Exercise

These exercises were done as part of the Find Your Style: Five Exercises to Unlock Your Creative Identity course by Andy J Pizza available on Skillshare’s website.

Exercise I: Creative DNA

Identify

Things that define me and that cannot be changed.

[1] Grand’Mere rock (Wikipedia) • [2] Saint-Jean-des-Piles city, Quebec (Wikipedia) • [3] Assorted-color office items on table (Unsplash) • [4] Opened book on table (Unsplash) • [5] Person drawing wireframes (Unsplash) • [6] Photos of my cat when he is a baby and an adult • [7] INFJs explained [16Personalities] • [8] HSPs explained [@crazyheadcomics] • [9] What did you feed me ?! par Roxanne F. Corriveau • [10] Beginning [2 of 3] by Roxanne F. Corriveau

My birthplace [1]

I come from a quiet little town called Grand’Mère in Mauricie, Quebec. Now the city is merged with another neighboring city called Shawinigan. I learned later that Mauricie is one of the regions with the lowest income families in the province of Quebec. I myself come from a family that had a lot of budget challenges. I have to say that personally I have never felt poor. I was aware that my parents were having financial difficulties, but I never felt like I lacked anything.

Behind my house was a small wooded area with some walking paths. I used to go play there frequently with my older brother. One of the paths led to my paternal grandparents’ house, where I went quite often. My grandmother used to make desserts with us. It was often there that we stuffed ourselves with sweets. Hihihi!

The countryside [2]

My maternal grandparents lived in a small village not very far from my town. I often spent the weekend at their house playing with a cousin who lived next door. My great-grandparents also lived right next door to them, it was a family place. They shared a huge garden and also raised animals (cows, hens, rabbits). I’m glad the photo I found of their city is in fall. This is my favorite season! Close to the city, there is the Mauricie National Park which is super beautiful!

Later, my mother lived for some time in the house of her parents, who had moved into their parents’ house [when my great-grandfather died]. During my college studies, I lived with my mother in this country house. I used to spend the summer reading on the dock by the river. I spent some very rejuvenating moments there.

Artistic and creative sense [3]

My father is quite a handy and artistic person. He was drawing when I was a teenager, he was pretty good, but I don’t think he ever continued drawing after the class he took. I think I have long considered art as a hobby because of that.

Love of reading [4]

My mother often read novels when I was younger. She frequently had a book to read near her favorite chair. We read a few novels in common when I was younger. As I knew she liked it very much, I used to buy her books as gifts for her birthday, but she finally told me that she had too many waiting for her.

Technologies and my first job [5]

I didn’t really know what to do as a job, art was seen as a hobby around me and I am curious by nature so I like to try new technologies. When I was a pre-teen, my father went back to school to study computer science. Then, my older brother also studied in the same field. The first studies I did were also in computer science, even though I was not sure where I was heading in life. Studying Computer Science gave me a false sense of ‘being part of the family’, as I always felt quite different from the other members of my family. I later did a master’s degree in UX design and worked for 5 years in the field. Eventually, I realized that although I was proficient, I did not like the field I was in for several reasons.

Cats [6]

I had several cats when I was a child. One of my cats had a litter including one really tiny baby. I loved this cat! It’s probably one of my favorite animals. She was super affectionate. In the second picture, it’s the little peanut in the heart! You can see the other kittens from the same litter in the photo.

HSP [7]

I am a Highly Sensitive Person [HSP].

IBS [8]

I have been living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome since I was about 14 years old, and have recently started getting better thanks to the low FODMAP diet.

INFJ [9]

I am an INFJ according to the official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Being a Mom [10]

I am the mother of an 8-year-old little girl. I have a small illustrated series with a character named Bibou, which represents my daughter when she was younger.

Personal Taste

Things that I love very much and that left their mark on my life.

