Words of WIsdom

Skottie Young one of my favorite comic artist posted this on his DA journal. It's true and can be applied to all forms of art. Give it a read:

Finding your own voice
Tue Mar 24, 2009, 3:36 PM I got asked a question that I thought might make for a good journal entry.

Q: It's easy to be influenced by our idols, I was wondering if you had any advice on developing a unique style?

Let me preface this by stating that I'm not an expert. This is my opinion and that's it.

Style is an odd thing. Most all of us started off trying to draw like someone else. You could go back to your favorite artist early work and it will resemble someone else. Bill Sienkiewicz started out his career drawing exactly like Neal Adams and he became something on another planet later on. Being influenced is natural and you'll be influenced thru out your artistic life on one level or another.

The problem comes when you become too reliant on the artist(s) that you're influenced by. Like many, I've been there. I know the feeling of taking an artist drawing and copying, adding just enough to it to make it feel original and hoping that when people look at it, they aren't aware of the source. I'm here to tell you, they're always aware and you'll never get it by. We've all seen Joe Mad, Humberto Ramos, Chris Bachalo, Josh Middleton, Adam Hughes, Mike Mignola, etc., and it's always apparent when they're being copied.

And this isn't to call people out or make people feel bad. Art is about creating something, say something. You can't say anything if you're talking with someone else's voice. Where's the payoff of creating. If I'm a comedian, I can't get on stage and do Chris Rock's act in his voice. It's his life and experience that formed his act and I don't really connect. Same with art. You may be able to draw an incredible drawing, but if it's not yours then it won't get heard.

Believe me, when you let go and just start drawing in your own "voice", you'll feel the rewards. Take the influences that you've had, learn from them and then see what comes out of the pencil. Put away all your books, your comics, your internet and just draw. Draw for you. Sketch your ass off. Quit trying to do covers and splash pages, just sketch. Fill a 400 page sketchbook up with gesture drawings. See what happens. Sooner or later you'll find your "voice". You'll always have those idols and they'll be present in your work, but your drawings should stand out as...well, yours. You'll always be happier with your art, as will others, if you just be yourself. It may not be the coolest, or most dynamic, or moody, or funky, or whatever at the beginning, but you will grow.

Ok, so that was a very free flow blah blah session. Maybe helpful, maybe me completely off base. What Ev's! haha.

s.

Skottie's work if you've never seen it is here http://skottieyoung.deviantart.com/