Forget “Style”

Why looking for an illustration “style” is a waste of time.

Finding “my style” is one of the most commonly discussed topics among illustrators. Entire semesters, conference seminars, online classes, podcasts, social media discourse, and articles are devoted to helping illustrators find their “style”.

And yet, of all the words in the lexicon of the art world, “style” is the one I hate the most.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

To be fair to illustrators who are looking to launch and sustain a practice in illustration, it seems like a natural step to find a “style”. Wouldn’t that help a portfolio look cohesive? Doesn’t it make sense to draw and paint in a way that aligns with the “styles” one sees in children’s books, periodicals, and elsewhere?

During my senior year at the Rhode Island School of Design, a teacher stood before my illustration class and said, with all the seriousness of a medical diagnosis: “You need to look for illustrators who are really popular, and paint like them. When they decline a job because they’re too busy, the art director will find you and hire you instead.”