So during a recent live-stream, I streamed the creation process of my latest piece which was Valentines' themed concept art for Ying Yang Mansion. More specifically the characters Luna and Devon. Everyone was shocked (to the pleasantry) that my style was different and a little better than the style that some of my Witchy Cauldron pieces had. This is true. The style is different. Mostly cause I used a different reference. As we talked about it, I thought, this would be good for the blog too.
So for this particular piece, I used a reference I found on google images that led me to a pintrest post that had different anime couples in various poses that kinda symbolized valentines day instead of making my own models in clip studio. Normally I take a 3D model I make in clip studio, try to transpose that image into an anime styled image, and then create the illustration. Since I didn't do that this time, and used an actual anime image. The process was easier for me since I didn't have to try to interpret the 3D model into anime style. The reference was already in anime style. Techincally, I eliminated a step.
I've only drawn people in an anime style. I don't do very well with realism. I'll do it occasionally in my sketchbook, just in case if I do commissions it comes up, but for the most part, I don't do it.
Then as I was coloring again, someone said, "I'm thinking of opening commissions too. Does that mean I have to stop using references? I'm afraid of someone coming up to me claiming I stole from them."
To that I promptly answered. Absolutely not. References are an artists best friend. However the most important thing to using references, especially when using a reference of someone else's work, you have to remember the most important thing. What are you going to change. If you straight up trace over the reference, then yeah, I can see the original artist getting upset. When you use a reference you have to bring your own elements to the piece too. Like for this case, I only used the pose as the reference. I didn't take the clothes from that character, or the characters themselves. To me, the characters in that reference, were Luna and Devon, not whoever they were from the original artist. Two characters who loved each other.
There are also references that if you buy them from the original artist, then you can copy it if need be. I've done this route as well. If I had to draw or paint something I couldn't find a reference for, I'll go on stutterstock, adobe stock, etsy, etc and if someone has a reference pack for sale i'll buy the reference too since 9 times out of 10 the artist/creator/model* (*if the reference is a live person posing*) acknowledge that when you buy the reference image, that you're going to do something with it but always read the TOS when you do because there are some images that still have some kind of stipulation with it.
Most importantly references help artists grow. Every artists has used a reference at some point in their life. When I first started drawing, I copied images of Edward Elric, pokemon, Yugioh, Digimon, backgrounds from animes, images found on Deviant Art, to learn how to draw and even the "Learn to Draw" books are technically references and I find myself going back to those books even to this day from Baylee Jae, Jazza, Mark Crilley, etc. when I need help drawing something or learning about poses, environment, perspective, things like that. Even when an artist creates a scene and paints it, that's a reference. They're not drawing something straight from their head. They're looking at that bowl of fruit, or that mountain range, that river, etc.
So that leaves me wondering what are your guys' opinion on references? Do you agree with these statements, do you have your own guidelines as to what's okay and not okay to reference? How do you use references when you make your own pieces? I'm genuinely curious to hear what other artists use for guidelines.
Until next time,
~Luna
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