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Concept vs. Style: Which is Most Important?
Over the past decade, I have tried very intentionally to develop a distinct illustration style. While the question of whether to have a “set” illustration style vs. being more flexible is somewhat of a controversy, and while I believe there is room here for some middle ground, knowing the boundaries of what you do and don’t do is absolutely essential if you’re going to survive as a commercial artist.
What I’ve learned in my pursuit of style, both in learning what mine is and in observing the work of those I admire, is that there are two overall kinds of illustrators. I call them the Artist and the Designer. The Artist has a stricter, more limited style. It is more distinctive and consistent and closely tied to the identity of the artist. Who they are and their style are inseparable. The Designer, on the other hand, is more flexible with their style. Their focus is more on concept. While they may not return to the same outward style and colour palettes throughout their work, they have an identifiable way of approaching their ideas.
You can say that the Artist-type illustrator is Identity-forward. Everything they do is rooted in a clearly-expressed set of visual qualities. The…
