How Can You Find Your Own Drawing Style?

If you have some experience in drawing or you have been practicing this amazing art for a long time you must know that it is crucial to find your own drawing style at some point. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. In this article, we collected some useful advice for you if you are on a journey to find your personal drawing style. In this piece of content, we will share with you the following best practices:

1. Try different drawing styles
2. Create your own sketchbook
3. Get to know other drawing artists’ works in galleries and museums
4. Get to know other drawing artists’ works on social media
5. Read books in order to find your personal drawing style
6. Traveling is the key to find your own drawing style
7. Get inspiration from your own environment
8. Know yourself! Get inspiration from your inner world

Try different drawing styles

The first and most important step is to try different drawing styles. If you have no idea what is your personal drawing style, you have to check all of the drawing styles that are already exist. Whit this you will be able to try out new things and see drawing from different angles. What is more, with this effective method you will be able to practice a lot and your drawing skills will be developed in general as well. While you are practicing we recommend you to follow the next guideline:

1. Start with choosing 3 drawing styles and practice them for a while.
2. After you did this, exclude those two that you didn’t like so much.
3. Repeat this exercise for a while and create a shortlist about the drawing styles you like.
4. If you have a shortlist you can get inspiration form, you will be able to develop your own drawing style.
5. Don’t forget to repeat this exercise once a year in order to discover new drawing styles that could be possibly built into your own style.

Create your own sketchbook

Every artist must own a sketchbook, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. In this section, we are going to tell you everything you need to know if you want to create your first sketchbook.

First of all, let us tell you how could these tiny books help you find your own drawing style. A sketchbook is something that is not digital and that can be always taken with you if you go somewhere. In your sketchbook, you can try out different styles with different drawing tools, and with this create a visual diary. This visual diary will be a huge help for you if you are on a journey to find your personal drawing style, because it will give you a clear overview of things you like and of things you are able to get inspiration from.

If you want to create your first sketchbook you just have to do the followings:

1. Go to a shop and find a book that you like and that could possibly inspire you. This is one of the most important things, because if you buy a sketchbook that you don’t like, you won’t be able to use it effectively. Check its cover, its pages, and its materials. Touch all of its details and choose the one book that speaks to you in a spiritual way.
2. After you buy “The Book” collect as many tools as you can. The more different pens, pencils, highlighters, etc. you have, the easier your job will be.
3. After you have all the necessary stuff start to collect inspiration from different drawing artists and start sketching.

This last point leads us to the next one which is getting inspiration from other artists.

Get to know other drawing artists’ works in galleries and museums

If you want to get in-person inspiration form other drawing artists, painters, photographers, and sculptors go to a museum or art gallery. Watching other artists’ works cannot be compared to any other experience. The best way to get inspiration from them and develop your own personal drawing style at the same time is to dedicate special days for museum visits. Take your sketchbook with you to these visits and create sketches about these artists artworks. What is more, if you like to draw sketches of other people do that too. Additionally, creating sketches of others while they are visiting the museums can be very helpful for you if you want to find your own drawing style. With checking others reactions to other artworks you will be able to develop an interesting and new viewpoint that will be helpful in finding your personal style.

Get to know other drawing artists’ works on social media

In our previous article we collected 9 artists who are worth to be followed on Instagram, but you don’t necessarily have to use that social media platform if you want to get inspiration from other drawing artists’ works. Check for instance Pinterest, Reddit, or Behance if you like to discover other artists work in an appealing and visual way.

How can be this “task” helpful for you in finding your own drawing style? Well, we advise you to follow the next method in order to get the maximum of this “exercise”:

1. Read our article of “9 artists you need to follow on Instagram” and check those artists who were mentioned there
2. Collect those whose style you like and create a list of them
3. Try to copy their style and check if their style fits into your overall drawing style

Read books in order to find your personal drawing style

In one of our previous articles we collected the best art-related books. If you need inspiration form great drawing artists we highly recommend you reading some of these books. By learning from others and getting to know their life story and style you will be able to see how they find their own styles. This experience will help you a lot in finding your own drawing style.

Traveling is the key to find your own drawing style

If you like traveling and you are able to take some paper and drawing tools with you to your travels, use this opportunity to find your own drawing style. Traveling always changes people a bit and this is a great opportunity for you to explore hidden elements in your drawing style. We highly recommend you to take your sketchbook with you if it is possible and check the difference between those sketches that were made when you were at home and those that were created when you were traveling. You will definitely see the difference between these artworks. Moreover, it is also suggested to have a “Reflection Session” after your travelings. With this, you will be able to react on those artworks and sketches that were made during your traveling, choose the style elements you like, and build them into your personal drawing style.

Get inspiration from your own environment

Getting inspiration from your own environment is one of the biggest help for you in finding your personal drawing style. For this, we highly recommend creating a visual diary. This can be created very easily, you just have to take the following steps:

1. Buy a sketchbook that you will use as your visual diary. Keep in mind that this book will be a special sketchbook where you can collect your daily memories, thoughts, and sketches.
2. Choose a time period. Choose a dedicated week for this exercise and don’t forget to take time for your visual diary every day.
3. Everything that inspires you can be put into your visual diary so if you see amazing sculptures, paintings, or even just a leaf or a person who inspires you, take a picture of them or make a sketch and put it into your diary.
4. At the end of the week, go out somewhere and check your visual diary. Choose the images or sketches and styles that inspire you the most and build them into your personal drawing style.
5. Last but not least, don’t forget to repeat this exercise every single year in order to keep your style up to date.

Know yourself! Get inspiration from your inner world

Last but not least, don’t forget that you can learn from yourself as well. Take time to have short meditation sessions and get inspiration from your thoughts and your inner world. Don’t forget to write down your ideas after each session. What is more, if you like to read psychological books we highly recommend you to take notes during the reading and after you have finished, make a “Reflection Session” again. With this, you will be able to explore your hidden thoughts and inner world which is a big help if you want to find your own drawing style.

Lastly, if you need more inspiration and help in finding your personal drawing style, check the following articles as well:

In this article, we created “An Inspiring List of Things to Draw” and in the following piece of content we provide you a step by step guide for digital drawing.