"The early years of an artist’s development are often spent hammering out basic foundation skills. These will serve as the core of all that they create. During this time, the artist should not be terribly preoccupied with questions of style, vision, direction, brand, etc. We have to stand before we walk and bypassing the basics rarely does anybody any good in the long-term. (...)
Ultimately, I feel it is the goal of the artist to create what has not been created before. As an illustrator, it is also in your best interest to cultivate a compelling and unique aesthetic which separates you from the herd. These are both tremendously daunting tasks, which is exactly what makes them important. Only the very best will achieve these goals (though if the first is truly achievable is up for debate)." (...)
"Among the most frequently asked questions of the aspiring visual artist, I would expect to find "how do I develop my style" near the top of the list. The answer I typically give is to not worry about finding your style because once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of drawing, light and shadow, perspective, color, anatomy, and/or any number of other technical skills required, your style has more than likely found you. Style is nothing more than the sum of your intentions and you limitations. You have a vision and execute it to the best of your ability. Once your skill is at a high enough level to yield consistently satisfying results, you will be producing work with a consistent and recognizable style to it. This is because you are always pitting what you want to create against what you are able to create and style is where the two meet. Over time you reinforce your habits and learn to control your weaknesses so that they all cooperate and result in something uniquely “you”."
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