Architecture Illustrations (and how to find your own style in art)

Before I fully immersed myself with watercolor portraits, I also dabbled a little with doodles, handlettering, graphite portraits, anime drawings (chibi), and freehand architecture illustrations. Huhu! I miss doing those things. Recently though, because I haven’t really painted and drawn a lot, I just lurked around art accounts that I love. And then I looked at my own IG account and I realized how I haven’t really formed my own style yet. Shame. I started reading and watching videos about how one can find his own style in art and I have found very interesting ways.

One article said that you can try listing down your top three favorite artists. Then list down your favorite artworks of them. And then list down what you like about those artworks. And you have to be critical about what elements in the artwork do you love about it. And then you have to incorporate them into your own work. A sprinkle of artist A and a drizzle of artist B and a pinch of artist C. It’s not exactly copying their works, it’s using the elements that you love about their art to your own work and developing a style of your own.

Easier said than done.

I tried that suggestion and I ended up choosing two very different artists (style wise) and I have no idea how to incorporate their works together. I know I’m supposed to choose three but I believe that I haven’t been introduced to many artists just yet. I love the fluidity and the looseness and how highkey Agnes Cecile’s watercolor portraits are. But I also like the abstract quality and the solid colors of Izumi Kogahara’s oil portraits. So how can I mix their styles together? It’s hard!

I am also considering to try another suggestion that I read and that is to list your skills (i.e sketching, painting, writing, doodling, lettering) and then list down the things you are really interested about (WWII stories, architecture, art, music, proofs of alien existence, books) and mishmash them together. I’m still trying to see if this will work because I have way too many interests and I am wondering how to mishmash those ideas together.

But most suggestions really come down to this: practice, practice, practice. I think I have read and listened about the 10000 hour rule in almost every articles and Youtube videos that I have watched. Being good at something takes talent and skills. You have to work on it. And work on it real hard.

Lately though, I’m thinking of laying low with making portraits and spend a little more time with other kinds of illustrations just to maybe find what I am looking for. You know, explore different things. Try different styles. Just experiment.

I looked at my architecture illustrations and I think they are pretty decent so I’m thinking of maybe doing more of those. Plus it’s somehow related to my profession so maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to make use of my what I actually studied in College in my art. Nope! I’m not an Architect. There have always been a miff between Architects and Civil Engineers but I always have high respects for them. I remember back in College, the Architecture and Civil Engineering Section in the library were on the same corner. I would usually go early to school so I could browse architecture books instead of civil engineering books. Why didn’t I just take architecture, I wonder.

Here’s a few of those freehand architecture illus that I have done a few months ago. Do you think I should do more of them?

Gyeongbokgung Palace | Seoul, South Korea

Cologne Cathedral | Germany

Colosseum | Rome, Italy

I actually have a dream personal art project (which I won’t tell you guys for now) that is somehow related to this and I have been thinking about it a lot lately. It’s not a huge project but I love the idea. Ayayay! One day! One day!

If I am going to continue this kind of illus, what building do you suggest that I draw? I’m open to suggestions. Though I have to say that I currently have a penchant for gothic architectures. I am actually working on Notre Dame of Reims right now but I’m slowly dying. Haha. Hoping to finish it in the next few days.

Also follow my art adventures on my Instagram Art Account (@artsyfartsylulu). For now I’ll just keep on experimenting and experimenting and experimenting. And hopefully soon I’ll develop my own style in art.