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STYLE Q&A // part 2 (Patreon)

Published:
2021-05-25 07:58:32
Edited:
2022-10-02 10:25:34
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:
Q&A

Content

Hey everyone! Here’s the second video of the style Q&A! Part 1 is here.

Topics I cover in this video are:

• Copying styles - whether that’s ok and how to approach it, and also some more about “style insecurity” that I talked about in the last video.

• Ways to improve your style if you don’t like it

• My opinion on the “it’s my style” excuse for incorrect anatomy / mistakes in your art

• Different ways of perceiving the world and how that can inform your artistic style

• Exercises and approaches that help you cultivate your own style

• Some info about my upcoming book about style

Hope you enjoy it and please don’t hesitate to task if you have any more questions!

Files

Comments

LQ

Hey Loish! Do you get notifications when ppl comment on older posts? This vid glitches out on me around the 49:50 mark where the sound disappears. A couple of seconds later, the video just stops playing. I don't think there's anything wrong on my end, since all other vids are playing fine...

Loish
>>113914991

I do! and i'm so sorry to hear that. the patreon video player is often disagreeable for some users. you can find a vimeo link here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/64518198 remember to type in the password at the top of the post! let me know if that works for you!

LQ
>>113914991

Thanks for the quick reply! The Vimeo link works :D This Q&A session is so good! I think I watched it when you initially posted it, but I had just decided to get back into art at that point, so a lot of it just kinda went over my head.. Now two years have passed and WOW, it all resonates with me lol!! thanks again~

Dreamer

Hi Loish! Ive been struggling with a certain issue recently and would love to hear your take on this.. What if Im not enjoying making art in my current style or not enjoying making that specific type of art anymore? My current style is more anime'ish (kinda in the realm of these twitter artists - @chyaan11,@jeonghee1414,@askziye)and the style that Im more drawn towards at this moment is more of a semi realistic style like these artists aleriia_v,erak note, wlop,guweiz. My current style doesnt excite me or make me happy (like all the fun is sucked out of it). Its more like forcing yourself to stick to it since thats what you've done for a long time and have experiance in that. What Im feeling right now with the current style - Unmotivated not fun Unhappy I dont feel creative anymore with it ideas arent flowing anymore Feeling like I wasted my time developing this style which often leads to long breaks from art making and frustrations because of that. I did enjoy making this type of work in the past and it was the opposite to what Im experiancing right now. Recently I was thinking about my artworks and I came to a conclusion that I really might not enjoy what Im doing right now and that I might actually like a different type of art/style altogether So Ive experimented with the idea what if I created that new type of art and looked up couple refs and see if the ideas would flow naturally and It took me literally seconds to come up with something which I havent experianced in a long time it felt like ideas flowed seemlessly and more importantly I was actually getting excited to create and had fun just thinking about that to entertain this further I did a rough portrait doodle closer to that style (semi realism + high fantasy) and couple of interesting things happend to my surprise.. It felt more "effortless" easier to get into the "flow"/"zone" Had fun creating motivated to learn inspired Ideas flowed seemlessly without any effort Happy I can see clear goal/s if I proceed with it further the results weren't mindblowing since I never create in that style before and Im severly lacking skills in that aspect but its also easier to envision the way fowards with that path eg. what I would like to learn and where I would like to take this further then with my current style. I've looked through old inspiration boards I had saved up on artstation from 2015-19 and it seems that I've always enjoyed semi realism but I never went that direction with my art because back then I enjoyed my current style more then semi-realism. Semi-realism might be more of what I want and wanted to do from the beginning but was to scared maybe to try. The problem is that I havent drawn in that type of style before and I don't know if its a waste of time switching now Im not sure what to do/or what to prioritize.. should I take a dive and start learning semi realism and going that direction since Im having more fun and am happier doing it or stick to what Im creating right now and hope that my feelings towards it change? My brain is telling me not to change but my heart is telling me that it would probably be better for me in the long term and also more fun of a journey Im really lost.

