Experimentation vs. Consistency: The Two Keys to Finding Your Style

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked, "How do I find my style?" I’d have enough to buy a lifetime supply of purple paint. (And you know I’d use it!) But here’s the thing—your style isn’t something you find like a lost sock under the couch. It’s something you develop over time, and the secret sauce? A mix of experimentation and consistency.

Why Experimentation Matters

Imagine going to the same ice cream shop your whole life and only ever ordering vanilla. (No offense to vanilla, but...come on.) How would you know if rocky road or mango sorbet was actually your thing? The same goes for art. You have to try different materials, techniques, and approaches to see what resonates.

Play with pastels, oils, and charcoal.
Try loose and expressive strokes one day, then detailed realism the next.
Swap your brush for a palette knife or your fingers (yes, finger painting is still cool!).

Every time you step outside your comfort zone, you’re adding more puzzle pieces to your artistic identity.

My COVID Art Experiment: Going Extra Bold

Back in the lockdown days of COVID, when the world felt a little upside-down, I found myself craving something different in my art. So, I grabbed my paints, ditched my usual approach, and went extra bold—big, raw, loose strokes in deep blues and my forever love, PF House Purple. I let go of the pressure to make it "right" and just felt my way through it, stopping before I had the chance to overwork it (a miracle, really!). And guess what? I loved how it turned out. So much so that I made more like it. It was a totally different approach for me at the time, but it unlocked something exciting—proof that sometimes, the best way to find your style is to take a creative leap.

Why Consistency Matters

Here’s the kicker: if all you do is experiment, you might end up feeling like a creative tornado—constantly spinning but never landing. Consistency is what makes patterns emerge in your work.

Do you keep returning to a certain subject, like animals or landscapes?
Do you naturally lean toward a particular color palette? (Hint: If purple keeps sneaking in, embrace it!)
Do your brushstrokes or shading techniques have a familiar rhythm?

When you start seeing these trends, that’s your style taking shape. The trick is to balance exploration with repetition—like a jazz musician who riffs off a melody but keeps coming back to the core tune.

Style-Finding Exercise: Three Ways, One Subject

Let’s put this into practice! Pick a subject—maybe your pet, a flower, or even a coffee mug—and paint or draw it in three different ways:

Realistic: Focus on capturing it exactly as it is.
Stylized: Exaggerate shapes, simplify details, or add an imaginative twist.
Monochromatic: Use only one color family to see how it affects mood and expression.

Which version feels most you? That’s a clue to your artistic fingerprint!

Trust the Process

Your style isn’t hiding—it’s right there in the work you keep making. The more you experiment and the more you return to what feels natural, the clearer it becomes. So, keep creating, keep playing, and keep showing up—your style is unfolding with every brushstroke.

Engagement Time!

Have you ever created something that felt exactly like your style? What was different about it? Drop a comment and let’s talk about it!

Want more fun exercises like this? Check out my courses over at Create & Inspire and join our amazing community of artists who are embracing their creative journey, one experiment at a time! 🎨✨

Blog Comment Box Creation Guidance by Andrea Gianchiglia