Style Vs. Versatility in Art. Which to Pursue?

October 1, 2015 in ART

ART – Style Vs. Versatility in Art. Which to Pursue?

Wally WoodWhich is more useful for an artist, acquiring and honing a style or pursuing a more full versatile artistic skill set?

This is question that came up in a discussion I had in Facebook a while back. It was inspired by a comment that J. Scott Campbell gave in an interview regarding diversity as an artist and how it related to Branding yourself.

The interview is posted further down. It’s fantastic and absolutely worth watching.

He said in the an the interview that being diverse may actually hurt you (25:33):

“If you’re fantastic at everything, you’re not known for anything in particular.”

This got me thinking. Below is a video on some thoughts on the subject:

The link to the Frank Frazetta post  I talk about in the video can be seen here: Developing a Unique Drawing Style.

Below are the points I make in the video, in a nutshell.

Style vs. Versatility Pros and Cons

Style:
Positive

  • What you’re known for.
  • Makes you money
  • The general public gravitates to style

Negative

  • What if you’re style goes out of style
  • You’re a one trick pony
  • You don’t grow as an artist

Versatility:
Positive

  • Make you a good draftsman
  • You can draw anything in any style. ALL styles are open to you.
  • You’re evergreen

Negative

  • You’re not known for any particular expertise
  • Public or employers my not see your versatility as an asset.

The J. Scott Campbell Interview

Here’s the interview in question:

Concerning the Term Style

One clarification.  In case the term style is getting a bit confusing.

The word can mean two things:

  1. Style as: the active design choices an artist uses in a particular way of drawing.
  2. Style as: the telltale unconscious way a person draws, similar to handwriting.

As an animator, I never cultivated a “style” (design choices). We pride ourselves in being able to draw in any style (design) at will.

That said, it’s impossible to escape yourself. What I’ve discovered is that, no matter what you draw, in whatever “style” (design) you draw, you will always draw like you.

On the Simpsons we ALL draw the characters on model, in the style (design) of the show. BUT we can always tell who draws what scenes because everyone draws the characters “in their style” (unconscious handwriting.) Like handwriting, we all learn to write the letters the same way but everyone does it different. We can’t help it.

So rather than pursue a “style,” (design) it’s better to pursue great draftsmanship. “Style” (unconscious handwriting) will just happen on it’s own.

What are your thoughts?