Showerthought: I spent two years trying to make my digital paintings look like oil on canvas

I was obsessed with getting that thick, textured look in Procreate, using tons of layers and special brushes. Last month, a friend asked why all my art looked like it was trying to be something else. That hit me hard. I realized I was hiding my actual style, which is cleaner and more graphic, because I thought 'real' digital art had to mimic traditional media. Now I'm redoing my whole portfolio with just flat colors and sharp lines. Has anyone else gotten stuck trying to copy a style that wasn't really theirs?

3 comments

3 Comments

susan_bell4d ago

Hah, been there! What's your style now?

terryk104d ago

Wait, are we really treating personal style like it's some kind of major life decision? It's just clothes, right? People change what they like to wear all the time without making a big deal about it. Why does it even need a label or a serious talk?

sanchez.pat4d ago

My cousin spent 3 years calling her style "eclectic" which was just code for buying random sale items. I get what @susan_bell is saying, but sometimes putting a name to your vibe helps you shop smarter and waste less money. It stops being just clothes when your closet is a mess of things you never wear.