to your
own style
and you're still going to make some
questionable turns in that lifespan
but hey that's all a part of life and we
have our phases
like i said a style that changes is also
a sign of maturity and if you see an
artist that you like and see their work
from several years ago
you'll see that a lot of it is
drastically different but you can still
see that overall dna
of how they started that still retained
in their current work that you can still
tell that it was that artist that drew
it and it has gone through several
different trials and challenges that
kind of formed the way it is now some
artists however
do not change over time and sort of
remain stuck in a time
capsule and so when i hear someone say
that they want to find
a style so it can grant them success in
their career to me that reads off as
i want to have a style where i'm
comfortable where i don't have to keep
challenging myself
and it can still bring me benefits
therefore i don't really have to change
and grow
the artists that i actually respect
don't credit their style
as a reason for their success and don't
even brag about having a style
and those are the type of artists that
you know change over time and they grow
a lot and they experiment
but you know what sometimes their style
changes to the point where it becomes so
drastically different it becomes
unrecognizable maybe for the better
or for the worst but it just proves that
style is a reflection of decisions and
experiences made by the artist
and how they tackle things so i'm just
gonna wrap up this video by saying
you already have a style it just needs
to face a lot of different challenges
and trials
and how you decide to execute those
solutions are going to add to your style
also i made a video about how to improve
your current art style with these
practices
so go check out what i have to say
anyways i'm done
bye interested in learning hand-drawn
animation or learning how to finish an
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