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HOW TO MAKE YOUR ART LOOK NICE: Reference n Style
by-nc-nd
Published: 2014-06-08 22:37:41 +0000 UTC; Views: 147551; Favourites: 6752; Downloads: 0
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Description
To all my fellow artblocked, stumped, and confused artists, here's a kinda long guide on how to work around your stumps! And it's also basically the answer to why some artists are good/awesome and how you can work your way to become as good/awesome/even better than them!Some works used in this aren't mine and are used for reference purposes and are credited as such.
Keep practicing yo! and excuse my writing
EDIT: Holy man, thanks so much EeNii and Elandria !
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My HOW TO MAKE YOUR ART LOOK NICE Series:
Color and Harmony
Contrast
Flow and Rhythm in Lines
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Comments: 455
I've begun to make a habit of using reference poses and sites like Posemaniacs when I'm Β stumped on anatomy, which is one of my biggest issues aside from backgrounds(which I hope to tackle next). Even things that I would consider myself awful at (like creating anthros or 'furries') suddenly become a lot less painful to draw when I look at the real counterpart that they're based off of.
Still, seeing first hand via a guide like this encourages me to keep using references without feeling embarrassed that I'm not quite as good at remembering certain things when drawing. Hopefully this much needed guide will help others to follow this example and strive to improve.
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As long as you do it for learning how to do something, or how a certain thing looks like!
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Of course! I wouldn't dream of what a large percentage of DA's younger and/or inexperienced artists are prone to do *chough*balatantTracing/making'bases'*chough*. There's nothing wrong or shameful with references, but taking an image and tracing over it, then slapping on changes is stealing(especially when people are using copyrighted material that is NOT royalty free or credit-upon-use). What's worse is that this becomes an excuse for lack of developing real skills, and has sadly resulted in a generation of unsavory self-proclaimed artists who do nothing but snag the nearest anime screenshot and scribble over it in MS paint, or trace over it and distribute it as a 'base'(which is STILL stolen artwork.) I cringe every time I see a pose or snapshot from a cartoon or comic book, movie screenshot ETC butchered by horrible retracing and shading-less MS paint fills of bright neon colors....*shivers*
I think it's good for even professionals to stop and use a reference once and a while too, even if they think they know how to draw something just to be extra sure with an example at hand so they can skip the occasional result of needing to frequently re-draw a detail(and also getting a refresher so they can maybe stylize or further cement that principal of design so their methods don't stagnate.)
This rule especially applies for beginners (like me) or intermediate artists, just to help us get the form and composition of certain thing ingrained in our heads. (That way we'll work our way up to being able to draw from memory more often! It's a great feeling when you finally realize that drawing certain areas becomes automatic, without stress of whether or not it's 'passable', because now you KNOW the fundamentals of creating that particular image piece.)
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Great job! Definitely a good lesson for everyone who thinks references are taboo!
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Congratulations on your well-deserved DD!!!
Iβm very happy for you!!!
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Its a bit of a shame you need to tell this to people... BUt its very nice of you to do that
I learned composition with referencing, I think no artist can improve or work at all without using them, even if only subconciously.
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Reference isn't everything. Great artists should be able to create things like this from memory.Β
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Well, the reason why great artists can draw from memory because they have studied enough references so that they can draw without them!
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Why does the person looking at their hand have 6 fingers?Β
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pablo picasso I blame you for all the arttheft on dA.
That's pretty helpful ~
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I'm one of those types of people who once thought "OMG UR LEIK REFING SOMETHNG THT MEENS UR COPING OMG WOW SO LAME"
Now, that I'm more mature, I think "Referencing is a way to improve upon your style."
And this has shown a lot of the people who think like how I used to, to think like how I think now.
Thanks for this, bruh.
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Lol this is awesome. I love your logic and funny herp/derp drawings, this is probably the funniest tutorial I've ever read through
I've always used references, and just like in your example of a computer library I have folders and folders of references, endless, I say D: But it's really great of you to go through all the time and trouble to make this for other people to see, it really is insane how much they can help you
So thanks for making this, dude! It really gave me a laugh (your sense of humor is awesome)!
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"Demonic sacrifice"! Snerk!
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I feel better about my drwing now Thank you very much! Absolutely deserved DD! Β
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Well, we all want to know how to make our art look nice! Thanks for creating and sharing this.
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i just.. found a light of justice...
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Photo reference and then take bits of photos too define a colour scheme isn't stealing.. :3 it's more of lazy colouring x'D
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Wow dude, I knew about referencing, but this guide is actually pretty inspiring!
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That's what they taught us in school.
