Ask Me Anything: What To Do When a Client Asks You to Draw in a Different Style
My ‘ask me anything’ segment is where I take questions asked in my Insta Broadcast Channel and answer them in my newsletter (which, if you're not in already, please click here 😉).
This month's question:
"What to do if a client asks you to draw differently to your usual style?"
Ooooft. Good question.
On one hand, you want to be open to opportunities. On the other, your style is kind of... your thing. It's the reason people hire you in the first place.
Whenever this comes up, I ask myself a few questions:
Do I actually want to do this style? Ie. Does this excite me?
There's a big difference between a brief that stretches you in an exciting direction and one that pulls you completely away from what you want to be known for.
For example, if someone came to me wanting a super digital, cartoon-y style of illustration... could I figure it out? Probably.
Do I want to be known for that style? Not particularly.
Compare that to my Paspaley event. My usual wheelhouse is full-body portraits, not facial portraits. But I loved the look of the brief and was genuinely excited to learn. So I said yes, practised a lot, and added another skill to my toolkit.
The difference is one felt aligned. The other doesn't. And here's something people forget: You don't have to post about every job.
If you want to experiment with a style but don’t want to be known for it: Take the job, learn something new, get paid, and don’t share it on socials... you're allowed to do that! Not every gig has to become part of your public portfolio unless you want it to.
Can I actually do a good job?
This one is important.
I've had jobs come through before that I really wanted. Like, genuinely wanted.
But I also knew another artist would knock it out of the park compared to me. So rather than spending hours trying to become a watered-down version of someone else, I've referred the client on.
That's usually the right decision.
Knowing your strengths is important. Knowing your limitations is equally important.
The goal shouldn’t be to book every job, but to do great work and build a reputation people trust.
Is this a relationship worth investing in?
Sometimes the decision isn't just about the artwork. Sometimes it's about the client.
If it's a brand or client I'd love to work with long-term, I'm more likely to explore the brief and see if there's a version of it that works for both of us.
That doesn't mean saying yes to everything, it means having a conversation. "Here's what you're asking for. Here's what I do best. Can we meet somewhere in the middle?"
If you approach it with respect and collaboration, the answer is usually yes.
Are they asking for inspiration... or a copy?
This one deserves its own section.
This used to happen to me all the time. Anyone remember the Megan Hess era? Illustrators everywhere were being asked to copy her (sorry, I mean ‘be inspired by’).
There's a difference between being inspired by another artist and copying them. If someone sends a reference, I try to figure out what they're actually responding to.
Is it the colour palette? The line work? The simplicity? The texture?
Once you understand what they're attracted to, you can bring those elements into your own style instead of copying someone else's. THAT’S the sweet spot.
The client gets the vibe they're after, and the work still looks unmistakably like yours.
The short version:
Before saying yes to a brief outside your usual style, ask yourself:
• Do I actually want to do this?
• Can I do it well enough, to continue building a reputation for good work?
• Can I still make it feel like me?
If the answer is yes across the board, go for it. If not, it's completely okay to pass. Remember: your style isn't just how you draw, it's your brand - and protecting it is part of the job.
Got a question for next month? Drop it into my Broadcast Channel and I might feature it in the next Ask Me Anything ;)
You can also catch up on previous Ask Me Anything posts here: