Drawing with References is not Cheating

Guess what! You’re allowed to use references! You should use references!

One thing a lot of newer artists shy away from, and a lot of intermediate artists forget about, is the ability to use references in art. But what is a reference? Well, it’s something you look at while drawing so that you can draw it correctly. Wait, artists look at photos while drawing? Of course! But there’s a method to doing this properly: your goal as an artist is not to copy someone else’s work. But references can be used both to practice a difficult subject, and to help ensure you’re drawing your finished pieces accurately. It’s important to note that you’re not tracing a reference, you’re just looking at it. Tracing is a separate subject for another day.

OK, so what kinds of references can you use? For one, things around you, or your own photos! There’s no ambiguity here: if you want to strike a pose and take a photo of yourself to draw, go for it! Or, if you have one of those artist pose dolls nearby, that’s also handy to use for referencing. Or maybe you have some great food or scenery photos that you’d like to draw parts of in your art. Good choices!

But when it comes to using someone else’s photos, you want to start to consider whether you’re “heavily” referencing them, or are just observing little details from many different photos for your work. When I say heavily referencing, I mean you’re primarily using one reference and copying it down, even if you’re not tracing it. This can be ok if you have permission from the author of your reference, or if you’re doing it just to practice and you’re not sharing it as your own work. But in general, be careful with this. The easiest way to avoid heavy referencing is by using multiple reference images.

This also extends to other art! If you want to “try out” someone else’s art style to practice, go for it, but be sure to not clone their work and re-post it as your own, even if you changed some colors here and there. That’s not creating your own art, that’s copying. If you’re having trouble understanding this part, think about how you might feel if someone else copied parts of your art without permission.

But even with these points of caution, referencing is important in learning to draw and beyond. While it’s fun to draw from your imagination, your art will look a lot cleaner the first time by using proper references. Try to convince yourself to use them every time you draw, even if it’s for a quick doodle! Keep your skills sharp, don’t just trust your mental library. Get those references and get drawing!