Finding Your Art Style: A Daily Illustration Project

Finding your own illustration style can feel frustrating when every artist seems to have a recognizable visual identity except you. The Style Class: Work Out Your Illustration Style in a Daily Project takes a practical approach to that problem, helping illustrators understand their creative preferences and turn them into a consistent body of work.

Rather than teaching a particular drawing technique or software, the class focuses on discovering what makes your work feel uniquely yours. Tom Froese combines creative exercises with a guided 26-illustration project designed to help students develop their style through repeated practice.

• Aspiring illustrators — Useful for artists who are still trying to identify their visual identity.
• Intermediate illustrators — Particularly valuable for artists who already create work but struggle with consistency.
• Artists exploring a new direction — Helps you investigate new influences and techniques without simply copying them.
• Commercial illustrators — Shows how style can become a practical tool for solving visual communication problems.
• Creatives experiencing style anxiety — Addresses uncertainty and self-doubt surrounding artistic identity.

• Understand what illustration style means and how it develops.
• Identify the visual qualities that attract and inspire you.
• Analyze artistic influences without simply imitating them.
• Use style as a tool for solving visual problems.
• Recognize patterns within your own creative work.
• Develop a consistent illustration approach through repetition.
• Build a personal 26-illustration daily project.
• Set creative goals that encourage experimentation and growth.

One of the strongest aspects of The Style Class is that it treats illustration style as something discovered through practice rather than something that can simply be taught. Tom Froese does not present a formula for creating a fashionable or recognizable style. Instead, he encourages students to examine their influences, preferences, strengths, and creative instincts.

The course begins by examining the concept of style itself. Froese discusses common problems illustrators encounter, including uncertainty about whether they should specialize in one style, difficulty developing consistency, and concerns about being too influenced by other artists. This provides a useful foundation before students begin the practical work.

The first major exercise is an Inspiration Case Study. Students select artwork that inspires them, examine what specifically attracts them to it, and investigate the artist, technique, and context behind the work. This turns vague statements such as “I like this style” into more specific observations about what actually appeals to them.

A second exercise, the Creative Self-Inventory, asks students to examine their own favorite work. Instead of focusing on what received the most attention or what clients liked, the exercise encourages students to identify the work they personally enjoy and analyze what makes it appealing. This can reveal recurring characteristics that may already be part of their developing style.

The centerpiece of the course is the daily illustration project. Students create 26 thematically and stylistically related illustrations, working through planning, preliminary studies, sketching, and finished artwork. The project is deliberately based on repetition: by creating multiple pieces using a consistent approach, students have an opportunity to see which creative decisions feel natural, which need refinement, and which directions they genuinely enjoy.

The project is particularly appealing because it shifts the focus away from creating one “perfect” illustration. Instead, students are encouraged to learn through experimentation and repeated effort. The course structure includes planning the project, developing a pilot set, and then expanding the series over the remaining days.

Another strength is its focus on style as a problem-solving tool. For commercial illustrators especially, style is not simply an aesthetic label; it can influence how effectively an idea is communicated. The course therefore connects personal artistic identity with practical illustration work.

It is also worth noting what the course does not attempt to teach. This is not primarily a technical drawing, Photoshop, Procreate, or anatomy course. Skillshare specifically describes the class as being about the deeper questions surrounding style rather than individual tools and techniques.

That makes the course most valuable for someone who already has some basic illustration ability and is asking, “What is my style, and how do I develop it?” rather than someone asking, “How do I learn to draw?”

With more than 15,000 students and hundreds of student projects currently associated with the class, there is also evidence of substantial engagement with the course. Class Central lists the class at approximately 4 hours and 22 minutes and reports a 4.8/5 Skillshare rating based on 176 ratings.

The Style Class is a thoughtful and practical course for artists who already have some illustration experience but feel uncertain about their visual identity. Its biggest strength is the combination of reflection and sustained practice: students do not simply hear advice about finding their style—they are given a structured process for investigating it.

The course is best suited to intermediate illustrators and developing commercial artists, although motivated beginners who already have basic drawing skills can also benefit. It is less suitable for someone primarily looking for software tutorials or fundamental drawing instruction.

Overall, this is a strong choice for anyone who wants to stop worrying about “finding” a style and start actively developing one through experimentation and consistent creative work.