The Power of Multiple Art Styles

I know, I said it. The buzzword that’s whispered in hushed tones all over the art community corner of the internet. The phrase that makes new artists tremble in fear. The dreaded Art Style. 

It’s an interesting topic, and I’m not going to deep-dive into it here (plenty of artists already have - I especially like Nadia Axel’s take on the topic). But I do want you to know it’s not something you have to be afraid of! So many artists panic because they feel they don’t have an art style, or think they have too many.

Fear not - different art styles (or, at least, different variations of a singular art style) can be beneficial! Rather than exploring what an art style is and how to narrow yours down to just one, I want to discuss how variation in style is actually pretty normal, and can be used to the artist’s advantage to create different moods and further the message of your artwork.

But Seriously, What is an Art Style?

Before we jump in, I do want to provide a quick definition of “art style.” Everyone’s definition can vary, so it’s completely okay if you disagree! I just want to establish the basis for my future explanations in this post.

To me, an art style is an artist’s particular way of creating that makes their work unique and distinctly theirs. It’s what enables the viewer to recognize who the artist of a piece is without looking at the signature, like you can recognize someone’s handwriting.

Can You Have More Than One Art Style?

This brings us to another hot-button topic: can you have multiple art styles? In my opinion, it’s possible (and actually probable) to have multiple art styles, although the line does start to blur between having multiple styles or creating variations on the same style. Honestly, I don’t think the distinction is all that important - it’s just two different ways of looking at the same thing.

Sticking with the handwriting analogy, it’s the difference between writing in cursive, manuscript, or all-caps. Say you write the same line of text in each style. Each one is obviously going to look different by nature of the different scripts, but certain characteristics are likely going to remain the same. You will probably see consistency in the slant of the words, or the spacing between letters, or the thickness of the strokes. 

Example of my handwriting in manuscript, cursive, and all-caps

Beyond the execution, though, you are probably using the different types of handwriting for different situations. You might use cursive to write checks, or if you want to convey a sense of elegance or formality. All-caps can be used when you are writing headings, or if you are conveying excitement or anger. Manuscript is probably your standby, which feels comfortable and is defined as your “normal” way of writing.

(Are these examples archaic? Do you know how to write in cursive?? When’s the last time you even made out a check??? I might be getting old.)

But I digress - let’s translate this to art.

Hidden Superpower

Like so many others, at first I had a mild panic attack about “finding my art style.” Especially with social media, the big bad “they” in the sky preach about consistency and continuity in your pieces and your feed. Followers like to know what they’re going to get!

And I agree with this - to an extent. There is something to be said about branding and recognizability (this could be a whole other post on its own). But I think a little variation is not only acceptable, but also a boon. 

For reference moving forward, let’s establish the different art styles I have. My most distinct variation in style is between digital and traditional art. I think between mediums is one of the clearest ways to see multiple styles - some techniques simply aren’t transferable. My subject matter remains the same, but I tend to have a more lined style that I only sometimes leave in my digital paintings:

But even between digital paintings, I have started to develop multiple styles. One is a more rendered style, and the other is a sort of digital watercolor:

Now, how can we use this to our advantage?

Harnessing the Power of Multiple Art Styles

I remember an end-of-term art project in my high school painting course. We were asked to make a piece using one of three mediums we had covered that term - acrylic, oil, or watercolor. The caveat was that we then needed to defend our reason for choosing that medium, and describe how that choice contributed to the message of the painting.

I didn’t fully grasp that concept in high school - I just really wanted to use oil paints, so I did and then proceeded to BS my way through the reasons why. But, now that I have a little perspective, I think that same principle applies to various art styles. Just like color, contrast, composition, or so many other artistic principles, the art style you choose to use for a piece can further the mood.

Take this dancing Rapunzel piece. I wanted it to feel whimsical, lighthearted, and childlike, not exuding any sort of formality or pretention. For this, a lighter watercolor feel made sense. I left some visible sketch lines to make sure she remained expressive and loose, and so the painting conveyed a sense of movement. I didn’t worry too much about making the piece “finished” - details are only suggested at, and nothing is fully rendered. The overall effect is something playful and romantic.

This contrasts my most recent northern lights piece. I was going for an impactful, high-contrast piece with a dramatic, ethereal, almost moody presence. I knew I was going to want rich darks and highly-saturated, feathery, wispy colors. My rendered style lent itself to this piece more than my watercolor style. The soft round brush was much better suited for the execution of the lights, and smoother transitions with sharp contrast and light colors on top of dark is not something watercolor excels at, even digitally.

When you have multiple styles at your disposal, you can choose from your arsenal to help elevate your next piece. The conscious decision-making can result in a much more communicative and evocative work of art. 

Of course, sometimes you just feel like working in one style or the other - that’s okay too! There are times when the idea of making a fully rendered painting is enough to discourage me from making art for the day - and we never want that to be the case. The key is to know the tools you have, including your own repertoire of art styles, and use them to your advantage.