Find Your Art Style | Exploration

All artists are invested in finding their own unique art style. One that suits their personality, their interests, helps them achieve their goals, and most importantly, looks good! Luckily, every artist is unique, just by being themselves and creating art that makes them happy. But there are ways to evolve one’s art style into something that has greater consistency and confidence! One of the best ways to become a great artist with an interesting and impactful style is to be inspired by lots of different things. Let's take Van Gogh for an example. Almost every knows Starry Night (1889) as one of the best Impressionist/Post-Impressionist artworks of the era. This masterwork didn't come from nothing- it was a combination of Van Gogh's experiences and inspirations. The use of vibrant, bold colors was inspired by his fellow artist Paul Gaugin. The textural impasto he used to paint the sky was inspired by the work of Impressionist's like Monet. The repeating patterns of stars and floral motifs in his other work were inspired by Japanese kimono and woodblock (moku hanga) prints. In this class, we are going to learn how how to craft your own unique style by exploring and examining lots of different artworks so you can discover which elements of art inspire you!

Find Your Style is an artist-led course that combines art analysis and appreciation, discussion, creative thinking, and practice, practice, practice to help young artists curate their style. This course is designed for students who are dedicated, passionate artists who love to talk, create, and occasionally work outside of their comfort zone. Artists who join this course should have basic knowledge of art methods (see my courses How to Draw: Foundations, How to Draw Basics: Still Life Drawing, and How to Draw Basics: Figure Drawing for comprehensive basic drawing classes) and a body of at least 10 artworks (any media, some fully finished works and some sketches). 

This course is mostly discussion based with some short lectures to explain concepts, techniques, and assignments. Some lectures will be assisted with PowerPoint presentations. Our discussions will be supported by easy to follow guides that explain art analysis and critique, optional note-taking print outs, and plenty of space to ask questions. Young artists should expect to ask questions about their inspirations, art techniques, how to use certain medias, and process. Learners will be allowed to use the chat function to participate in conversation.

Find Your Art Style | Exploration will meet for six weeks for two hours and fifteen minutes. The longer duration of each class gives artists ample time to discuss, practice, and work on assignments. Learners can expect to spend at least 75 minutes of every class creating art! Young artists will be provided a ten to fifteen minute break during class and may take additional breaks as needed.


Lesson 1: Exploring Your Own Work 
Our first lesson will begin with an introduction to the course and young artists. We will then discuss the seven visual elements of art (line, shape, form, value, space, color, and texture) as well as the eight elements of composition (unity, balance, movement, rhythm, focus, contrast, pattern, and proportion) with a PowerPoint lecture filled with exciting examples of each element. Once young artists have learned how to discuss art with the help of these elements, they will explore their own artwork. Through their exploration of their own artwork (at least 10 pieces of work in any media, sketches and unfinished artworks included) they will create an Initial Checklist of elements their current artwork uses. Then, they will create an Ideal Checklist that will serve as a set of goals to achieve throughout the course. Young artists will use their Ideal Checklist to create a self-portrait that represents them with any media. 

Lesson 2: Exploring the Old Masters
Exploration of artworks across many time periods, styles, and persons is one of the most important aspects of developing one’s own style. Without the knowledge of what is possible it can be very difficult to imagine the different opportunities of what someone can create. It is also important to examine the work of Old Masters whose artworks are still immensely impactful and whose techniques are still taught and used by artists to this day. Students will learn about the four elements of critique: description, analysis, interpretation, and judgement with the help of a short PowerPoint lecture. As a group, we will practice critique with The School of Athens (1509) by Raphael. Young artists will then share their thoughts on the Old Master artworks they are inspired by. Students will choose one of their inspirations to recreate using the similar themes and elements. But they will be asked to modernize or personalize their work to reflect their own thoughts and experiences. For example, a student may choose the inspiration of Judith Beheading Holofernes (1599) by Caravaggio. The theme of this work is triumph over tyranny. This painting emphasizes the visual elements of value, space, and color as well as the compositional elements of contrast and movement. Using the corresponding themes and elements, the student may modernize their recreation of the painting by using different figures from real world current events or fictional characters who resisted injustice and tyranny. 

Lesson 3: Exploring Modern and Contemporary Movements 
After the turn of the century art was no longer limited to just wealthy or career-oriented individuals with time and money to spend on expensive paints and canvas, it became a medium of expression for anyone with a pencil and the desire to create. While looking back at the Old Masters teaches us about historical contexts of art and gives of interesting perspectives on how art has developed, exploring modern and contemporary art teaches us to push the definition of art! As a group, we will review critique and examine the work of Portrait of Marcel Duchamp (1920) by Baroness Elsa Freytag Loringhoven. Then, young artists will share their thoughts on their Modern and Contemporary inspirations. Our art project for the week will be creating an image In the Style of (Artist). Students will select one of their three inspirations and use the techniques and elements of that artist to create their own unique composition. For example, a student might pick The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh as their inspiration. They will be required to replicate the impasto and Impressionist techniques used and may choose to use a similar color palette or subject matter. However, they would be required to base their landscape on a scene that is familiar or personal to them. This might be the view of their backyard from their window, a park or garden they like to visit, or a place they aspire to travel to. While The Starry Night was painted in oils, young artists may use thickened acrylic or tempera paint, or oil pastels to successfully mimic the style of the work. 

Lesson 4: Exploring Personal Inspirations 
The world of art is incredibly vast. Everyone has different ideas about what makes good art, but we can all agree that the best artworks are ones that find influence from many places in that vast artworld. Now that we have explored Old Masters and Modern / Contemporary artworks, students have a great basis for how to analyze artwork and describing what makes artwork good to them. In our Exploring Personal Inspirations lesson, students will be asked to pick inspirations that are personal to them. These inspirations can come from anywhere such as books, comics, animation, music, poems, artworks, illustrations, clothing, science, language… and more! As a group, we will critique May Day (1866) by Julia Margaret Cameron. Students will then be given time in class to analyze and talk about their Personal Inspirations. Then, we will begin our art project: Inspired By. Using one of their Personal Inspirations, students will create an artwork based on the elements they like about their Personal Inspiration. This is an open-ended project where the type, genre, and style of artwork will be decided by the artist. However, they must be able to explain the connection between their artwork and their inspiration. 

Lesson 5: Exploration Final Project 
Our Exploration Final Project will challenge young artists to produce an artwork that follows their Ideal Checklist and is inspired by at least three different artworks or artists. The concept and scope of the Exploration Final Project is entirely up to learners. They may decide to do a drawing, painting, sculpture, digital work, comic or zine, animation, collage, or mixed media piece with any theme. Their inspiration elements can influence any aspect of their work, from the theme to color choices to composition. Young artists must have their ideas approved by me by submitting their Assignment Proposal the week before this class begins. Submitting their concept will give me the opportunity to individually assess and assist each student where they are. It will also help them create an impactful Final Project!  

Lesson 6: Critique Session 
In our final lesson, students will have the opportunity to showcase their work in a dedicated critique session! Throughout the course, students have been encouraged to post their artwork to the Outschool Classroom under the corresponding post for the week and comment on their peers work. During our Critique Session, each young artist will choose two of their favorite artworks out of the ones completed throughout the course to discuss with peers.