‘Style is a way of saying something without having to speak.’ Rachel Zoe
You don’t have to utter one word. People should be able to recognise your work by your style. It’s your brand, your stamp and should express your uniqueness.
So many teach ‘their’ style. And that’s great when you’re just starting out and need to learn. But if you really want to be serious about your work, at some stage you’re going to have to find your own way and your own voice. But how?
It’s really not that difficult and it’s actually quite educative to look at yourself and what you’ve done – and that’s where you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Let’s put our party dress on and give it a bit of a whirl.
This is another of those occasions where you have to start by ‘looking back’. By that I mean, look at work you’ve designed and completed in the last five years or so and answer the following questions. Write your answers down and reflect on what you’re ‘seeing’ in your work. Really look. Lay pieces of your work on the floor, stand back and analyse.
Finding Your Unique Style Quick Quiz:
- What type of lines do you see appearing and re-appearing in your work? Straight, curved, tight, loose, many, few, close together or well-spaced?
- Which shapes have you used and re-used in your work? Circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, trees, houses, figures, etc?
- Now, look at the colour palettes you’ve used? Can you see a pattern?
- What sort of design composition do you favour? Abstract, realistic, traditional or contemporary.
- Do you work large or small?
- Do you work in a series or to a theme?
Can you see what I’m trying to do here? I’m simply connecting the dots.
To distinguish your style, you have to be able to see and to connect those dots by looking backward, not forwards.
After you’ve done that, look out for next week’s post-Good Bones Pretty Clothes.
