The Reference Sandwich A Better Way To Use Reference Photos
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Learn how to get the most from your references with the help of pro artist christian bull. he shows you a new way of thinking that strikes a balance between. The current piece i'm working on has 7 reference photos that i'm using in total. once i have the rough sketch done, i'll put the reference photos up unless i need it for shading. so i don't even use the reference photos for the entire process. my line work, and overall color scheme i decide without the reference photos 90% of the time.
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01. identify the grey area. artwork for helmigh's book, caldyra. helmigh creates her own reference packs, and sells them to other artists too (image credit: suzanne helmigh) using references isn't the same as simply copying, of course, but there can sometimes be a grey area between the two. Here are some general tips for drawing from reference photos: move away from directly tracing the photos as soon as possible. sketch the same thing several times to build muscle memory and confidence. use photos of the same object scene but from different angles. compare your latest sketch with your first to see your improvement. Jan 27. written by ann shen. my first step to starting any illustration is gathering inspiration and reference images. but reference photos for artists can get a little tricky sometimes especially for beginners. it’s tempting to find an image you like on pinterest and copy it directly to create your initial sketch. Just focus on what excites you about the location. tip #3 – rinse, repeat. i’m sure this will be the least popular tip, but it has to be said. i taught myself photography by doing it. over and over and over. i went through many awkward photo phases – using weird angles, bad lighting, and over the top editing.
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Jan 27. written by ann shen. my first step to starting any illustration is gathering inspiration and reference images. but reference photos for artists can get a little tricky sometimes especially for beginners. it’s tempting to find an image you like on pinterest and copy it directly to create your initial sketch. Just focus on what excites you about the location. tip #3 – rinse, repeat. i’m sure this will be the least popular tip, but it has to be said. i taught myself photography by doing it. over and over and over. i went through many awkward photo phases – using weird angles, bad lighting, and over the top editing. How to get and use reference photos? taking photographs is the easiest way to get references of a subject you wish to draw or paint. portrait painters, for instance, often go from photo to painting because it is not often possible to complete a commission working solely from life. often, the photos people send are candid shots taken just for fun. Here are the settings i use to manipulate a reference photo: to use fotosketcher, open the image, select paint 8 (expressive brushstrokes) and hit the draw button. if you wish to simplify the image more, slide the control bars on the panel further to the right. this is the original reference photo i took.
![](https://i0.wp.com/sicepat.com/images/image-not-found.png)
How to get and use reference photos? taking photographs is the easiest way to get references of a subject you wish to draw or paint. portrait painters, for instance, often go from photo to painting because it is not often possible to complete a commission working solely from life. often, the photos people send are candid shots taken just for fun. Here are the settings i use to manipulate a reference photo: to use fotosketcher, open the image, select paint 8 (expressive brushstrokes) and hit the draw button. if you wish to simplify the image more, slide the control bars on the panel further to the right. this is the original reference photo i took.
![](https://i0.wp.com/sicepat.com/images/image-not-found.png)
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