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This is so wonderful! I hate it when people say that I'm not creative because I can't remember everything I see (or just can't transfer a picture in my head to the paper) and often use photographs and basically anything I can get my eyes on as reference on how something looks! The best artists in the world (okay, I'll use this term loosely...) probably use reference to make colours or capture movement so beautifully!
Well, I've made a point. Using reference is still being original!
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Ok, u got me. I'm lazy...
I guess I should take it as a kick in the a.s.s to start using references, do I?...
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Definitely a fun and informative tutorial/commentary. Congrats on the DD!
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second to last part: "And escape artists run" :3
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Oh my god this is great, thank you!
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Thank you so much for uploading this. I was going through a really bad depressive time with my drawings because every other artist seems to have talent to just drawing without a reference. This makes me feel good to know I'm not the only one to use references. Maybe this will help me have a difference view about my own art. Thank you.
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Awesome tutorial! It's entertaining and a very helpful reminder that its necessary to use references ^^
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The only problem I have with this is the last part..."good artist COPY. Great artist STEAL"...I'm afraid people will take this the wrong way and ACTUALLY steal another's artwork. I don't like the idea of people stealing my artwork or my ideas and NOT giving me credit, otherwise their saying they came up with the idea and taking the credit when that's not right. I have no idea what you mean by stealing so I'm very confused. Stealing is wrong and if stealing is part of being a great artist then I don't think I want to become a great artist or even continue being an artist...It's just not right.
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People have been taking that the wrong way for years. It's probably the #1 excuse used by kids who commit art theft here on dA, who know the quote...#2 being "THEY stole the art from ME."
It's easy to misunderstand it. You have to think of it less literal.
It means that, well... there is nothing new under the sun, and every concept, every color palette combination, every subject, and pretty much theme to every drawing has been done before, some time, somewhere, at some point in the world. SO everything is borrowed. We don't really think twice about these things, we just do it.Β
BUT when you see a concept, art style, idea, drawing, or whatever, and you cherish it. You want to try and make it your own, you take time and effort to really put your own mark on it, THEN you are (in a way) "stealing" that thing, and not just "borrowing" it without much thought.
It means basically... good artists do what's always been done and simply borrow(copy) what's been done, but great artists learn (steal)from other designs andΒ make it something all their own.Β
Hopefully that makes sense xD
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it makes total sense. Thank you. xD I get it now.
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If i could favourite this post 10000GAZILLION times i would. Seriously. <3
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I no longer feel weird for having so many folders of reference art, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!!!
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Well said, this is something every artist needs to hear. Because for some reason the more beginner the artist someone is the less reference they use... Even though it should be the opposite.
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your tutorials are great!Β
very clear words xD
maybe, I should use more references too, haha
thanks for making this!
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Thank you so much for this... straight into favorites!
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Great tutorial that contains info which every artist should realize!
Although it's funny how you used amei's art for the part that says you can reference off of other artists, because... she is not so supportive... of that.... lol...
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Oh wow i didnt know Amei feels that way
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I adore this tutorial. I may just have to shove it in a few peoples' faces.
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I needed this tutorial like I need the bread...
Thank you very much! It's gorgeous.
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I appreciate your hilarious comparison. Thank YOU!
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Thank you very much!
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great tutorial man,I personally did find it hard to directly use references before. but along the line,I noticed that one can't give what he/she doesn't have. in other words if you do a lot of studies from life(reference) or you directly use reference ,you tend to broaden/strenghten your visual library. and with this it helps making your ideas/imagination more solid and believable.
once again,awesome tutorial. cheers
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Well said man! Thanks for your insight!
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I have mixed feelings about this. Especially the "firing up google images bit". A lot of people will crucify artists on here if they do something like that and others catch wind of it. A lot of games will yank your art if you don't use stock artwork for your references /and/ credit it.
I'm not against the overall message, not at all, but the wording of it to me just seems like it's a recipe for getting a lot of people in trouble.
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I realize that copying other ideas/drawings is a very sensitive topic here especially for some or a lot of people. There is a difference between copying and basing off a reference, and perhaps i should have put some sort of disclaimer.Β
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Considering I've had several people directly copy my work without my permission and credit and then relay to me that its important to have references (and I do agree it is for a growing artist), I feel there should be a mentioning in your work that if something is -heavily- referenced you should ask to use the work before posting it (if possible) and give credit. References are great. Directly ripping off another persons artwork and then calling it all your own isn't.
I've been expanding my 'visual library' for years and it's pretty insulting to make something out of scratch and then see a buttload of copies of it strewn around without my say so and credit.
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That's the thing. A lot of people considering it copying if you don't use stock and you don't credit it. It doesn't matter to them that it was simply referenced.
Me personally? Refs are nice. I can look at five or six different images to get an idea of what I'm wanting to do.
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