“The beginner should approach style warily, realizing that it is himself he is approaching, no other; and he should begin by turning resolutely away from all devices that are popularly believed to indicate style — all mannerisms, tricks, adornments. The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity.
“Therefore, the first piece of advice is this: to achieve style, begin by affecting none — that is, place yourself in the background.”
E.B. White wrote this about the art of writing in 1918. He could equally have said it about painting, or any other art form.