[1] Flying Piglet by @squishables • [2] Cartoon Boumbo • [3] Cartoon Astérix et Obélix • [4] Beauty and the Beast animated film • [5] My Neighbor Totoro animated film • [6] Encanto animated film • [7] The Little Prince novel • [8] Muppet Christmas film • [9] The Hobbit Book Cover • [10] Harry Potter Book Series • [11] 2046 Movie • [12] Scene from 3-iron Movie • [13] Scene from Pride and Prejudice Movie • [14] World of Warcraft game • [15] Diablo I game logo • [16] Path of Exile game logo • [17] The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening game • [18] Yoshi’s Woolly World game • [19] Spiritfarer game • [20 ] Book Visible Mending by Arounna Khounnoraj

Plushie [1]

Picture: from @squishables’s Instagram

I really like plushies. We collect them at home. I have the one in the picture, it’s a Squishable. We call it ‘Cochon Pig’. Cochon means Pig in English. 

Animated Movies

I really like animated movies. Here’s a list of some of my favorites that come to mind: My Neighbour Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Aways, Arrietty, Ghost in the shell, A Silent Voice, Inside Out, Ratatouille, Beauty and the Beast, Encanto, and WALL E, UP .

Bumpety Boo [2] is the cartoon I recall the most from when I was young. I remember that I was constantly drawing it in kindergarten. The show is the story of a small car that does not use gas and loves nature. Today, what I remember the most is the theme song video when Bumpety Boo comes back to take care of a little flower. Maybe my environmental awareness started then!? I did an illustration in my style of Bumpety Boo last year as part of another online course.

The Adventures of Asterix [and Obelix] [3] I used to love these comics when I was younger. My favorite character was Obelix because he was sensitive and he also loved nature and animals. He is an artist too, because he sculpts menhirs.

Also, where I come from, during the holiday season, there is a special program during the holiday called Ciné-Cadeau, where there are cartoons of Asterix and Obelix that play every year on television. Listening to Ciné-Cadeau is one of my fondest childhood memories. Especially at my maternal grandparents’ house, there was a hot spot on the living room floor because of the wood stove in the basement and we lay down on it to listen to the huge wooden television with big round buttons to change the channel.

Beauty and the Beast [4] Belle was my favorite princess when I was younger. I find that it is the one that resembled me the most in the Disney princesses in terms of personality. She was calm, loved to read, dreamed of something different, and loved nature.

My Neighbor Totoro [5] I think this is the first Miyazaki movie that I listened to. I really like that it’s really told from a child’s point of view. Although we can learn lessons from it, the film does not moralize. It’s a very empathic approach to what children can go through. I also really like the imaginative side of the film with the spirit of nature. I liked to spend a lot of time in the countryside when I was younger and inventing adventures.

Encanto [6] I really got hooked a lot on this recent Disney animated movie. I recognize myself [to a certain extent] in what Mirabel and Luisa are going through. Specifically, Mirabel desires to be a part of her family, but to feel different from the others. Also, like Luisa, I feel like a lot of people rely on me without worrying that might be too much to ask of me.

Futuristic, fantastic or dystopian film and novel

I love stories that take place in futuristic, fantasy or dystopian universes: like 2046, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Innkeeper Chronicles, etc.

The Little Prince [7] I had a cassette [it betrays my age] when I was young with this recording of the story^[FR]. I listened to it tons of times when I was young.

The Muppet Christmas Carol [8] is one of the Christmas movies I love the most. I love the family spirit of the film. Also, I have a soft spot for people who are learning to change their bad side.

The Hobbit et The Lord of the Ring [9] When I was young, I often went to a family member’s lake house with my uncle. One summer, he used to tell us bits of The Hobbit book around a campfire. I read the book a little later, as well as the Lord of the Rings afterwards. I used to draw elves and dragons a lot back then. I really like elves, ents, and dragons. I was constantly drawing them as a teenager.

Harry Potter [10] It was my uncle again who introduced me to Harry Potter by buying me the first novel when I was a teenager. I really like the mysterious universe with imaginary “monsters”.

Film romantique

I like love movies and little “cheesy” tokens of affection.

2046 [11] This movie might as well be in the futuristic category. I love the atmosphere of this movie.

3-Iron [12] is probably the romance movie with one of my favorite romantic scenes, the characters are just touching their feet sweetly under the table.