Loish
>>147902513

hey redmoon! it sounds like you're thinking of switching styles as being a completely new start, as if you're coming from a blank slate and have to start over completely. I don't really see it that way! you probably have a lot of skills that can be carried between different styles. even though the final result may have a different vibe, there's still a lot of essential, foundational skills you're applying to both styles in the end. i don't think it's a waste to switch, and in fact i would encourage you to draw in the way that feels more natural to you. you will find your footing quickly if you're enjoying what you do! most importantly, i wouldn't make such clear boundaries between these different styles. they can overlap and you can always draw in both of them or find the commonalities if you want to. i think it's a good thing that your interests are transitioning to new things - that's part of artistic growth and i think it's good to embrace that! even though it may be difficult now, it will pay off in the long run.

Kataraqui

Thanks so much for these videos, they've been really helpful! My style started to evolve in a direction I didn't like as a result of doing a lot of paid work where I couldn't really explore what I love, I just had to do what I was paid to. After listening to this and what you said about the things you focus on or notice in art, I realize colour is a big part of what I love in art. (Even the rose you painted for the tier graphic on patreon, I always notice the bits of blue and how the colour of the leaves is brought up into the flower.) So I guess colour is something I need to do some studies for. Thanks again, can't wait for the kickstarter on this book :D

Niquey

Another great video! These are really making me excited for that book. I've started saving for it! And these actionable steps are really good insights. I want to get started on them now. Thank you Loish!

Sandra Elderberry

I can't wait to get the book!!! I've been waiting for The Trilogy :)) Thank you a lot for the very insightful video!

Spucka

Thanks Lois for such helpful video. I for one struggle with finding my style, and i know many people have the same thing. Once on discord chat one rookie artist like myself was sad because she was struggling with her style, and she kept comparing herself with other artists. I said, dont compare yourself with the ones you follow, they have years of experience and practice, do your best and slowly you will learn, get better and find your place. I will back you in kickstarter, shipping fares are a killer for me but I can save for that. I really want to see that book. Be well.

Genesis

This was really helpful thank you so much for doing it 💖 can’t wait for the new book 🙌🏻✨

Lauri Panopoulos

Hi Lois, Thank you for all you shared with us. I love how you took us on a journey with your own art and described just how you felt about your influences and how you responded to and developed your style along the way. I also appreciate your sharing how we're all different and the importance of supporting each other's journeys. I also loved how you described both the analytical as well as the emotional process of asking deeper questions about what and why things move us. I'm looking forward to book three!

Rob Callicotte

Thank you! This candor and these explanations you give to us help me to see what I can do, what I can't by doing my best, and learning the limitations I can expand upon. Thanks so much, Lois!

Becks Chu

haha I watched the Ethan Becker video and I thought it's a brilliant idea lol! I never noticed that about your hands before. There's a Spanish painter that always painted the 4th finger the same length as the 3rd, and that's his style. I always thought that's cool as well.

Loish
>>60589077

the ethan becker video was a really good one haha! It was a fair criticism but also a good jumping off point to talk about basic shapes and using reference :)

Loish
>>60582955

thanks lauri! i can't wait for the book to be done. i have so many ideas about style and how i want to motivate others to search for their own voice! and seeing the feedback on these videos is giving me an extra push of motivation!

Loish
>>60546759

hey spucka! glad you liked it! and yep, it's such a common struggle for artists to compare themselves to other artists and feel down as a result. i do that too! all the time! it's important to realize when it's going into a really negative zone and killing our creativity.

Loish
>>60530664

relatable! for me it's been so important to recalibrate after doing a lot of paid work, and get back in touch with what I want to do. otherwise my thinking process and art gets so defined by the client work I did. that actually happened a lot in recent years and it's one of the reasons I started this patreon!

Miann

Will you be posting the pixiv tutorial on Patreon ?

