• Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial
Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial

What Makes a Painting Great? Is it Your Style?

27/6/2018

Comments

 
How important is your art style?
Have you grappled with changing your painting style? Has a gallery told you that your style does not fit their clientele? Are you in doubt about what style is trending right now? If so you are in good company. The style-police are always ready with an opinion on what your painting style should be.

How important is painting style anyway? In this article I take on a few stereotypes and tired ideas. Let us see what does make a painting great.

Style: Either You Have it or You Don't
This trite idea about style may have more relevance with your dress code. But as advice for artists? If you want gallery representation you may have come across this advice. Look at the style of painting that is popular and follow something similar. Or you have heard people comment on a trending style.

Examples of this can vary from city to city. Cape Town seems to have a lot of artists painting large canvasses of ladies with pixelated faces. Another part of the country favours bright landscapes with texture combed fields. It is no coincidence then that several artists produce similar work.

Steal Like an Artist or Copy?
The pressure to follow another style can be hard to resist if you rely on a gallery. Especially one that needs to make lots of sales quickly. When your gallerist keeps asking for more pixelated-face-paintings you know what is trending. Does this mean you must follow along?

The old advice about stealing like an artist means to you must assimilate what has been done before. Then make it your own unique version. Not copy it. Picasso said bad artists copy, but good artists steal. He also said that art is theft. There it is then. If you want to explore this notion further you will like Austin Kleon's book Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

The Truth About Style
It is not about style at all. What galleries, desperate artists and the general public may think is style is not style. Confused? In one of my workshops I had all the students work from one reference. All the artists painted the same subject. The result? Each painting was markedly different. The same subject, but very different in appearance. No artist was trying to make their painting look like another artist's. The difference is due to style.

What we see when artists churn out the same looking subject matter in the same method is copying. Charitable critics call it derivative. But copying is worse. Derivative is borderline stealing. This is still better than copying, if you follow Picassso's idea.

Signature Works Provide the Clue
You have heard the term an artist's "signature works". This suggests that the artist produces works in a certain style. No matter the subject. Even the materials used will not disguise the style. If you sign your name with a pencil, a crayon and a fountain pen your signature is still recognisable.

Why is this important? Artist must avoid falling into the trap of copying the trend and calling this their style. When the gallery says a certain subject is popular they mean paintings that look like the one that sold. When they want more like that they mean copying. (I generalise to make a point)

What Makes a Great Painting?
What is a better road to follow for the artist? Instead of fretting over style rather focus on the core techniques of good painting. Style tends to take care of itself in the process. Once you achieve mastery over the process of painting you will glimpse greatness.

Greatness comes when the master can tell the story. The message that resonates with the viewer. A communion that reaches beyond technique to your heart. You can see this in a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh for example. But not in a copy or in the latest trend.

Can Every Artist Produce Great Paintings?
Who knows what will happen if you follow excellent painting techniques for a long time. Anything is possible. But for most the music of art will remain elusive. For every Mozart there must be a hundred Salieris. Even thousands. But are we still talking about greatness or something beyond that?

Can we call Mozart great? Or Rembrandt? Were they not much more? If so then mere mortals like you and I may have some hope of creating great paintings one day.

Do this Instead
One thing is for sure. Stop worrying about any particular style. Stop worrying about the trend. Start to look at the strength of your technique, process and how you feel about what you are communicating. Then you will see growth in your art. Paint, persist and thrive.

What do you think?
Let me know in a comment or share this post and let's hear what your friends say.

Interested in learning more?

Find out how you can use the strong techniques of master artists to develop your unique style. Join me on a workshop or my coaching program as we explore what makes great paintings.
Picture

Pin to your Pinterest Boards

How important is your Painting Style?

Comments
    FREE Book
    Picture

    Color Tips for Artists:
    ​Free
    Picture

    Book Bundle Special
    See More
    Picture

    Author

    Malcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa
    View Portfolio:

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Art Business
    Artist Notes
    Books Worth Every Dime!
    Its An Artists Life
    Musings
    News
    Painting Course
    Painting Demonstration
    Painting Tips
    Podcasts
    Popular Posts Archive
    Reviews


    Picture

    Picture

    Visit Malcolm Dewey Fine Art's profile on Pinterest.

    FREE
    ​GUIDE

    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Picture

Studio:  Troon Crescent, Port Alfred, South Africa
​Malcolm Dewey Fine Art is committed to top quality art, excellent educational material and having a great time! To back that up all works sold come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. Simply return the work, undamaged, within 30 days. Returns at purchaser expense. All transaction are protected by third party bank-level encryption to keep your information safe. Plus your email address is safe. No spam - ever!

​Copyright 2010-2020: Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
​
Picture
30 Day Money Back
Picture
Secure Transactions
Picture
Picture
No Spam Ever!
Photos used under Creative Commons from maHidoodi, buggolo, Fabio Téllez
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial