This article features input from the following creative minds : Emeric Trahand and Alesandro Pautasso.
When I interviewed Radim Malinic a few months ago one of his answers intrigued me. Radim said the following : “Most of the new commissions are wanting ‘a brand nu’ type of work. People don’t give me work for what I can do, but for the style I use.”. This got me thinking about how important having a style is compared to being competent in the basics of graphic design.
When you give it some thought, it makes perfect sense. A commercial illustrator like Radim has a very recognizable style. While he is no doubt a competent designer clients come to him because they’ve seen his work and feel his style complements their brand, product or campaign
So how do you find a style to call your own?
Avoid a headlong plunge on computer
- Alesandro Pautasso
Depending on who you ask the answer will no doubt differ greatly. When I asked Still on the run’s Emeric Trahand he said the following : “Finding a style is a tricky exercise. By trying too hard you get nowhere most of the time. I believe a style must appear by itself after quite a bit of practice.”. This is good advice by Emeric. If you try to force a style or rush it, you run the risk of copying your current inspiration. It’s a plain fact that a style that has been developed over time often not only looks better, your experience in using and experimenting with it will also make you capable of better implementing it.
“Avoid a headlong plunge on computer and try to make sketches in pencil before starting the creative process. This methodology certainly helps the creative aspect of the production process .”, says Alesandro Pautasso. While development of a style definitely happens during experimentation, not starting up Photoshop or Illustrator out of habit is often a good idea. This gives you more control over the direction you want to head in.
“I see quite often new designers coming with really complex and messy pieces, directly inspired by the community’s references.” Says Emeric. “Graphic design, as most of the disciplines, is made in steps. It is important to acquire one in order to get to the next. I understand how tempting it is for a new comer to try to realize “the big piece” right away, but this is not something I would advise. I believe a young designer should get his hands on rather simple pieces to start and that his attention should be focused on the elements that make up the quality of a piece like sharp edges, clean composition, balanced colors, eye-appealing light and professional definition. Complexity comes later.”.
Emeric hits the nail on the head here. We all get inspired by complex multi-layered work. I remember my first reaction when I first saw Radim Malinic’s recent murals. Before I knew it I was harassing Radim for wallpapers(Which I still don’t have Rad!). It’s natural to be impressed by grandeur yet the danger lies in the fact that good complex pieces merge multiple elements in such a way it almost seems simple. Before you know it your stuffing a design or illustration with a myriad of elements only to discover you simply can’t make the piece work like some of the big boys can.
Your greatest ally can also be your enemy
The ally I refer to is of course inspiration. When developing a style you have to be careful that you don’t end up a simple copy-cat. While it’s perfectly natural to have your inspirations, and even to copy a certain element or solution, there are limits. Where these limits lie is hard to put into words, opinions differ, but your own judgment should serve you well. Crossing these limits will not only cause you to lose you a lot of credit in the design community, you’ll also be concerned with duplication more then the creative process.
For final advice
For final advice Emeric and Alesandro both agree that endurance and experimentation are key. “Of course some designers seem to be born with a magic eye and/or hand which make their vision and works unique, but I do believe that most of the recognized cats in the business spent hours and hours struggling and experiencing things in order to develop their style and skills. You’ve got to be prepared to spend half of your life sitting in front of a screen, to do so, you’d better have some sort of a genuine passion for graphic design.” says Emeric. Now what more could I possibly ad?
Designfeedr sends cookies and respect to Emeric trahand and Alesandro Pautasso for their thoughts. Feel free to post your own tips or thoughts in the comments!
Source : http://designfeedr.com
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