Pride and Prejudice [13] I love the pace, landscapes and atmosphere of this film. I’ve listened to it tons of times.

Video games

I especially like cozy and adventure games. I like games that are aesthetically well done and that provide a good user experience.

World of Warcraft [14] I know a lot of people are still playing, but for my part I don’t play anymore. I added it because it’s the first game of the MMO genre that I’ve played. I’ve drawn a lot of elves over time because of it.

Diablo [15] et Path of Exile [16] Version 4 of Diablo was just released a few weeks ago. It’s darker than what I usually play. I’m usually not a huge gore fan, but the atmosphere is really good. I made a marriage proposal to my spouse using a trading window from Diablo 3 that I redesigned on illustration software. Afterwards, we had a couple tattoos done which are inspired by the heart-shaped gems that I had put in the illustrated proposal.

Path of Exile is a Diablo-like game that I also often play with my spouse. I often play an archer as my character. I have a thing for characters who fight from afar, and I’ve always found archers to be a close-to-nature character.

Zelda [17] I played Zelda on the NES when I was younger, but I’m not super good at console games in general. I bought the ‘remake’ when it came out and managed to finish the game. I really like the style of the game, it’s very cute and cheerful.

Yoshi [18] I find it really cute and cheerful. I really like the happy backgrounds and decorations.

Spiritfarer [19] I don’t think I’ve ever been so hooked on a game soundtrack as I’ve been on this one. The game is great too, very sad though, I cried several times when I separated from the spirits of the characters I was carrying. I like the visual style as well.

Visible mending and/or art with fabrics [20] Lately, I have been very interested in art on fabric or with fabrics. I added several artists on my Instagram. I admire their talent a lot, I don’t feel as dexterous with a needle as I do with a pencil.

Experiments

Artistic things I have tried that may influence my style.

[1] Acrylic painting that I did during an Art Certificate at university. I have been able to try several traditional mediums. Now, I mainly use my computer to illustrate, but I sketch on paper.

[2] A sketch I’ve done in the past. I was drawing more realistic characters over time. I had a more tortured style as well. Hahaha!

[3] I took several photography classes. One during my Art Certificate and two others during my Graphic Design Baccalaureate. Two photography classes were with films and one was a digital photography class.

[4] A photomontage I made as a project for a class. The project was about domestic violence.

[5] Illustration I have done for a City-and-Nature-themed t-shirt contest. It was a period where my character style was different. A bit in the style of Gorillaz, I really liked their song Feel Good Inc back then.

[6] Illustration done in serigraphy. More minimalist, because you have to reduce the number of colors to keep it easier to print.

[7] Poster I made for a graphic design class. I loved to do clean projects.

[8] Plushies that I made by hand. I did some more after these ones. It’s more of a hobby that I have every now and then.

[9] Illustration that I did when my daughter was born. I have done a series with the same character. Then, I made a series with animals, there are several of them on my Instagram. I mainly illustrated in vectors, with flat color shape without texture, shading or light.

[10] I did a series of environmental illustrations which I used to print on t-shirts. It’s preferable not to have too many small details for a great result.

[11] Illustration that I made during the Inktober period (but I was doing Chilltober instead). My style is still quite minimalist, but I have started to put borders.

[12] Illustration made during the Inktober period (but I was doing Illustober instead). I put it on because I love my color choice.

[13] Illustration I made for another class on Skillshare. I liked the simple style with the addition of light.

[14] Illustration with more textures, I was trying to break my habit of having flat color by putting more textures. Not easy!

[15] In recent years I started doing Punch Needle which I love and which goes well with my style.

Experiences

Events that I have experienced that can influence my artistic vision.

