I don’t have a style, per se. I’ve heard that it’s bad to be too locked into a style, but without knowing what I do best, I feel compelled to start from scratch every time. I think I’m starting to see that a style isn’t a finishing line … it’s a starting point of assumptions and building blocks to work with. (For those of you that have a style, would you say that’s right?)
Anyway, I was trying to figure out what my style would be, if I were to have one. What I wound up with was a list of elements I like, and feel comfortable using. Hopefully this will be a starting place for figuring out what style is and how to use it well:
- Bigger, bolder blocks
- Simple, strong, joyful
- Masculine, not macho
- Provide interest & information
- Protect from confusion
- Lead the eye & mind
- Love the viewer more than the concept
- Weathered, not distressed
- Not grunge
- New England
- Textures
- Textiles: t-shirts, knits, cable, fleece, tweed, canvas, cotton
- Clothing: old suits, hoodies, jeans, military jackets, sweaters
- Home: wood, wainscoting
- Pencil sketches
- Grid system
- Comics & cartoons (European, not manga)
- Dog, not cat. Sincere, open-hearted
- Pick an emotion and GO for it
Not exactly what you’d call exhaustive or organized. But it’s a place to start.