Why do artists refuse to use references why why why.
It’s not a contest to see who can get by without them. It’s not cheating to look at a thing in order to know what the thing looks like.
You don’t get stronger or better by pretending. Nobody is impressed by the awkward whatever-it-is you just drew. Use references.
I don’t think a lot of people know that it’s not cheating. I recall seeing so many piece of art called out because they referenced a pose, someone recognized it, and then proceeded to shame them for it. There’s this belief, both by creators and the audience, that artists should just be able to translate the ideas from their head to paper, and if they don’t, it’s plagiarism, or not true originality (spoiler alert: there’s no such thing).
I myself didn’t start using references until very recently, because even I was under the impression that it was frowned upon. And that belief has seriously crippled and stalled my ability to improve as an artist.
ok let’s set this straight once and for all I’m now ANGRY at people who shame artists for using ref
whether you use or not use references is ultimately up to you - I like to go free myself sometimes, because it’s nice and you see how much using references has actually taught you - BUT, dear artist-shaming people:do you know Leonardo, Michelangelo, all those lovely fellows you find in art history books? they had models available 24/7. Because those were the references at the time, live models - in other cases, they studied other people’s artworks. And let’s not talk about live anatomical studies on corpses etc. Because that was the state of the art back then, you had to make your apprentice stand still for 10 fucking hours DAMN IT GIOVANNI DAT HAND, PUT IT BACK IN PLACE.
Fast forward a century, here comes the dark chamber. Landscape painters used this ALL THE TIME. they literally traced the landscapes to have the maximum accuracy possible, and then they’d make their pretty paintings out of all those drawings and studies.
But you know what happened after Daguerre, Niepce and all those lovely frenchmen invented photography?
Do you think artists went ‘lol nope not gonna use this super fucking accurate depiction of reality cuz I’ve gotta show them I’m a pro?’
NOPE. from the Realists to Degas to Cezanne to Picasso, everybody used photography as a reference. It was handy, it didn’t require for the model to stand still all the time, it could be carried, it was useful as hell and they knew it. And since they were not interested in anything but making good art, they seized the opportunity to use another wonderful tool to reach their artistic dreams.
And since you would never look at a painting of Canaletto and think ‘what a fraud, he used camera obscura’, you have exactly zero rights to make an artist feel bad if they use references in their work. You’re actually just proving that you have zero knowledge of how art was, is and will be made, and you should just shut the fuck up.
(of course, using references is way different than tracing or copying an artwork and claiming it as original etc)I had an illustration teacher in college that built a scale replica in her basement of the town from the children’s book she was illustrating, so she could take reference photos from various angles. She also hired models to spray gold and hold a pose while she snapped photos for the statue in the book. We had equal importance placed on learning how to take our own reference images (because when you can, this is the most preferable route rather than scouring the internet for the perfect photo) as we did on how to execute the final product.
I am in graduate school now (for studio art), and I’ve never once seen someone who painted entirely out of their heads. Only in beginning art students, until they learn it is ok to reference. The grads have walls plastered with various reference and inspiration images. We all have folders and books full of marked pages.
I have always been taught to reference, to reference from multiple sources, and to always reference from life or photography. Don’t reference solely from another artist’s work, because that has already been translated in their style. It’s like making a copy of a copy, you lose something in the process. For professional illustrators, this is second-nature and a given.
For fan-artists (especially on this site), this will help to avoid the risk of it being seen as a rip-off of another artist, because you are removing the possibility for their style to influence you, and letting your own shine through.
The King who Lost the North by Angela Rizza
designing and dressing Buffalo Bikers for season 2 of Bojack….favourite moments of the last 12 months… credit to the immensely talented http://lisahanawalt.tumblr.com/ for original concept
Adam Parton is the lead character designer on BoJack, so he helps create a lot of the heavy duty characters (Wanda, Charlotte, Hank Hippo…) and has a hand in perfecting all the turnarounds. Plus he improves employee morale with his goofy Australian lingo! hehe sorry Adam.
The details on these guys are so rad - I made one quick sketch for the first guy, then Adam went nuts fleshing out the rest of these Highway Masticators. We also had a long debate over whether it should be “Bovine Badass” or “Badass Bovine.” Sweatin’ the important details over here!
Ceramics by MinkyMooCeramics by Etsy
I got a temporary rig set up until my new components arrive and I can work. just in time for #Andermance week!
Sometimes the smol boyfriend needs to protect the big boyfriend u_u
Canadian artist Shane Wilson transforms massive moose antlers into magnificent works of sculpture inspired by his natural surroundings in northern Ontario. Using ethically sourced antlers, horns, and skulls from native animals, Wilson painstakingly carves beautifully detailed scenes from the Canadian wilderness as well as intricate geometric, organic, and traditional patterns. His skill and care can turn a huge pair of solid moose antlers into branches covered in perching birds, a forest or mountain scene, a complex maze of Celtic knotwork, or even a dreamy interpretation of the Aurora borealis (bottom image).
Head over to Shane Wilson’s website to check out more of his stunning antler carvings.
[via Hi-Fructose]
JAW DROPS.
Hey I figured I’d post these up!
I also do redesign / design commissions $25 for anthro $15 for quad
I have a lot more commissions offered; more details HERE
To Contact me about commissions email me at Lawlietshortcake@yahoo.com !
HeY GUYS SO I’m actually in need of some funds because I’m going to be going on a 18 hour road trip with isopropyldreams to visit therodamas so if you could boost this post/commission me that’d be super swell!!
This dogs is NOT a Pit Bull. This is Boom who is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and he is selective dog aggressive from what I have heard.
It’s true, he has attacked other dogs unprovoked at flyball competitions. Why his handler continues to do this off-leash, multi-dog, close-contact sport with him (as well as with another gamebred APBT she owns who has also attacked at these competitions) is beyond my comprehension.
Dog-aggression and prey-aggression aren’t “bad stereotypes” in the bully breeds, they’re facts.