Komogi

Thank you so much! These two q&a videos were great and I loved the journey of your own way, you showed us! Your Tips on studying are a game changer for me! I really have these „click“-moments but I guess I didn’t asked the right questions to myself in these moments! So thanks for sharing your experience and for your kind way of encouraging us to reach out to our own styles and ways of looking at the world!

Rob Callicotte

By the way, Lois, your art is never boring (to me). I find your art exciting, inspiring, happy, lovely...so I like it. This has gotten my attention and your consistent humility keeps me paying attention.

Loish
>>60605345

i'm glad you found it useful! i've always found that i learned the most when i had some kind of goal or focus, so this is always what i recommend to others :)

Leanne Huynh

LOL, your Sevilla example..the same is with me and my husband! I wonder if men and women just pay attention to different things xD

Aurelia de Bouard

Couldn’t agree more with you! Everything you say in this video is what I think and are afraid to say it out loud ! Especially about the toxic artist behaviour telling what to do and not do and blame young artist to not follow their hard path. Thank you ! You’re so so inspirational Loish ❤️

Emily H

I think finding my style is going to have to wait. I'm in this phase now where I've been sculpting with paint to cover up the fact that my figure sketches aren't very good. So I'm trying to focus on practicing gesture so I can get better at drawing people who look like they are actually alive :)

Loish
>>60743909

that sounds like a well considered decision! sometimes we develop our style because we consciously choose to improve at a specific aspect of our art! good luck with your gesture practice :)

Jill Anderson

Really interesting thoughts on self esteem. I've found that posting anything I consider finished on Instagram helps me let go of it in a way. Like once it's out there it leaves my head and my worry of it being bad or not good enough. I think letting go of your work at times can be so helpful in moving forward. This Q&A (part 1&2) is fantastic. Thank you for posting x

Loish
>>61065870

glad you liked it! I feel the same. posting stuff online allows me to get the image out of my head and into the outside world :)

Laeyra ✦ Nova (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-13 21:00 This series was so valuable! I hope you’ll consider posting it on YouTube at some point because I think this is something a lot of young artists need to hear. For me personally, it serves as a reminder to trust my inner voice more. I spent so many years thinking I had to be a great artist in order to create meaningful work online - in the endless ocean of art. And it wasn’t until the past few years that I realized the work that spoke to me tended to be imperfect. So I wondered why I was holding myself to that bar when others didn’t. And the phrase I’ve come to tell myself is “Why are you being so hard on yourself?” Mental health is such an important matter for young artists. And when you compound it with the desire to visually “find yourself” and be unique or different from everyone else in the world, it’s endlessly stressful. The way I came into my own was as you said, pulling what I liked from other artists and making a Frankenstein of techniques I liked and found joy in. It’s probably only lately that I’ve started to make the work I *envisioned* for myself and that was an experience thing found with time and labor. But I could have *liked* my work a lot sooner and been happier with the process if I was gentler with myself. I hope these videos help others come to this conclusion faster than I did. 😊
2021-06-11 19:01

Loish
>>61686913

wise words! i see this pattern a lot in many artists.. bashing their own art constantly, but when another artist posts so much as a scribble, they fawn over it and feel like it's perfect. bashing your own art while glorifying the art of others is a sign that the problem is not the art, but your own self esteem. i'm glad you're in a better place now!

Kolja Kähler

So much food for thought, thank you! To me, this video isn‘t so much about what I would call style, but rather... getting to the center of your authentic creativity? After getting some basic technical skills, most of my art journey seems to revolve around this kind of analysis, soul-searchning, self-awareness. To an extent I never anticipated. Can be quite tormenting, but also exhilarating when you work through yet another roadblock :) On another note, have you played with pareidolia sketching? It may not be so much about style, but spending a half hour each morning, scribbling over random watercolor blotches, has really helped me find new directions - it‘s like the daily podcast from my subconscious, often surprising, always entertaining.

Zita Varga

Thank you so much for these! Really, food for thought! And I look forward to seeing your next book!

Kate

Thank you for everything you are doing, Loish . It’s truly invaluable❤️