References

Mar 18, 201622 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Mar 18, 2016

4.6K Views

References are something that artists have been using for years and years. They range from live models to photos to models/miniatures used to study light. When I draw, I usually use photographic references, so the bulk of what the article is going to talk about will be based on my experiences with photos. While they are not the end all be all--they are very useful when you can't build a model, have someone pose for you, or can't go out in the woods and look for what you need.

Why Use References?

Using photographic references will help you learn to "see". If you are stuck on drawing a hand, what do you do? Do you look at your own hand to help you? I often do. References help you understand the shape and form of something much like looking at your own hand. It might not be apparent at first. But breaking it down helps. I scribble all over them, trace the photo, break it into shapes, to get a feel for what I'm trying to draw. References, especially photographic ones are great way to learn anatomy, lighting, and more. They can be accessed from the internet anywhere, unlike live models or venturing into nature. However, Life drawing is extremely important. Photographic references can only go so far since they're just a moment in time that's 2-D. Using both life drawing and references is a good strategy if you want to improve your drawing skills. Sitting in a coffee shop or your yard and sketching the things you see, helps with learning to "see" and translating 3-D forms to 2-D drawings on paper. When you can't draw it from life, references have your back!

Where can I find references?

DeviantART has an entire gallery devoted to references, the Stock and Resources gallery. There are many references that are free to use. Often the people who post references, stock images, have terms of use which are easy to follow. You should always credit when you use a reference. It makes the stock photographers and models happy since they get to see your art and people can find their resources. They want people to use the resources because they want to see your art.

There are two really good deviantART groups focused on pose references: Pose-Emporium and dAPoses. These groups include pictures of models that are in costume, nude, or wearing skin tight clothing that reveals the body to make drawing easier.

How Do You Use References?

I pretty much scribble over them, breaking down the subject into shapes. I also will trace the person in the figure if there's something I just don't get. I work with the reference images usually printed out or in front of me on the screen and look at them when I need to. If its a reference for a building or landscape, I make a grid of boxes on my reference image and on my drawing paper to help get things lined up as I work from the photo. It helps with placement. I found this great tutorial on how to reference, particularly human body:

Often I use 2-3 references with different angles to get a better idea of how the thing I'm trying to draw works. Maybe the first reference of a hand I picked doesn't quite fit with the rest of the character. Using another reference from a different angle helps me visual my character in space and figure out how to get the hand to work. If I'm doing a larger piece, I'll use several images to create a background, costume, etc.

What if I can't find a reference that works?

It's not the end of the world! You can ask around and maybe someone has a photo that will help! You can ask at the groups I mentioned above and usually someone answers. If you just can't find anything you like the alternative is making it yourself. Anyone with a phone can take a reference image and start building a library of pictures to use!When you're out and about, snap pictures of things like landscapes or buildings. If you're in a pickle when you're drawing a character, you can always take a picture of yourself. I like to call this the "artist selfie". If you have to draw a character holding a sword, grab a paper towel tube and take a picture. It's ok to feel silly when snapping it. I have a lot of really bad pictures of me on my phone that are great references for a pose except I have a spazzed out expression on my face. No one has to see the photos but you

If you want to get fancier or feel limited by your phone, you can get a tripod and a camera. A tripod is useful for if you want to continue taking pose references. You don't need a fancy camera, just one that has a timer and most digital cameras do now days. Check your camera's manual or google the model to see how the timer works. Are you going a trip with your friends to a park or to an museum? Pack your camera along. Just be sure to check museum policies on photos before hand.

If you need a pose reference, set up the camera on a tripod or on a surface and set the timer. Bam you have an full body artist selfie. Or you can ask your friends if they'd like to pose for you. I find a lot of my friends like getting their picture taken and are excited when I show them the drawing that I used their photo in. If you feel confident and really proud of the reference you took with your digital camera, consider sharing it. You can help other artists out by sharing your references here by posting them as stock

! They just need to follow the image quality guidelines FAQ #809: What are DeviantArt's stock image guidelines?. And be sure to get your friend's permissions before posting pictures of them.

Here's some tutorials that are more about how to make stock images, but do help if you just want to take pictures for drawing references!