[1] Ciné-Cadeau Advertising • [2] Brown wooden dock near calm body of water surrounded by trees (Unsplash) • [3] Pathway between inline trees during golden hour (Unsplash) • [4] Gray wooden farm (Unsplash) • [5] Tim Horton camp at Kananaski • [6] Divorce Child par Javad Alizadeh (Wikipedia) • [7] Moving boxes by a window (Unsplash) • [8] Blue backpack beside book and silver macbook (Unsplash) • [9] Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst (Wikipedia) • [10] Disney theme park castle • [11] A foggy forest filled with lots of trees (Unsplash) • [12] Illustration from the post Grieving in the Age of Estrangement and Division by The Tyee drawn by Semillites Hernández Velasco

Ciné-Cadeau [1]

Probably a lot of people back from where I live have a lot of nostalgic memories of Ciné-Cadeau (which is Télé-Québec holiday programming). For me it means the Christmas holidays have really started. It’s when you come home with frozen feet after playing outside for maybe too long and warm them up while listening to cartoons.

Summer at the Lake House[2]

One of my family members had a lake house where I often went during the summer with my uncle or my grandmother. I loved swimming there and jumping off the end of the dock. I loved these weekends, it’s one of the favorite moments of my youth. My uncle always made us try different foods than what we used to eat at home.

Fall [3]

Early fall when the leaves turn golden is my favorite season. I love wrapping myself in a scarf and I find the air has a particular smell that is relaxing. Also, the landscapes are beautiful.

My Grandparents’ Farm [4]

I spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ house. They owned a farm. We used to run through the fields and the forest. There was also an old farm where we often played, hiding in haystacks or making up stories of spies and adventurers. There were also often baby kittens hidden in the farm, we had fun trying to find them.

Camp Kananaskis [5]

We didn’t have a lot of money when I was younger. I was selected by the parish of my city to go to a summer camp in Alberta near the Rockies. I had a lot of fun and was able to try activities that I had never done. I think what impressed me the most about the trip, however, was the starry sky there. I’ve seen starry skies before, but there were so many more than I was used to seeing.

Child of divorced parent [6]

My parents divorced when I was around 12-13. I think it was a very good decision for them, but I still had a hard time with the changes it brought. I was asked who I wanted to live with and sincerely I would have preferred that they decide for me, because I had the impression of hurting the parent that I did not choose. I made my decision totally logically, I went with the parents who I felt like I was a lesser budgetary burden. This choice meant that I eventually lived for two years in a place where I felt totally uprooted and out of place.

Moving [7]

After my parents divorced, I moved to a town quite far away. I had a lot of difficulty adjusting. I was far from my friends, my mother, my brother and my grandparents (especially my paternal grandmother to whom I was very close). In addition, I did not feel like I had my place in the new house I was living in. My father frequently argued with his new partner and often said that we were going to leave because things weren’t working out. I was constantly living with the stress of having to pack up my things to move again.

I finally moved again after two years, following one of my father’s shouting fits where he threw a plate on the floor and injured himself. I was exhausted living there, because I was constantly striving to be perfect and trying not to take up too much space, but I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough. As an adult, I realized that I was totally exhausted with the anxiety of not knowing how people were going to react around me. I had no more energy to continue. My dad didn’t speak to me for over a year following my hasty departure.

Studies [8]

I often tell myself that I would surely have been happy being a scholar. I love studying and learning about different subjects. In fact, I studied for a long time before entering the job market. Then I went back to school later. Come to think of it, I went back to school twice, but the first one was only after a year in a workplace as a 2D animator.

Bright Eyes show [9]

It’s a group that I really like. When we were in college, my brother and I went to see them in Portsmouth in the United States. We did a little “road trip” and slept in a Walmart parking lot (it was really cold). It was an out and back so unfortunately I did not visit the city. We took the time to go see the ocean during the day, but it was not a temperature for swimming and it was a rocky beach. I would love to see the blue ocean with sandy beaches one day.

Disney [10]

I went to Disney with my partner during one of our vacations. The rides were good fun. We ate good food. I especially enjoyed Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. I would love to go back there with my daughter.

Dark Time [11]

I had two fairly difficult periods where I was not doing so well psychologically. The first time was when I was a teenager and moved to a new town with my father and my father’s new partner’s family. The second time was after my maternity leave, when I went back to my old socks at work. The first time moving again adjusted how I felt, but I probably needed more support (possibly seeing a professional). The second time, I cleaned up my head (with the help of a professional) and I cleaned my life a bit. Luckily, the second time around I had wonderful people helping me get better.

