Style
Style guide: photography, illustration, eras and movements
Style decides what the image is “made of”: a photo, a watercolor, a 3D render or a 60s poster. It's the decision that changes the result most and the one most worth fixing across a series.
A specific style works better than a list of adjectives. “Linocut” gives something coherent; “artistic and creative” gives anything.
Photography and render
If you want it to look real, say so: photoreal, editorial photo, luxury ad. If you want something clean and controllable, 3D render, isometric or claymation explain products and ideas without a photo's imperfections.
/••••••••Photorealistic style
Renders the scene with a photorealistic level of detail.
/••••••••Editorial photography style
Applies the narrative, polished style typical of editorial photography.
/••••••••Luxury advertising style
Applies the polished, aspirational visual style of luxury advertising.
/••••••••Clean 3D render style
Gives the image a clean generic 3D render look with modelled forms…
/••••••••Isometric illustration
Renders the scene in isometric projection…
/••••••••Clay render style
Renders the scene as if made of clay…
Traditional illustration
Traditional techniques have recognisable textures: watercolor's water, gouache's flat colour, the stroke of printmaking. Name a single technique and add palette and framing to keep it consistent across a series.
/••••••••Watercolour illustration
Turns the image into a watercolor illustration…
/••••••••Gouache painting style
Applies a gouache painting style with opaque colour…
/••••••••Black ink drawing
Turns the image into a black ink drawing on a light background.
/••••••••Linocut print style
Creates a linocut print style with carved block shapes…
/••••••••Mixed media collage
Composes the image as a mixed-media collage of different materials.
/••••••••Paper cutout style
Gives the illustration the look of layered…
Eras and movements
A decade or a design movement brings along colours, typefaces, clothing and objects. It's the fastest way to add a retro, old-luxury or avant-garde feel without describing every detail.
/••••••••Art Deco style
Applies the ornamental, elegant geometry typical of art deco.
/••••••••Bauhaus-inspired style
Applies the geometric, functional style inspired by the Bauhaus school.
/••••••••Swiss poster design
Applies the typographic, geometric style of Swiss poster design.
/••••••••Mid-century design aesthetic
Adds a mid-century visual style with clean retro forms…
/••••••••1970s
Adds a 1970s aesthetic with warm earthy tones…
/80s1980s
Applies an 1980s aesthetic with bold colour, neon accents, synth energy, glossy surfaces and graphic confidence.
Common mistakes
- Mixing incompatible styles (photoreal and watercolor).
- Using living artists' names: besides being questionable, it isn't needed; describe the technique.
- Not repeating the style across a series and ending up with pieces that don't look like the same brand.
Example combination
Travel poster with a mid-century feel.
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