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Essential Tips to Take Great Art Reference Photos

8/30/2017

53 Comments

 
How to Take Great Art Reference Photos
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Do you often use other people's photographs as references to create artwork? Have you ever tried using a specific photograph to create a drawing or painting just to find out that it's actually working against you throughout the process?

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​I usually like having reference photos or real life objects in front of me to get inspired by when creating an artwork. Even though I am not particularly interested in taking the hyperrealist route, I use photographs because they remind me of details that I may or may not choose to include in my painting (or drawing), and might otherwise forget. I have found that, at times, it is these little details in photographs that my painting was lacking in order to become great.

Many artists recommend printing out the picture before starting a painting and working from it in order to ensure colors, values and proportions are true to the image. If you are going for something very realistic or simply believe it will be more comfortable for you, go ahead and print the image. I personally don’t because my style doesn't involve recreating images 100%.

I personally don't believe in tracing because I don't feel that this practice helps exercise observational and drawing skills as much. I really recommend not doing it after you have surpassed that initial level of drawing, no matter how hard it may be at first.  
I view imperfections and deliberate modifications by the artist as good things.
 
Getting back to photography, making time to take photos of the subjects you are most drawn to is incredibly important for an artist. In a previous post I talked about how sometimes it’s difficult to make time for this. I've shared links to sites that offer free quality photos that you can use to create artwork from and even sell.

Read this post here:

My Favorite Free Image Sites & Two Examples of References with Finished Illustrations

These sites are lifesavers for us who are extremely busy and don't always have the time necessary to do an actual photo session. I don't think there is anything wrong in using photos that aren't ours in these cases, as long as we have permission to do so. I believe that using them to get daily practice in is SO much better than doing nothing at all.

In my blog post When and How to Use Other People's Photos to Create Art I explain how to go about doing this safely and in a way that ensures you'll still be making as much artistic progress as possible. 

However, there is nothing as rewarding as creating an artwork completely from scratch. Going though the process of brainstorming and visualization, finding the actual object(s) you want to shoot, sketching out composition ideas and arriving at the photo that you will later be using to create your artwork, may be a lot of work, but it is totally worth it at the end.
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Taking art reference photos
Photo session set-up in my studio. Not eating these was super hard! You can see here the harsh sunlight entering through the window. I avoided placing my subjects in direct light. Time of the day wasn't ideal.


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Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here.

 

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Tips to Produce Great Reference Photos


It is important to know that simply taking a photo doesn't ensure that it will be able to be used for a drawing or painting. Things like resolution and lighting can make a photo extremely difficult to work with and even result in bad art. ​

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1. Sketch ideas and visualize your final composition 
The more objects you are including in your photo, the more essential this step is. All great photos have a focal point and you must consider what this is going to be in your picture. Essentially, objects have to be placed in such a way that the viewer’s eyes naturally move towards the object of most importance.  

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2. Have balance and harmony in mind, always
Keep in mind that compositions don't have to be symmetrical in order to be balanced. If you are shooting a variety of objects together, I suggest making it interesting and placing them in a way that results visually pleasing instead of in an obvious centered, symmetrical manner.

If you lack a trained eye, the ever-so-popular Rule of Thirds is something that you can research. This "rule" states that, to achieve an effective visual composition, a 3x3 grid has to be visualized within it. Imagine there are two horizontal and two vertical lines dividing the picture into 9 equal rectangles (or squares). Whatever we want the focal points to be in our compositions should be placed along the intersections of these lines.

​The basis for this "rule" is that the human eye will naturally move toward focal areas when images are divided into thirds. Finally, do different visual elements included in your photograph (color, texture, shape, etc.) combine well to create an interesting, visually aesthetic composition?


Rule of Thirds Grid
Rule of Thirds. 3x3 grid.


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3. Make sure you are taking high resolution photos 
It's very difficult to create an amazing piece of art using a blurry and pixelated photo. Though the amount of detail rendered will be entirely up to you and your particular art style, you want to have the option of adding in intricacies as needed and be able to zoom in whenever necessary.



4. Try to always use natural lighting (if you don't have special photography lights set up)
Using flash makes people and objects look flat and washed out. Of course, if you have photography equipment like lighting and reflectors and you know what you are doing, go for it! I personally don't, so I try to take my photos in the morning before noon or in the afternoon when sunlight is not at its harshest so that shadows and highlights are soft and not too distracting/dramatic.