Estrangement [12]

From the events precipitating my departure at the end of high school, I never really managed to reconnect with my father. We had a relationship that became more and more distant over time. A few years ago in my process of getting better following a sick leave, I needed to surround myself with people with whom I could be myself and talk freely. The events that followed eventually caused the bridges between us to be completely severed. I mourned the relationship I would have liked to have with him, because we can never be the person the other wants in his life.

Exercise II: Finding pattern

For the second exercise, we had to choose the illustrations that spoke to us the most from the other boards and extract the pattern we saw there. It was also possible to add illustrations that made sense to us as required.

[1] Ville de Saint-Jean-des-Piles city, Québec (Wikipedia) • [2] Loving Planet by Roxanne F. Corriveau • [3] My Neighbor Totoro animated film • [4] Illustration by @worry__lines • [5] Illustration by María Hesse • [6] Beauty and the Beast animated film• [7] Divorce Child par Javad Alizadeh (Wikipedia) • [8] Red Hood by Roxanne F. Corriveau

Childhood [1]

• Best moments of childhood and adolescence.
• All my best childhood memories are in a natural environment: forest, lake, chalet or countryside.
• Nostalgia.
• Autumnal and orange forest.
• Peaceful life.

Environment [2]

• The environment is one of the most important values to me.
• Simplicity.
• Foliage and flowers.

Aspiration [3]

• Finding your place in the universe.
• Dreamy.
• Imagination.
• Enjoyment of reading and learning.

Security [4]

• Safe Haven. Peaceful. Security.
• Lightness.
• To be a child.
• Green and soft color.
• Lots of foliage and flowers.

Feelings [5]

• Overthinking.
• HSPs and INFJs think a lot and feel a lot. We are sometimes invaded by the emotions of others.
• The importance of communication.

Repair [6]

• Inner children.
• Self-discovery.
• New start.
• Natural elements. Simplicity.

Parenting [7]

• Communication.
• The importance of emotional intelligence.
• Harmony.
• The importance of family.
• Value.
• Break the cycle.

Imagination [8]

• Simple.
• Foliage.
• Imaginary character.

Result: The patterns I see in my choices are: nature, family, childhood, emotions, imagination.

The exercises presented in this article is followed by other exercises I presented in the article: Exercises to Unlock Your Creative Identity (part 2).

With the goal to do style research (I like doing that), I decided to take a course called Make Art Your Own: Exploring Artistic Identity on Domestika. The exercises I present in this article have more content on the Domestika web site, I am only presenting what is relevant to my article. I found the course interesting, but a little superficial. I did another exercise recently in a Skillshare course that went into more depth. I’m still happy to have done the exercise, because I made illustrations that I like and that I would not have done otherwise.

Exercise 1 – Self-portrait

Since I had made a self-portrait just before starting the course for the website, I cheated a bit by using the same one. On the other hand, there is a little story behind this self-portrait… I don’t often draw human characters, so I didn’t have a very defined style for drawing them. So I did some sketches looking at some illustrations I had done in the past and other artists that I like.

Exercise 2 – Presentation

The second exercise was to have a short interview to introduce yourself. I think I added some questions from another article I read around the same time that I completed the exercise (but I’m not sure anymore).

How does your life impact what you do as an artist?
I don’t show it in my clothes (I’m pretty neutral on the clothing side), but I really like cute stuff (plushies) and animated movies. I have a young heart! That’s why I love making cute illustrations so much.

I want my art to be able to bring joy, but also to raise awareness among people around me on topics that are important to me. I sometimes do illustrations that touch on environmental topics.

I’m more of a minimalist person and I don’t like clutter much, so digital art is a good medium for me. I am also a reformed interface designer, my background on this side makes me skilled in using drawing software.

How do other people describe you as a person?
People who are close to me would probably say that I am calm, creative, loving, open and caring.

People who don’t know me well probably think I’m shy, but I’m just not a talkative person, and while curious, I like to respect people’s privacy. Being of an introverted nature, I tend to prefer quality moments with the people who are dear to me. I still know how to be friendly with people who are less close to me.

