hey! been drawing for a while. i’m not the most conventional of artists, but i think i can still try to give you some of my own words
why did i give an example of my own work? because i think it will make me more credible for one of my points, which is: i think you may be getting put off by your current artstyle because, in your mind, you’re starting to blend “complexity” with “good,” a common hole to fall down dug by the same principle that makes some people believe realism is the only true “good” art. i have a more “complex” style with thin lines, gradient shading, and other little habits that mimic some artists that are more detail-oriented in their works
^ this is a screenshot from a frame of a YouTube animation “over & over” by a popular artist and animator called cuptoast, crumb… a few other names
in their animations, this artist is beloved for using a simpler style and thick lines, just like you! do you think this looks good? i do. and this isn’t even a frame with a scene background!
how do you improve your current artstyle? well, the big thing that aaaall the big artists do is: art studies. seriously, if you follow any, you will eventually find at least one comment where they state that they do art studies. an art study is when you look at an artist with a style you like or a style similar to yours but better in some way, and you analyze how their art works, then try applying it yourself either in a one-off art piece or to a style you want to build. you can find art/artists to study anywhere, but people seem to love Pinterest; and, yes, you will find a lot of great artists with a thick lineart style, even many with a large following. if you start adding little things that you love from other artists to your art, you’re bound to like your own art, right?
the big thing to remember so that you don’t box yourself in is that an artstyle is not a specific way to draw characters: it is how you bring your lines, colors, and overall composition together. so having different characters with different facial features like eye and pupil shapes, or just overall different builds is something that may even make your art better, especially if your art is of a more compact artstyle (and some artstyles’ whole shtick is that every character looks wildly different, even). you
do not need to “find your style,” because you can always draw any “style” and make it look good
and, hey, guess what? while crumb is renowned for that thick artstyle, they actually
do create art all the time that has thinner lines, and they vary their style between pieces plenty. these pieces are pieces that they show on their lesser known social medias - or just keep to themself - and do not get the same attention as the style in the image above… because people just adore how well they pull off the use of thick lines! you don’t need to have “one style” - you can have one, then hone another, and another, and another. branching out is a good thing, and doesn’t have to mean that you will end up abandoning the style you have right now - you might find a new style you want to try, or you might discover some features you want to implement into a style you already have
sorry that this is a long read! hope this is enlightening. for more specific advice on improving your artstyle, i can walk you through an analysis and comparison of crumb’s style - or any other artist you’d like to emulate - and give you some pointers from there if you would want anything more from me
Feeling Lost
my style is very... um. hm. how do I make this not sound like i'm hinting at the deed..? it's... Let's say 'squishy'. it uses a lot of curvy lines and blobby shapes. ty for the advice tho
