Reference for art
3yr
Bianca Peclat
Hi! I love using refrence for my art but… i find it hard searching for a good one, a reference with good lighting, good shapes, and all that good stuff. But also i almost never find a refence where you go like « ho! I love it! I want to draw it » kinda thing. Anibody has any tips n’ suggestions?
thx for reading,
Had this problem just yesterday. I decided to record a video with a phone and just started filing me in the pose I wanted. I then made subtle shifts in position to make sure I had some options when I went through the video. I found a few frames that worked and continued drawing. Not great but it worked.
When it comes to figure drawing, I think https://croquis.cafe/ has the best resource. Every week a new simulated live drawing session in form of 20 min video is posted. They were free for the longest time, but since last year or so you need a membership. The switch was the opposite of smooth and I think they alienated a lot of their supporters, but the quality of images and modelling sessions are very good and the price relatively low.
In general I think one should look for references in sources that are "edited", so no scrolling on social media. Instead books and magazines with quality control. If you have a public library nearby you hit the jackpot, but exploring used book stores can help accumulating a lot of reference for cheap. I would recommend to look out for vintage travel magazines. Also documentary films are good.
And something that we should not forget: Make your own reference images! Every time when I'm on a train my camera is ready in case I see the next motive for a landscape painting. Take your smartphone and explore your neighbourhood! Look for great shapes, this may also lead to unexpected inspiration. Go out in the evening when the shadows are sharp. If you have a really crowded public place, no one will raise an eyebrow when you take photos like a tourist. And at home, zoom in into all the people that are in the photo. Really good to get inspiration for character design.
Earthsworld instagram page is amazing for portrait reference. Pixiv is a good one if you like to learn from mostly eastern artists, and Wikicommons is one pretty important source that I see not mentioned. Of course it is harder in WC to find good reference, but if you already have a topic in your head on what to draw then it is a superb source.
Well, I think the ones in the Proko store are good. If you don't like these, there's Grafit Studios, Satine Zillah, many on Cubebrush and Art Station...