What do you remember from your childhood?

• I drew often and loved cartoons. Also, I read a lot.
• My paternal grandmother’s love and care.
• The discoveries made with my paternal uncle (museum, nature, etc).
• The forests behind my house where we often played with my brother and the children of the neighborhood.
• My maternal grandparents’ farm; the river and the forest near their home; my cousin, Isabelle, who lived next door to them with whom I played.
• Winter slides on big hills in the countryside or near my house; the chalet where I often went to swim; the stars in the countryside.
• Family disputes (divorce, inheritance, etc.)!
• Big move really far and feeling uprooted.

What do you collect?

• Now cute plush.
• When I was young: gems, Barbie cards and stamps.

What does family mean to you?
Really important people (like my husband, my daughter, my friend Karine). For me, family is made up of people I choose and not necessarily blood related.

What and how are you celebrating?
Christmas (with close family), Halloween (with my child), Birthday (with family and close friends).

Where have you traveled?
USA (Disneyland, Portsmouth for a show), Alberta (summer camps), lots of places in my own province.

I’m not a big traveler, because I like the comfort of my house (and my bed). I wish the teleportation machine existed hehehe!

What’s going on in the world that you want to interpret through art?
The need to appreciate and take care of the planet.

The importance of connecting with what really matters to us.

What are your daily rituals? What do you do before you start your day in the studio?
On weekdays I take my daughter to school. We usually go there on foot and I like this moment because she tells me stories coming out of her fertile imagination or about what is going on in her life. Then I come back on my own and plan what I’m going to do in my head. At home, I make myself some tea and start what I intend to do.

Exercise 3 – Making a character and exploring with artistic mediums

In this illustration, I’m back to a more imaginary character. The purpose of the exercise was to illustrate a character and to test different artistic mediums from those we used to work with. As I illustrate on my computer, I had plenty of choice in more traditional mediums. I took the materials that I had on hand, which I use when I craft with my daughter.

• In the sketches, I really like another one of the characters (the one at the bottom left, number 3). I might make a colored version one of these days.
• I am not super satisfied with the result using markers. I could blame the markers, but I think I just don’t have enough experience with this medium. I do like the little basket though.
• I used colored pencils a lot. I like coloring in general, I find it relaxing and fun to do with my daughter.
• I enjoyed doing the collage as well. On the other hand, I think I would need some practice… and probably better paper than construction paper.
• A few months after the traditional versions, I also made digital versions of this illustration and wrote an article about them (and I see that I forgot the little basket… damn).

Exercise 4 – Finding Inspiration

Exercise 5 – Your own world

My conclusions from the course are that I want to include more natural elements such as flowers and plants in my illustrations. I started developing a color palette that I like with lots of green. I will slowly add to it as I do new illustrations.

First, I want to thank Studio Versie on Youtube who gave a free Skillshare trial of a month that made it possible for me to take a few classes on the platform. I can also give a free month to someone right now if you don’t have one. You can leave me a message on the Instagram post showing the illustration I am talking about in this blog.

For now, I watched a few classes about illustration, stamps, punch needle, plant care and yarn dyeing. I’m a curious person. Here are some nice classes to watch :

• How to Create a Punch Needle Project in a Swoosh by Jenni Ahlberg
• Create a Hand-Carved Stamp From Scratch: Tools and Best Practices by Melissa Lee
• Rubber Stamping: Simple Steps to Create Handmade Prints by Gintare Budvytyte
• A Beginner’s Guide to Mindful Macramé: From Plant Hangers to Wall Art by Ewa Szczepaniak

Now to the real subject of the post! I also tried a class by the illustrator Stephanie Fizer Coleman called Develop Your Digital Art Style: Draw One Illustration Six Ways. I didn’t try all the styles that she proposed, I actually kinda mixed them by trying some stuff that she was proposing.

• Watercolor Brush from Affinity Designer (came with the application);
• My personnel set of brushes;
• Master Watercolor brushes from Nathan Brown  (available for Affinity, Procreate, Photoshop)
• Texturizer Pro from Frankentoon (available for Affinity)