Rorshach's Journal, Two Second... 2014

I'm pretty sure lots of people who got drawing lessons most likely got the feared "Try a different art style" tip from a teacher or from a friend.

And yes, it's really difficult to pull it off, whether you're trying or not.

Even people who WANT to try a new art style, they just can't seem to push away those biases they have.

I for example used to be unable to get that "Animesque" look out of my art, no matter how hard I try.

And after 3 years of getting out of it, I've only been able to get out of it when I conciously think about it.

But I do think I figured out a way to help myself get out of the comfort zone.

It actually seems like a looped logic, but the idea is to simply make a second comfort zone.

I was used to drawing cute characters, have them smile and have them have big expressive eyes which complimented their huge heads.

Then I decided to draw darker character, characters who have more narrow heads, eyes that seem a bit more like they're squinting (but not to the extend of Youngblood's Art style, and thank god for that) much thinner bodies and proportions that emphasize the movements of the arms and legs more.

Let me tell you the first time I drew in the darker art style.

I hated it.

I drew the first drawing as an experiment and went "God, I do NOT want to keep drawing this way!"

But that's normal. You were used to seeing your characters with bigger heads, you were used to the eyes being much bigger, you were used to the bodies having a bit more meat to them.

To you, THAT looked like reality. It looked like how a human was SUPPOSED to look like.

I think the reason the human mind is adverse to new drawing styles is because the artist has the idea that their older art style will disappear.

To that I say, don't be afraid. Your original art style will NEVER go away.

The trick is to just keep drawing in the new style again and again.

Yes, you will hate it at the start, but the longer you stick with it, the more you hardwire your mind to see the logic of the art style. You will think "Yeah, this makes as much sense as my previous art style."

So what happens when you've gotten comfortable with your new art style?

Well, obviously, you have two art styles now.

You didn't replace anything, you just added a new tool to your arsenal.

Now that you have two total opposite art styles, you can now combine them, and more easily draw a third art style, and a fourth by mixing one of them with the third art style, etcetera.

This is the reason art teachers find it so important for you to learn how to draw realistically correct anatomy.

I've heard people complain about getting those classes because "I draw in a cartoony style anyway."

But they're missing the point. The moment you learn how to draw realistically, the more art styles you are able to work with.

Because all art styles, whether they're anime or 90's cartoons, they still evolved from the anatomy of the human form.

The teacher never SAID you HAVE to draw realistically, they just want you to learn it so you know the rules of anatomy, and with that you're then able to come up with a better art style.

And who knows, maybe that newer art style you just tested out could very well work a lot better for your project than your previous one.

Think about it, would Legend of Zelda have been so epic if Link was drawn in the way of Mario?