In my blog post How to Take Your Own Art Reference Photos I talk about why making time to take your own art reference photos is important. I also include a video in which I take you into my studio as I do a still life photo session!


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5. Think: What angle will suit this object best? 
Even if you already have initial ideas sketched out on paper, move around during the shoot and move your different elements around, as well. Take a lot of photos in a variety of angles and play around with perspective. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity!



6. Consider background colors
Personally, I create a lot of artwork with white or very simple backgrounds, so I like preparing white backgrounds for my subjects (usually cardboard or fabric) when taking photos. This makes it easier for me to clean up the image in Photoshop so that I can concentrate on the object I am painting. 

However, if you are setting up an entire composition to work from, I suggest using a neutral color background that will not distract the viewer from the focal point. Or, if you are going for something colorful, think if the background color plays well with/enhances the object(s) placed upon it? Think about color combination and contrast when selecting objects. Perhaps it's time to bring out our Color Wheels?



7. Take a lot of photos and keep them organized
Once you start doing your own photo shoots it's in your best interest to keep your reference photo library organized. Even if you don't end up using the photos in the next few months, you could create art or studies with them in the future. I like to name my folders according to the subject type: Portraits, Still Life, Cityscapes, Indoor Scenery, Landscapes, Animals, etc. Naming each folder with the date of the shoot could also be useful. 



8. Remember, your photographs are references
Don’t be afraid to remove things that you think don't add to the final composition. I have also used two or three different references in the past to create one same artwork by cutting separate elements and combining them into one image using Photoshop. You can also change colors! Play around with your photos in photo editing software and see what happens. Visualizing and modifying references gets easier the more experienced you become. 



9. Decide whether you will print your photograph or work from your computer screen
Experiment and see what works best for your particular process and artwork style. Neither of these is correct or incorrect. Just make sure you set yourself up for an efficient painting  process by placing the photograph or computer screen at a comfortable angle and eye level.


10. 
You don't necessarily need a fancy camera
Most phones have excellent cameras now-a-days. Just make sure you have your brightness and resolution to the max. Also, clean your lens before you start. And, remember, always avoid using flash. Flash is the worst. 
  

Thumbnail sketches for photo session
Before starting with the photo session, I made sure to sketch out some ideas.
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​Here are a couple of good pictures I ended up with that I will definitely be using to create some paintings. Try not to get too hungry!
Doughnut art reference photo
Picture of three doughnuts to use in painting.


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Doughnut art reference photo
Picture of three stacked doughnuts to use in painting.


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Pastry art reference photo
Picture of a cinnamon roll that I will be using in a painting later!





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Have you started building your own art reference library? How often do you create artwork using your own original reference pictures compared to how ofter you use pictures taken by others? I'd love to know in the comments section below.


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53 Comments
Jeremy
6/18/2020 04:21:59 pm

How do you print out these image? Do you recommend a printer w printer paper or actual photos?

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Erika Lancaster link
6/22/2020 07:20:12 pm

Hi, Jeremy!
Hope you're having a lovely day.
Thanks for reading and leaving your questions. :)
Usually, unless I'm working from direct observation (using subjects I have right in front of me that I can actually reach out and touch), I open up my reference photos in a photo editing software so that I can zoom in and out of my photo as needed.
Opening up my photo in a photo editing software also allows me to format my photo in whatever proportions I need, as well as do any manipulations of color or anything else I might need to do before starting to paint.
I like opening up a document in Photoshop that has the same measurements of my watercolor paper or stretched canvas, so that the proportions are exactly the same.
I almost never work from printed out images. Helps me save paper! :)
Hope this helps.

Reply
John smith link
7/18/2022 05:59:18 am

I think they are actual photos

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Erika Lancaster link
3/14/2023 07:58:06 am

Hi, John!
Yep. The images shared in this post are actual photos.
You can check out my painting process for the stacked doughnuts here: https://youtu.be/mAmLTe24-HA
Have a great day!

Ariyah Campos link
8/26/2021 03:34:49 am

This information has been very helpful thanks for sharing this post.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
10/17/2021 01:22:28 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for reading. :)
Glad this one was helpful.
Wish you a lovely day!

