More Talk on Style

Monday night was the last night before our last night of class. Which means next Monday is the night where everything we've worked on all semester must be complete, final, and perfect! Not only that, but we will also be looking for secret messages in our work that tell us each what our style looks like, and what it's all about.

I think I'm slowly starting to get a few clues to what my style is...what really drives me.  Cheryl said that anything that makes you insanely happy, (before, during, and after) is a good way to go, since picture books  have a lot of art in them, and we will be so very tired of the book by the time we finish drawing it.  Thinking back over the years at the projects that I loved doing the most, there are some things about them that are very similar.  Cheryl noticed during our crit that I have a tendency to draw a particular way, and it showed up in "Mother Nature" and "Mooin," and I realize now in a lot of other things I've done as well.

But I think I'm going to wait to reveal what that style actually is...mostly because I don't have all the photos I need to show you at my current location.  But I will.  (If you want a hint, though...when it finally came down to the implementation of my ideas for "Mooin," I really enjoyed the technique!)

Anyhow, we talked a lot about style in class, and looked at a bunch of amazing books from our Bookshare table.  There were two books in particular that showed a lot of different styles all within the same story!  The first one won a Caldecott Medal!

 

"Black and White" by David Macauley  

"Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?" by an assortment of artists!

Both books were very useful to demonstrate different styles, looks and techniques that an illustrator may use when creating a picture book.  Also mentioned was the artist David Shannon, who has multiple styles in which he works. Some of my favorites: 

"The Ballad of the Pirate Queens," by Jane Yolen

"No, David!"

"How I Became A Pirate," by Melinda Long

"Duck on a Bike," by David Shannon

There will be many more talks on style, versatility and technique as time goes on.  That's the topic we talk most about in my classes, because it is the thing that makes you different from everyone else, the thing that makes you stand out... and the thing that could potentially get you a Caldecott Medal!

Did I ever tell you that was one of my life goals? Yep, I'm going to get a Caldecott Medal if it's the last thing I do!  It probably will be the last thing I do...I've got a LOT of improving to do.

From Start to Finish - Mooin, The Bear's Child, Part 2

It's color study time!


Although I'm still working on (and constantly thinking about) my final composition, a color study is still a helpful exercise to do.  (Plus, it's due this Monday in CBookII.)  After much deliberation, I have decided to go with my first idea of painting on pine wood, with burned-in accents. 


When I told him this, my husband asked me, "If one of your problems is that you haven't stuck to a certain style, why are you trying this new style on a new project?"  That is a valid point, but I told him what I'm going to tell you now:  If I don't experiment enough with different techniques, how will I know which I love the most?

Also, I have already done a project using this techniques, and I really enjoyed it.  This is a part of said project:

I did quite a bit of research and messing around to figure out the kind of look I was going for, and came up with this rainbow of colors:

(These are my happy acrylic paints.  I use the student grade stuff for now.)

And my color comp:

Let's see what teacher thinks in class!

Style or Versatile?

Lately I've been really thinking about my art style, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't really have one!  It really depends on the project I'm working on, what the customer/teacher is looking for, and the theme of the book/image.  When I work with watercolors, my art tends to look one way, but when I work with acrylic or collage, it looks another way.  I like to think of myself as being very versatile, because no matter what medium I choose to work with, or what problem is set before me, I can always come up with a finished piece that I can be proud of. 

My style or look can range from this:

Kirkland's Warbler studies and final piece in pencil, ink and watercolor

To this:

  
Gauache Baby Girl and Birthday Boy (this was actually my first try...maybe not a good example of gauache!  But the cartoony look is right on.)

 

I brought this topic up in class, and my teacher confessed that not only do many artists have the same problem- but she and her colleagues have also been discussing it lately!  They have come to the conclusion that for an up-and-coming artist such as myself, being consistent with a style or look will help me land a job better.  That way, when I send out my quarterly postcards with sample art to art directors, my style will pop into their heads for a story.  

That's all well and good, but I don't know what I want to do! I really love it all!  I guess it will just take me some time to get a better feel for what I like doing a lot, and what I like doing the least. 

But in the meantime, here's a story about an artist who's got multiple styles pretty down pat: http://pbjunkies.blogspot.com/2010/05/speaking-of-styles-melanie-watt.html  See more of her books on her Amazon Page!