One piece of art and a few random thoughts

I've had a lot of requests over the last year to write a blog, or start a newsletter, or do some youtube tutorials, and so after many months of putting in some good solid procrastination, I’ve finally written this intro, and perhaps even gotten someone to read it. If you’re still here, I’ll just get straight to it: I’m going to post art, and write about it, the process of creating it, and whatever else comes to mind. Maybe a tutorial will come out of it, maybe just something interesting and fun, and, if I’m not careful, maybe I’ll even inspire someone.

This week’s artwork

“High Chateau” - 24x18in graphite on paper - by Chris Becker

Once again I’ve built a vessel that is in no way airworthy and likely violates a ton of FAA regulations. “High Chateau” I’ve called it, as it is high, and bears some resemblance to the residences of old, dead, French aristocrats.

Where the idea came from

As with much of my fantasy architecture I usually blend bits and pieces from a bunch of different sources together. This one has a bit of the Frauenkirche in Dresden, a few windows from the Palais Garnier in Paris, and a few corbels, lamps, a greenhouse, and other accessories that a feverish late-night escapade through Pinterest deposited me with the next day.

Weekly thoughts: Making art with Style

On several occasions I’ve been asked how one can learn to draw “in my style.” After initially being humbled that someone might want to learn to draw like me, it had me thinking, “wtf is my style?” I mean, I look at other artists, and I can clearly see their style. But me? I just start doodling and drawing and out pops a weird hot air balloon or something.

But what is style anyway? How does one develop a style? Can style be taught? Most artists I know just draw/paint/create what comes most naturally to them, often through years of trial and error, some self-taught, some with formal training. The best artists out there often have clear distinctive styles that they can execute consistently. When they create a new piece, it’s immediately recognizable. Personally I’ve found that “style” amounts to many of the quirks that an artist has worked out over years of practice. In the case of the best artists, those quirks happen to be things that work really f$^king well.

At one point in 2021 I started smudging the background of my pieces with graphite powder because I found that a gray backdrop made the highlights pop even more in a piece. I’ve done that fairly consistently ever since. Now I suppose it’s a hallmark of my style. As for whatever else I do, that’s mostly me winging it every time. I go into each piece as an experiment. With each one I might try something I never did before; a subject I never drew before, materials and lighting I’d never played with, an extra level of detail I had ignored previously, etc. Rather than obsess over perfection (which I’ll still do nevertheless) I try to see what works, see what people think of it, and assure myself that someday, maybe I’ll do another version of it just a little bit better.

So, in my case, I expect my style will be ever changing in small and large ways. So, to turn this little rant into something resembling some sage advice: rather than try to copy me, every artist should just work on whatever works for them, and do what feels right to their eye.