Feeling stuck? The Key to Unlocking Your Art Style

Or at least, what worked for me.

It was 2020, and after years of oscillating between creative focuses, I finally found my true passion: illustrating children’s books.

However, my portfolio needed a lot of work before I could even begin thinking about querying literary agents, and one thing kept nagging at me most of all. An absolute dissatisfaction with my art style. Here’s where I went wrong and how I eventually found my way again.

First, compare 15 of your favorite illustrations to your best piece. How do they differ? Really, REALLY look and analyze. Do your favorite artists work on really flat planes, but you’re employing perfect perspective? Are they working loosely while you work tightly? Use those eyeballs and be objective!

Here’s a sample of the type of work I gathered. From this, I noticed I was drawn to traditional pieces with some wonkyness and a vintage flair.

Here’s what my website looked like at the time. It feels really influenced by my (mediocre) animation work, and I wanted to break away from that. It’s not necessarily terrible, but it didn’t match the work I saw in picture books.

Here’s the work I made in response. This portfolio led me to sign with my agent and get my first book deal!

So, where did I go wrong? What you don’t see in these portfolios are my bazillion attempts at making lineless, painterly artwork. The problem is that I suck at that. My natural inclination in art has always been LINE.

The mood board I made hardly featured any lines, which steered me away from what I do best. So what’s the lesson?

Make the mood board, BUT lean into your strengths.

Armed with this knowledge, I had some research to do. Who was making picture book illustrations with pen and ink? At first, I wouldn’t say I liked the art I was finding, but after enough sifting and searching, my taste started to change and develop. I could see the beauty in these drawings and tried to implement bits and pieces of them into my work. Please don’t take that to mean, I am not absolutely obsessed with this art now; it’s just not what I was used to seeing at the time!

Here’s my portfolio today, at the end of 2023. It’s not perfect, and there is still much for me to improve!

IN CONCLUSION: Finding your style is an ever-elusive and evolving beast. From 2020 to 2023, I have had three wildly different portfolios, and guess what? I anticipate I will always be chasing a fresher and newer art style. Even now, I am starting to feel that itch again. The one that says, hey, I don’t think this shows the whole breadth of your ability; it’s time to update your portfolio!

In the coming months, I hope to make a few new pieces and share that process here. I hope you will follow along!