Reply
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9/14/2021 08:52:52 am

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Erika Lancaster link
10/17/2021 01:23:03 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for checking this one out. Glad you're enjoying what I'm sharing. :)
Have a lovey day and take good care.

Reply
Olivia Hartley link
9/24/2021 06:39:09 am

Thanks for sharing such an informative post. An article like this really helps a lot to the audience like me since you have defined every information in order to understand easily.

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Erika Lancaster link
10/17/2021 01:23:38 pm

Hi, Olivia!
Thanks so much for reading.
Glad you found this one helpful. :)
Wish you a great day and take good care.

Reply
Michael Stark link
10/12/2021 02:56:18 am

I love taking photos and I love art a lot. Thank you for the blog :D

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
10/17/2021 01:24:35 pm

Hi, Michael!
Thanks so much for reading and taking time to comment. :)
Glad to hear that you also love taking photos and art. I do so much of both every week!
Wish you a great day and take good care.

Reply
Adam gill link
10/30/2021 06:21:28 am

Really love this.. thanks for share this information.

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Erika Lancaster link
11/4/2021 07:06:04 pm

Hey, Adam!
Thanks so much for checking out this post.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Wish you a lovely day and take good care. :)

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John Paul link
11/10/2021 12:37:58 am

Wow. That’s really amazing! Thank you for sharing this useful information with us.

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Erika Lancaster link
1/12/2022 03:53:55 pm

Hi, John!
Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. :)
Glad you enjoyed this one.

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12/17/2021 03:30:41 am

Hey,
Really nice post. Thanks for sharing with us..

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Erika Lancaster link
1/12/2022 03:54:30 pm

Hi!
Thanks so much for checking this one out.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Have a great day and take good care!

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12/20/2021 02:44:37 am

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Erika Lancaster link
1/12/2022 03:55:36 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for reading and taking time to leave a comment. :)
Glad to hear you're enjoying what I'm sharing!
Have a great day and take good care.

Reply
Stephen Hughes link
1/11/2022 01:58:08 am

This information has been very helpful, thanks for sharing this post

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Erika Lancaster link
1/12/2022 03:56:55 pm

Hi, Stephen!
Thanks so much for reading.
Glad to hear you found this one helpful.
Have a great day and take good care!

Reply
John Smith link
2/22/2022 03:54:32 am

Such a great post it was. Thanks a lot for sharing it!

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Erika Lancaster link
2/22/2022 09:48:50 am

Hey, John!
Thanks so much for checking this one out!
So glad to hear you liked it.
Wish you a lovely day. :)

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MckinneyVia link
2/28/2022 01:23:43 am

Very much appreciated. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting!

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Erika Lancaster link
3/1/2022 10:35:07 am

Hey, there!
Will do. :) Thanks so much for checking this one out.
Glad it was helpful.
Have a great day and take good care.

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3/6/2022 09:55:19 pm

All photos look very attractive, but I am also interested in art. It is especially useful for those students who are completing their degrees in Fine Art

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Erika Lancaster link
3/9/2022 10:19:29 am

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for checking this one out. :)
I'm glad to hear you're interested in art!
I wanted to share this post because, as a professional artist myself, I'm constantly taking photos, for a variety of different reasons. Not only to expand my reference photo library, but also to create prints, to add new works to my portfolio, and for marketing purposes.
I think, as artists, it's important to know at least basic photography.

Reply
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3/29/2022 03:23:59 am

I would like to add one more tip which is If it's sunny outside, utilize two exposures: one for sunshine and one for shadow. By pushing and holding the shutter release midway, you can lock the exposure on most automated small cameras. Before finishing the press, point to a shadow region, press halfway, and travel to the chosen scene. Alternatively, utilize photo-editing software to bring out detail in both the shadows and the highlights.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
7/27/2022 12:42:37 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for sharing with us!
It is much appreciated. :)
Wish you a lovely day.

Reply
Tex Hooper link
4/5/2022 04:52:29 pm

I appreciate what you said about making sure you keep the color accurate. That makes sense that it would be distorted by computer screens. I'll have to consider making sure I adjust the gradient.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
4/12/2022 09:01:34 am

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. :)
Have a lovely day and take good care.

