I am Riaan Theron.  I started my love affair with 3d animation in 2000 after winning a scholarship to attend The Open Window Art Academy in Pretoria. One of the subjects was 3D animation using 3ds Max. I was sold I knew that THIS is what I wanted to do, not quite sure what THIS was. The following year I went to go study Animation at Boston Media house. After a few years of doing spinning logos. I found myself working for a company called Bug Box in Jo'burg. I was shown what real animation is all about, I loved it.

In 2008 I moved to Cape Town (do you really need a reason?) I was a freelance Animator and 3d Generalist  for a year or so when SAE institute asked me to do a short introduction to animation course called a boot camp. I loved teaching the course. They offered me the position to head up their Animation Department. I accepted and here I am two and a half years later. 

For this opinion piece I have written about a topic that often comes up when working with aspirant animators - let me know what you think in the comments section below. 

How do you develop a style?

You don't know until you do. A friends 21 year old nephew (first year creative media student) approached me asking for some advice “how can I be more creative?”. He was expecting a formula, a step by step list of things to do in order for him to be better at creating. I pointed him to a website that explains the elements of design, color theory and typography. A few weeks later I saw him again and asked him if it was of any help. He said that it was helpful but he still did not feel more creative. I asked him to show me some of

his work that he did after reading the information. He whipped out his laptop with a few extremely basic designs on it, to say the least. When I asked him whoʼs technique he was copying, he looked at me in disgust. It is my own style he replied, I am not a cheater.  

I should have asked who are you using as inspiration but It dawned on me, many people consider copying to be cheating. There is nothing further from the truth. To copy other artists work and try to pass it off as your own original work that is cheating or even stealing. But to copy a technique in order to assimilate it and there by creating a new style is what artists do. 

What is Style? I have been confronted with this question numerous times, in the last few years of lecturing. Style is a manner of doing something, (Mac Dictionary) it also changes constantly. Style is the way you do something, there is no good or bad. However in developing a style, the key is to develop. Develop is to grow or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced, or elaborate (Mac Dictionary). This is the key, far too many people want instant gratification. Everybody wants to be good at something NOW. 

The first step in developing a Style is to copy other artists that you admire. Gather influences from all sorts of artists. Copying techniques from different artists is a way of developing your own style. I tell my students to read up and copy the styles and the techniques of their favorite artists. This always starts a debate on how copying is cheating.

Copying is not cheating if it is a way for you to learn. The more you copy the more you will learn, and by learning new techniques you will develop your own style. When you complete your studies at the school of your choice and are awarded with a certificate, diploma or degree you are far from finished. Your style will keep developing and you will get better and better at it. 

When am I done? Many ask. You are only done when you decide not to do it any more. Your style is like you life, It is not a destination it is a journey.

Artists create, they bring new things into existence and factories produce it. You are only a factory if you reproduce something over and over. Copying something a few times to add to your journey is not cheating it is learning. 

In conclusion style is not something that you can learn quickly and then produce on demand. It needs to be developed over time. Creating something new from two or more experiences is what true style is about. Study all forms of art and see how they are all about style, design, emotion and life. Go to photography exhibitions or art museums try to understand why the artist created that piece. Look at architecture, ballet or listen to a piece of music and let it inspire you to create.