The language of artistic expression: what is style?

adrienne koehazi
May 15
4 min read

Style in illustration

An illustration is an art form that carries the unique style of the creator. An illustrator does not just draw, but creates a completely consistent and unique visual language through which his creativity and expression is expressed. What is even more important in illustration is that this visual language is also comprehensible to the recipient.

Style includes the characteristics, traits, techniques or colours that distinguish an artist from others in a unique way. Style can also be understood as a signature that reflects a piece of the artist's personality.

An artist makes a botanical painting. On the table next to the drawing are painting tools.

The illustrator's unique style makes him or her easily identifiable and able to create a recognisable "brand". The style conveys the creative creativity and individual vision that can contribute to the illustrator's professional success and recognition.

In this blog post we explore the concept of illustrator style and its deeper meaning. If you feel the concept of style is not yet clear, follow me!

The tools of visual expression

Many factors can shape the style of illustrators and other artists. Individuality can be expressed in line, colour palette, use of form, technique or even character design, among other things.

These tools are part of the illustrator's repertoire and help him or her to stand out from the crowd, to make their work recognisable and relatable. Think of the illustrator as any multinational company building its own brand: what major company comes to mind when you think of magenta? What about red or Santa Claus?

It is important to note that there are illustrators who never or very rarely give in to their own unique style. When they are commissioned to do something, it is usually because of their unique visual world that the client hires them.

But there are also artists who work in several styles. This chameleon quality is not a bad thing in the market either, as it means that the client can entrust the same illustrator with a variety of unrelated subjects.

An artist makes a pencil drawing on a piece of paper.

The magic of evolution: the illustrator and his evolution of style

The illustrator's style is usually not constant, but always changing and evolving.

Throughout their life, illustrators gain experience, are constantly inspired, learn new things and all of this influences the style they work in. Style is not only a reflection of technical knowledge, but also a deep connection with the artist's personality.

What are the colours you often use? Which technique are you most comfortable with? Who are the artists you have learned from? How do you depict shapes and how do you draw lines?

An artist makes a technical drawing of a building.

Style change is usually a process that is barely visible to the eye, and does not happen overnight. It becomes meaningful as a function of time, a process of change made up of signals that are difficult to detect.

These changes can also be observed in the case of great artists, such as Renoir, who used several styles during his lifetime, or Picasso, whose stylistic changes have been divided into periods by art historians.

The relationship between style and choice of subject

Illustrative style and subject choice are closely intertwined. How an illustrator handles a particular subject can also be part of the stylistic repertoire. The choice of themes and motifs also reinforces the individuality of the illustrator.

Some artists feel most at home when they are working on children's themes, illustrating poems or making wall art of cute animals for the nursery.

An artist copies a photograph of macaws in pencil.

Another much more abstract line work, the viewer may not be able to process the scene at first glance. There are also those who prefer a realistic approach and who prefer portraits. Or there are illustrators who work exclusively in black and take the greatest possible care in the details.

The illustrator's values, interests and worldview all contribute to a coherent style and choice of subject matter.

How to find your own style?

As a creator, it is a lifelong, highly demanding and complex process. The key lies in practice and always allowing yourself time if something doesn't turn out the way you first imagined.

An artist uses a brush to make tiny watercolours on circular pieces of paper.

Patience plays a big role in finding your own style, because it doesn't happen instantly, with a click of a button. Sometimes, new things creep into your drawings in such small ways that you don't notice the change until weeks, months or even years later.

It's very important to keep your old works, your drawings. If you keep throwing away half-finished works that you think are " messed up ", you will never be able to compare them with new ones.

Unfortunately, in our online world, comparisons can go in the wrong direction. If you want to be more sensitive to changes in your own art, ignore social media. It's very hard to look at Instagram or Pinterest consistently, because that guilty inner voice can whisper repeatedly: you'll never make it.

Conclusion: when will I finally find my own style?

Impostor syndrome is a constant companion. But you can also look at other people's work from a different perspective: you can immerse yourself in inspiration. You can try to copy the techniques you like, or draw something in the favourite colours of the artist you met on Instagram. By expanding your own world in this way, these elements will be incorporated into your work.