Reply
Steven Johnson link
4/28/2022 02:48:10 am

Hey! Thanks for this great post! It's very helpful and interesting! Have a nice day!

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Erika Lancaster link
6/14/2022 09:27:56 am

Hey, Steven!
Glad to hear the post was helpful.
Thanks so much for reading.
Have a lovely day!

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6/11/2022 11:36:02 am

Very useful for me, as it contains lot of information.

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Erika Lancaster link
6/14/2022 09:28:27 am

Hey, there!
Thanks so much for reading.
Hope you're having a lovely day.

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Shop Gadgets Now link
6/13/2022 05:36:05 am

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it in my lunch time. Will surely come and visit this blog more often. Thanks for sharing.

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Erika Lancaster link
6/14/2022 09:29:05 am

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for checking this one out.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Wish you a great rest of your day.

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John smith link
7/18/2022 05:57:56 am

I really love this art

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Erika Lancaster link
7/27/2022 12:43:13 pm

Hey, there!
Thanks so much. Glad you're enjoying it. :)
Have a great day and thanks for dropping by.

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8/16/2022 01:13:51 pm

1. Make sure you have plenty of light. Natural light is best, but you can also use artificial light.

2. Use a tripod if you can. This will help you keep the camera steady and avoid blurry photos.

3. Use a high resolution setting on your camera. This will help you capture all the details in the artwork.

4. Make sure the artwork is in focus. You may need to adjust the aperture or shutter speed to get a clear photo.

5. Take multiple photos from different angles. This will give you more options to choose from when you're editing.

6. Edit your photos to bring out the best in the artwork. Use photo editing software to crop, adjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
8/19/2022 10:33:48 am

Thanks for reading and leaving your valuable comment!

Reply
Slope Unblocked link
12/27/2022 09:37:32 pm

I think I found what I needed, thanks for the post

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Erika Lancaster link
1/3/2023 12:19:16 pm

Hi, there!
Thanks for reading.
Glad it was helpful!

Reply
New York Storyboards link
1/3/2023 01:05:24 pm

Though the amount of detail rendered will be entirely up to you and your particular art style, you want to have the option of adding in intricacies as needed and be able to zoom in whenever necessary. Thank you for the beautiful post!

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
1/12/2023 03:48:20 pm

Thanks so much for reading!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Wish you a lovely day. :)

Reply
Jennifer Taylor link
2/2/2023 10:37:21 pm

I agree 100% I kind of slipped away from taking photos of the subjects I am drawn to and noticed how much my joy had slipped away. Thank you so much for this article! I loved it.

Reply
Erika Lancaster link
2/15/2023 09:11:28 am

Hi, Jennifer!
Thanks so much for reading and taking time to leave your valuable comment.
I'm glad this one inspired you to continue taking your own original photos!
Enjoy your art practice. :)

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Srislaw Group link
2/14/2023 08:42:38 pm

Hi, Thank you for sharing this article. It is very useful for me and very easy to understand. It was very Knowledgeable. Good Job.

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Erika Lancaster link
2/15/2023 09:12:00 am

Hi, there!
Thanks so much for reading.
Glad it was helpful!
Wish you a great day and enjoy your art practice. :)

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robbers alice
2/15/2023 11:39:55 am

I didn’t have any expectations concerning that title, but the more I was astonished. The author did a great job. I spent a few minutes reading and checking the facts. Everything is very clear and understandable. I like posts that fill in your knowledge gaps. This one is of the sort.

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Trendingindeals link
3/10/2023 01:43:05 am

Taking your own art reference photos can be a great way to capture inspiration for your art pieces. It's important to keep in mind the lighting, angle, and type of photo you want to take. Here are a few steps to help you get started:

1. Find a subject: Decide on the type of subject you want to capture with your photo. It could be a landscape, a person, an animal, or something else.

2. Choose a setting: Choose the right background and location to make your photo stand out. Consider the lighting, colors, and other elements that could make your photo more interesting.

3. Take multiple shots: It's important to take multiple shots of your subject from different angles, with different lighting, and with different depths of field. This will give you more options when you begin to create your artwork.

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Erika Lancaster link
3/14/2023 07:58:53 am

Thanks!

Reply



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