Flowers are not generally my favorite thing to paint, but it’s not the flowers themselves; it’s that in most of the tutorials I’ve done with flowers, all you’re painting is the flower and it doesn’t really feel like a finished piece of work when you’re done.

Thinking about this project and what I was going to do next got me to thinking about finding my artistic style. What kind of style is ‘my kind of style’? How do I find my own style instead of just copying other peoples’ work? How do I even start to figure all this out?

Y’all know how much I love my Google AI Overview, so here’s what it says about finding your artistic style:

“Finding your art style involves a mix of inspiration, experimentation, and self-reflection, focusing on what you enjoy by studying other artists, exploring different mediums, and repeatedly creating to discover patterns in your own work, such as preferred colors, subjects, or techniques, which eventually form your unique voice. Don’t force it; let your interests and “technical mistakes” guide you on a continuous journey of discovery, not a destination.“

The advice I’ve seen from several established artists is, basically, “Don’t worry about it. It takes a long time and a lot of practice.”

The main thing, it seems, is to just keep learning the techniques, experiment with different styles, and practice, practice, practice! Eventually, you’ll start to notice which colors you prefer, the subject matter you enjoy painting, the techniques you always seem to fall back on, etc.

This was a relief to me, because when I look at other artists’ work, I like almost everything! I guess my art preferences, like my mind, are just all over the place. That shouldn’t surprise me; I’ve always been interested in all sorts of things. I can’t tell you how many hobbies I’ve had over the years.

One really great piece of advice I found was from Marie Burke at Marie Burke Art. She suggested keeping a journal, where you can make note of your preferences, inspiration, etc. This gives you a place to explore what you really like, dislike, want to do more of….the possibilities are endless.

After reading her article I’ve decided to start my own; not because I feel compelled to figure out my style right now, but because I think it will be helpful to be able to see what really appeals to me when it comes to making art. And yes — eventually, I think it will lead me to my unique style.

Here are some things I plan to include (some of which I’m sure I’m remembering from Marie’s article):

• Swatches of colors I really like
• Photos that I may want to paint
• Inspirational quotes
• Sketches of subjects that caught my attention (along with notes)
• Notes about what I enjoy about other artists’ work
• Small projects in different styles
• Notes about supplies (things I really like, things I never want to buy again, things I want to try….)

I’m sure there are lots of other things that will end up in there, but for now, I just need to start it.

I think my style will eventually be revealed in the pages of that journal and in my work. Of course, I may be Grandma Moses‘ age by then, but that’s okay. I only do it for the love of creating anyway.

Our artistic style isn’t something we have to figure out right from the beginning. It’s going to take time, especially time actually doing (whatever our art form), and getting to know ourselves and our preferences. As the AI Overview says, “Don’t force it; let your interests and ‘technical mistakes’ guide you on a continuous journey of discovery, not a destination.“

What suggestions do you have for finding your artistic style? How about things to include in a journal? Please share!