(yes, stay): manifestation of self in drawing style

deadexit:

ecoliers:

This is something kind of random that really interests me, which I discussed with a friend a while back but would definitely be interested in getting more feedback on (from a larger sample pool)! Or at the very least, getting it off my chest.

Basically I’m wondering how an individual’s personal…

I love this topic and I’m sure I’ve exhausted it with many friends/artists already but I find it utterly fascinating!! I have a deep interest in people and art. When I look at art beyond the subject matter, I feel like I start to view the artist as the person behind the art. Which reminds me that when asked why I haven’t created art recently, my only explanation was that I felt like I was (am) going through an identity crisis!

But before I get off topic, to answer your question:

How do you think your drawing style parallels your personality? Has your style changed a lot over time, and did that correlate in any way with changes in your personality, your values, etc?

Yes, in some ways, I do think so. I think I am forever a student—always curious and learning. This is definitely apparent in my art bc I am always experimenting and exploring different techniques and media (more so than subject matter). However, I have a short attention span and this shows as well. My commitment to finish drawings are brief and short (unfortunately). At the same time—to contradict everything—I am also a planner and love to plan things. This is obvious in my carefully drawn sketches. They are loose but at the same time, very controlled. There are more parallels but I am being lazy and lame so overall, I try to strive for a balance of control and fluidity—which (I think) is a great way to describe my own personality! 

I can’t speak for other people but for artists that I know, I definitely see a subconscious connection. Somewhat (or not?) relevant, it reminds me of this post where the subject matter and the medium was the same with the only difference being one’s own “style” for a lack of a better word.

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I want to write more about this subject but I know I am lazy and if I wait longer, it will never happen. So I am finally going to post this as is…about six months after I wrote it 8D  

Thank you for answering bb!

I really agree with your point about looking at the artist beyond the art, because I do the same thing. It hearkens back to the idea of art as a reflection of the artist, more so than it is a representation of whatever the subject matter is. I mean, it’s impossible to truly divorce yourself from something you create with your own hands and your own mind, but I find it interesting in the example you give, that even the quality of the pen strokes differ in various subtle ways. Not sure about other people, but one of the first things I learned about drawing was to draw what I see, not what I think I see, and this particular example makes me wonder to what extent people’s perceptions of the same thing differ, and how their interpretations of what they see affect their drawing technique.

Of course, every individual’s past experiences play into it as well, like how people learned to draw, to hold a pencil, various technical/mechanical skills. For instance, my own method of drawing—even when I was starting off learning—involved a very light, almost timid bottom/structural sketch, which persists even now (if I do a bottom sketch at all). Usually my sketches are super light, as if I don’t really want to commit to something that might turn out to be a mistake. That’s kind of a reflection of my personality I think…I hate making mistakes, I’m very detail-oriented and often fixate on details over the big picture…which means I often don’t think about stuff like background, context, etc. until quite late in the process. Though I imagine a part of this is just my lack of formal illustration training? I sometimes feel like a bit of a split-personality artist; for me, experimentation trumps consistency. Hehe.

I’m the same way as you about finishing pieces (as you know haha)! I usually get bored of things before I can fully finish them (again, relevant to my life/personality), but I also think that there are points at which things should be left alone, and not everything needs to be meticulously finished in order for the idea that I wanted to communicate to be communicated. Also, (like you!) I find unfinished pieces much more interesting and revealing than finished ones. It’s like you can almost see the artist’s mind working, with their hands being a conduit through which their imagination, their past, their thoughts are flowing. I just think it’s such a wonderful, fascinating, human phenomenon. :)