Reference Pic Pro Tips
I do most all of my drawings based off of pictures that are sent to me. They can be professional pictures of pictures you have taken yourself. There are good reference pictures and there are not so good reference pictures. The picutre/pictures you send me should resemble what you would like the final drawing to look like. When picking out a picture, follow these guidelines as best you can.
-Leveling the picture. When taking a picture of the subject, make sure you are taking it from a level angle. If it's a head portrait, level the camera with the eyes. If it's a full body portrait, level the camera with the center of the body. Too high or too low, the proportion gets distorted (stumping looking legs, big head, large nose etc.
-Perspective. My drawings generally have a white background. This makes it hard to creat depth perception in the drawing. Pictures taken from odd angles typically don't turn out well.
-Nothing in the foreground. If the subject is being blocked by another object, it will be hard for me to acurately draw the subject. Sometimes I can incorporate the object but it has to be close enough to the subject to turn out looking ok.
-Lighting. Natural light is best when taking a picture. Taking it at dusk/dawn or on an overcast day when the sun isn't super bright is best. Direct sunlight or flash can cast dark shadows and white out the details of subject. The same goes for backlit subjects - too dark for details.
-Clear and focused. Blurry, out of focus, pixelated/grainy pictures are near imposible to draw correctly.
-Fit in the frame. Make sure the entire subject is in the frame. The tip of a horse or dog ear is not a big deal but no missing legs or large portions of the body. Selfies don't generally turn out well either... for obvious reasons...
-If you are getting a drawing of a horse, I recomend that the horse have a bridle or halter on. It helps to break up the picture and give it some depth and detail. I find with horses that they tend to appear plain or "naked" if they don't have anything on.
-More than one photo is always a plus! It's great to have several pictures to choose from or to ensure the markings are correctly drawn.
-More than one photo is always a plus! It's great to have several pictures to choose from or to ensure the markings are correctly drawn.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the picture you want drawn, don't be afraid to let me know. I can do some modifications like flipping ears forward on horses, tidying up a messy braid job, smoothing frizzy hair, subtracting doggy drool, etc. So if the picture isn't perfect, don't panic! - I may be able to work with it.
