Introduction

During my time in art school, I remember my professors frequently discussing the concept of "finding your artistic voice." It took years for me to truly understand what this meant and how to develop it authentically. In this guide, I want to break down how you can discover what makes you unique as an artist and learn to utilize your strengths to build your artistic brand.

Your artistic voice is more comprehensive than just your art style. While many emerging artists focus solely on developing their visual style, this is actually just one component of a much broader concept. Your artistic voice is the unique combination of what you create, how you create it, and why you create it.

Let's take a look at three fundamental pillars that form your artistic voice and learn how to turn these elements into professional strengths that define your brand.

The Three Pillars of Your Artistic Voice

1. Subject Matter: What do you love to create?

Subject matter is arguably the most crucial aspect of your artistic voice. The subjects that genuinely fascinate you will naturally guide the direction of your work and career. This isn't about following trends, it's about identifying what authentically excites and motivates you as a creator.

Consider these examples:

• If you're passionate about cute, whimsical characters, toy design or children's illustration might be your calling

• If you love developing complex personalities and backstories, character design for games or animation could be for you

• If you enjoy exploring diverse themes and visual problems, concept art might be the right fit

Remember, you don't have to limit yourself to a single subject matter. Many successful artists build their brands around complementary interests. For instance, if you love vehicles and botany, you might combine those interests into your unique brand. The key is to make sure your chosen subjects align with your genuine interests because this passion and motivation will shine through in your work.

Pro tip: Create a comprehensive list of all the subjects that excite you. Look for patterns and connections between them. Sometimes unrelated interests can combine to create a unique niche that sets you apart.

2. Storytelling: What themes do you want to explore?

Storytelling is the emotional and conceptual foundation of your artistic voice. It's one of the hardest things to master, but having clear storytelling themes helps guide your creative decisions and gives your work deeper meaning.

Your storytelling approach should align with your personality and interests:

• If you're drawn to serious, thought-provoking themes, editorial illustration or documentary-style art might resonate with you

• If you prefer lighthearted, humorous narratives, animation or children's book illustration could be perfect

• If you enjoy exploring complex emotions and human experiences, fine art or narrative illustration might be your path

The stories you choose to tell will significantly influence your overall brand identity and help you connect with audiences who share your interests and values.

3. Style: What do you want your signature visual language to be?

Students often obsess over finding their style first, but I believe it's more effective to establish your subject matter and storytelling approach before diving into stylistic experimentation. Your visual style is the icing on the cake that brings your subjects and stories to life.

Think of style as the visual language you use to communicate your subjects and stories. It should complement and enhance these elements into a whole that feels authentically you. Rather than forcing yourself into a particular aesthetic, allow your style to develop naturally as you explore the subjects and themes that you are passionate about.

The most compelling artistic voices emerge when all three elements—subject matter, storytelling, and style—work together harmoniously to create something that can only be created by you.

Putting It All Together

Once you have clarity on these three pillars, you'll have a stronger roadmap to your artistic voice and the brand you want to build. This foundation will help you make more strategic decisions about your career path and creative direction.

From here, you can begin identifying your target audience and ideal clients by asking: What problems can your unique combination of skills and interests solve? How can your artistic voice provide value to the people you want to work with?

This understanding will become the foundation for crafting a compelling artist statement that clearly communicates not just what you do, but why you do it and who you do it for. When your artistic voice is clearly defined, attracting the right clients becomes much more natural and authentic.

Remember, developing your artistic voice is a long, ongoing process. As you grow and evolve as an artist and a person, your voice will naturally develop and refine itself. I hope this guide gives you a good starting framework that helps you find what genuinely excites you and polish that into your artistic brand.

Thanks for reading guys and if you have any thoughts let me know in the comments!