There are always exceptions to a rule but you are right, there are quite a few artists, who draw without using any reference.Д«ut I bet you, they did when they were starting out and they will use reference images whenever they are drawing something, that they never drew before. I know an artist, who doesnвЂ™t use them and draws from Imagination only! So donВґt be hesitant to use reference images to improve your drawings. So they donВґt need as much reference anymore in order to be able to draw something believable.Д«ut if they are drawing something, that they never drew before, they will use reference Images until they understand the subject, that they want to draw. that helps them understand certain objects faster. They need to, because if they donВґt then they wonВґt be able to understand the thing, that they are drawing and thus they wonВґt be able to draw it in a way, that is believable.Д«ut there are a lot of things, that they already studied like Anatomy, Light and shadow, color theory, etc. I have talked to so many artists and believe me, they all use reference images or real live references to draw. Do proffesional artist use reference pictures? So try to understand the object, that you want to draw and donВґt try to just copy it. The better you understand an object, the better you will be able to draw it.

But blindly copying something without asking yourself why a certain thing is looking the way it does, thatВґs bad. Because all you do is copying the exact thing without actually closely paying attention to what makes the object look the way it does.Д¬opying isnВґt necessarily bad. Why is tracing and copying bad?Д«y tracing or copying an Image you wonВґt actively learn anything. Only when you plan on using the exact Image (not your artwork) then you have to purchase a license. Important! As long, as you use these Images only as a reference and not in your artwork or you donВґt plan on uploading these pictures, then you donВґt have to buy any of them.

DonВґt look for images, that show the object in the exact angle, that you want to draw it inДЄnd finally here are some Sites, where you can find good reference images for free:.

DonВґt look for paintings or drawings as reference.

The object should be clearly visible and not cast in shadow.

What you should look for in a reference image: It may be hard to see all that right away, but the more you draw and the closer you pay attention, the more you will be able to make out and the better your drawings will look.

There are purples, greens, yellows, browns and even more colors hidden in just an apple.ДЄnd texture as well, an apple is surprisingly glossy and has a lot of interesting patterns on it, that you wonВґt see if you donВґt look at it closely. There are so many different slight variations in the color. So letВґs use our example of the apple again. Instead, you should look at more broader things, like texture, different colors (you will be surprised how many different colors can hide in one little object) or how light interacts with the object and the way, a shadow is cast by the object. The most important thing is to not copy or trace the Image or reference in the exact way, that you are seeing it. So using reference images will help you understand these details and you will be able to put them in your drawing more accurately. You may remember the general shape of the apple or the basic color of the apple but there are so many details, that you are not going to be able to draw from your imagination. LetвЂ™s say, you want to draw an Apple and you are not using reference. So when you are drawing something, then you are actually creating an illusion of the real world or an illusion of a real-world object.Д«ut how do you want to create that illusion, if you never actually closely looked at the thing, that you want to draw? Why is Drawing from Reference actually good?ДЄll, that drawing really is, is creating an illusion of a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface.

So is drawing from reference cheating? No, it is not! When you are using reference the right way and if you are not just copying, what you are seeing or tracing from your reference, then using reference Images will actually help you improve your drawings drastically. I think every artist is hesitant to use reference in the beginning but what if I tell you, that it will actually help you Improve fast if you use the reference the right way.

Art reference