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| Cartoonist reductionism being contemplated here. |
Business related. Based on Seth Godins podcast and Wikipedia.
It's the freelancers greatest selling point, the entrepreneur cannot have one. The category of one is not something that can be placed into a category easily.
Even when they're an art director of a project, bigger than themselves. Creating a style guide with the designs for the entire story. For it to be complete on time. There is no category of one. They get paid for not having a style.
The freelancer transcends the categorization of style itself to hit that one and only quality.
The freelancer transcends the categorization of style itself to hit that one and only quality.
Worrying about style, hustling the audience into respecting the category of one, is rearview mirror behaviour. When one should be driving on the road instead.
The road is the why of the visual/narrative flavour exists in the first place. What it's for. Cartooning for animation exists for practicality, more detailed illustrations for books exists to impress clients with the white gloves' treatment. Articulation of the level of detail matters.
Academic/generic styleless works. Like George Bridgman and the rest. Are meant to be a foundation for the specificity. These styles are meant to teach the student how to use reference, and to see it.
3 modes for style. For the ideal path.
Beginners:
Foundational with the fields studied for the specificity. Building off the academic/styleless ideas with what industrial complex in mind.
Methods of idealization and imagination are studied, including the eclecticism. With and without.
Intermediary:
Experimental, since there are no gatekeepers within the internet economy. One can play around with the flavours to find which one can settle in. Or move to another.
There is no instruction manual or reference image for the category of one. So this is all pathfinding. Finding the domain knowledge and expressing it fully, playing by the edges of the genre of the expression.
Advanced:
Settled in, with the clients and the market. The point of specificity that works. Still creative, still work, and still shipping.
It's okay to stay within the intermediary stage. The advanced stage can be a trap. Like powerlifter who attempts no general physical preparedness training.
A hackneyed style is one must worry and avoid, since it's going to be replaced by the fastest and cheapest within the gig economy. It's a race to the bottom. Only used to help one stay out of solvency. That's selling out wisely. Creative projects don't sell as well as cover band work.
Being a hack is a choice, I'd respect if the hacks owned it and not compare themselves to the creatives.
Being a hack is a choice, I'd respect if the hacks owned it and not compare themselves to the creatives.
Genericide could be the ultimate end of hack work.
One may have to go to the beginner or intermediary stages to get out of it.
Can naive styles be hack work? Not really, they made a connection with the audience and made a difference.
Can naive styles be hack work? Not really, they made a connection with the audience and made a difference.