As far as I can tell, one of the questions most often asked by painters is "How can I develop my own style?" I must confess that this question is one that I have never asked. Instead, I hold firm to the belief that each painter has an inborn, unique style, just like he or she has unique handwriting. And that holds true even if -- perhaps especially if -- you don't make a conscious effort to cultivate a "style".
Consider handwriting. Even if you disguise your handwriting in an attempt to fool the experts, it will still give you away! Your painting style is equally inescapable. It is our artistic DNA.
I recently read Austin Kleon's catchy little book, Show Your Work. Kleon makes the case that we should not make a
secret of our work or our process. Instead, we should share it with the world. He addresses artists' fears that their styles will be "copied", and argues that those fears are unfounded.
I loved Kleon's story about Aaron Franklin, the uber-famous barbecue pitmaster. Franklin filmed a UTube series that explained in great detail all the tricks of the trade--choosing the wood, selecting the meat, using the best temperature for smoking, etc. Kleon was amazed that Franklin was giving away all his trade secrets.
But Franklin wasn't worried. He said that he trained every single employee in exactly the same barbecue techniques, but that whenever he cut into a brisket, he could tell you exactly who did the smoking. Pretty amazing. His story gives credence to my theory about a painting style: even if numerous painters study with the same master artist, their styles will all be unique. Vive la difference!
I recently read Austin Kleon's catchy little book, Show Your Work. Kleon makes the case that we should not make a
secret of our work or our process. Instead, we should share it with the world. He addresses artists' fears that their styles will be "copied", and argues that those fears are unfounded.
I loved Kleon's story about Aaron Franklin, the uber-famous barbecue pitmaster. Franklin filmed a UTube series that explained in great detail all the tricks of the trade--choosing the wood, selecting the meat, using the best temperature for smoking, etc. Kleon was amazed that Franklin was giving away all his trade secrets.
But Franklin wasn't worried. He said that he trained every single employee in exactly the same barbecue techniques, but that whenever he cut into a brisket, he could tell you exactly who did the smoking. Pretty amazing. His story gives credence to my theory about a painting style: even if numerous painters study with the same master artist, their styles will all be unique. Vive la difference!
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