something i realized abt art eventually is that a huge part of having a style is abt what textures you want to depict the things you draw as having and that has nothing to do with realism.
ive looked at the works of some artists with rly impressive, sleek, cool styles, and while they definitely have a solid knowledge of realism the coolness doesnt really come from realism like at all. some people render hair like they render glass or jello so the hair looks so colorful and shiny but rhat is absolutely not realistic. some people render their characters clothes like latex or leather or silk so the fabric looks so glossy and sleek when thats probably not what theyre realistically wearing, but it *looks* cool and pleasant.
this really answered my age long questions abt why i spent all my time in art school but still struggle to make my arts like, specifically stylistically appealing, in ways those artists do it. because real life isnt appealing all the time. i can render skin as realistically as possible and i deflate and feel like i shouldve just kept it flat, because maybe i wouldve rather imagined i was looking at paper rather than human flesh. this doesnt mean all that time studying realism was a waste though because you still need to learn how to render materials/textures like glass and silk realistically to achieve those forementioned styles.
thats just me tho not everyone aims for their styles to achieve the effects that i personally find fun. the point of this post is to inspire people to pay attention to how textures affect style more. do you want your art to have a warm cozy feel? study the textures of blankets and plushies and try applying them even if its not realistic (eg hair). do you want your art to be cool or pretty in a delicate way? study how porcelain or glass reflect light and maybe render skin like that… the possibilities r endless