Using a Reference While Drawing - and Why You Should Use Them to Your Advantage: (2024)

In illustration and similar mediums, many accomplished artists say to use references while drawing. But why? and what is a reference?

A reference, in artistic terms, is something that an artwork is based upon. It can include other works of art, real life photography, video, and more. While this may sound like whole pieces of artwork are based off of just one reference, many artists can combine and alter existing references to create original compositions - some only use parts or take just a concept from an existing work.

Certainly understanding what a reference actually is isn't any problem at all, but one question does arise - why should I use a reference? Certainly, I and many others have felt fine in their ability to draw a pose based on their brain's internal perception of it, or feel they can simply start from nothing and create a visually appealing piece. However, not having a reference to look back on can leave a pose or illustration looking... weird. Whether it be certain parts of the piece or the composition of the work as a whole, not having a reference can make things feel stiff and unnatural. And starting a piece without a reference can lead to sketches feeling like this too - or even worse, increase the rate at which an artist feels "burnt out" and unable to draw.

While a reference may not stop you from running out of juice, it can certainly aide you in the kind of pose, illustration, or mood you want for your artwork - or simply for your doodling session that day. If you want people jumping from building to building, a reference can help you know what a person looks like while in that stage of leaping across a city skyline. References are great tools for artists, in that they can help be the springboard for whatever idea or dream you want to get onto a canvas or a piece of paper.

This instruction guide aims to help you both find good references and to show you ways in which they can be used in your drawings. Though I may share my own experiences and how I prefer to block things out in my artistic process, you have all the liberty in the world to block stuff out in whichever way makes you comfortable and to use the references in a way that helps you the most.

Certainly I could talk about how helpful a reference is when actually in the process of drawing, and when you've already got an idea. But how does one find a "good" reference?

Personally, I’m of the belief that there isn’t such a thing as a “bad” reference - merely just a reference that you weren’t looking for. However, it can be difficult to find something extremely specific just from vague searching - you can certainly get good general results and stock images if you search up “two people talking”, for example - but if you’re trying to capture a really complex scene doing a google search of the whole specific scene probably isn’t going to go the greatest. Thankfully, it’s surprisingly easy to find individual references of full poses, partial poses of hands or other portions of the body of that person or animal, clothes, lighting, backgrounds, and so much more. I would personally recommend using Pinterest as a good starting ground, mainly due to how easy it is to find lots of different pieces of media both to inspire you and to refer to. Using google is always a good option, too, but it’s easier to use google if you’ve got a better idea of what you’re looking for - and I find Pinterest is a good way to narrow that down. Then again, being inspired by something you see off of social media is great to refer back to, too. Don’t be afraid to go back and look for more references if you get stuck mid-illustration, too!

Aside from finding a reference on the internet, you can also make your own - given that you’re comfortable taking pictures of yourself, locations, pets, or others (with their express consent, of course). This is a good way to get a reference if you’re trying to work out a specific pose or position and nothing seems to be coming up online. There’s also taking pictures of figurines or modelling dolls that you can pose or otherwise position both physically and digitally.

References are great in that they're more than just assistants to the creation of artwork - they can be the light bulb that goes off and inspires you to create something. Though I've spoken about how I mainly choose to use sources like Pinterest and more specific google searching, even viewing a friend's post on social media can act as a reference.

I say this mainly because while we may not consciously think about it at the time, viewing posts, places, people, and experiencing things can all be used as reference in your work - even if it isn't necessarily documented to be a reference for such. You can certainly be inspired to draw by seeing a reference of a cool outfit, or a cool pose. That's the beauty of references - they can be both useful and fun to look at!

When actually using a reference, there are plenty of ways to go about sketching and utilizing the pictures you've found and enjoyed. Whether it be directly on top of the image or simply making a grid

One of the examples that I have used is tracing over a reference image and using that trace as a reference. The video I've made details that process, and it's the method I find most useful when drawing given what I prefer to draw - you can view that for an audio walkthrough, as well as being able to see me sketching a pose off of a reference

This method is useful for practicing individual poses, as well as understanding the anatomy and workings of muscle, weight, and other factors - plus, it's a good way to get a character into an interesting pose without having to fling a bunch of ideas at a canvas or sketchbook, too!

While I may prefer using the tracing method, I've also used the grid method in the past when I've wanted to capture photo into a drawing of my own style.

The grid method involves placing a grid on top of a reference photo, having a paper or canvas with a matching grid of its own, and drawing each box of the grid one-by-one - rather than trying to have a go at the whole image in one shot, this method makes it easier to get the various details of a full image by taking a step-by-step approach. This method takes less sketching than the previous example, mainly because you work straight off of grids and smaller boxes - that shouldn't stop you from applying techniques and ideas from the tracing method, though!

This method is great for when you want to recreate a photograph, and doing this in tandem with the tracing method can allow you to replace different characters or objects in a scene with different ones, for example. This can also be used to to transform an ordinary photographic reference and completely flip the mood and atmosphere, simply by choice of coloring, detail, and other artistic flare.

You can use this method as an add-on to the tracing, much like how the reverse is true. Using a grid on a reference you are tracing can help you keep track of where specific details or joints are on a pose, which is especially helpful if you need to alter the anatomy or other important aspect of the figure or illustration. They work great alone, and great together!

Though I've talked at length about the two methods of using a reference that I have had experience with, and how I view and see references, these words are just that - my own. You are more than welcome to see something differently, and to make and use references in all new ways.

My hope with this guide is that you get some ideas on how you could potentially use a reference or two, not to tell you explicitly how exactly you should. At the end of the day, we all see things differently - and that's a great thing.

Have fun on your artistic endeavors! Don't be afraid to take a break if the going gets tough - you're not the only one.