Trying to emulate a style

[darktiste]

Yes you did but there is so many artwork on the instagram that it not necessarly easy to understand what you are after this is why if you have a better selection of what you are trying to emulate it easier to give more specific advise otherwise it only going to be about improving your fundamental and copying which mean nothing when it not defined let say correctly as i said it to vague even if you refer to a body of work clean or readable is not something that require to be copied... it a quality of the work it not something you have to overthink... it just taking decision that make the work to be clean and readable.

For example you cant be clean because you dont know how to clean up your work for example because you dont know how to use layers or mask or you simply work sloppy.

Readable that the quality of making good decision but that not something that can be easy to teach because for that you need clear intention otherwise you make it hard for someone to visual read where you want them to look.

It advance concept you should not be really proccupied with at the moment in my opinion.

Realism is the first step good design/style is far secondary 

Preoccupy yourself with your own artistic vision you will get influence anyways as you progress you dont have to run after anyone in particular.It just make your work stand out even more because you dont try to be a cheap copy.