Finding your style can be hard and confusing. It often happens over a long period of time through extensive experimenting but there were a few things I found really helpful when I was defining and reinforcing my style.
I often get asked for the best tips and tricks to quickly finding jewellery design or illustration style. You can find my brief simplified list below.
Set a challenge.
The biggest tip I can offer is to complete a design/drawing challenge. Setting a particular time or outlining a larger project creates a structure or framework that you can work within. Placing less emphasis on each drawing and more on the project as a whole you can use a drawing challenge to find your style. A challenge that runs for 31 days or more is also said to encourage a change in habits and attitude. A challenge helped me to create momentum and provided time to practice. Practice is the key! I decided on a "go big or go home" attitude when it came to undertaking my challenge and I found so many benefits in the larger time frame so I would recommend trying a 100 day challenge to give you a large amount of time to explore your style.
New mediums.
Trying new mediums helped me find my niche. Explore how new mediums/materials work on their own as well as how they mix with those you currently use. The only way to find the medium or use of mediums that suits you best is to experiment.
New techniques.
Investigate and research different methods and add some new techniques to your "design” toolbox. Make time to experiment with new techniques without expectations. Approaching these experiments without expectations creates an environment of freedom. I found an opportunity to learn something new in every experiment I did and each small lesson adds up in the end.
Find artists you like.
Identify other artists that resonate with you and investigate why you like their work. Understanding and finding out about how other artists work, their inspiration sources, methods and tools may help you outline and define your style.
Revisit your old work.
Look at your previous work and check for reoccurring patterns and explore why these patterns have been happening. I found that understanding my past work, personal preferences and general design aesthetics helped me to narrow down my natural style or a direction I could explore.
Using one or a few of the techniques mentioned above to outline the elements that resonate with you should help provide some direction and highlight a style that you love working in. Experimentation and practice are the key but when you are enjoy what you are doing and find a state of calm or effortless flow, you are probably onto something that is worth pursuing.