Hey, MangaKid here! Sorry for the lack of posting xD
Ok so I want to talk about something that's been on my mind recently: Use of Reference Pics.
Be aware, this might be a long post... I feel like exploding right now *can't type fast enough*
Reference pics are very very helpful. But there's different ways to use them. I have a certain way I use my pics, so this is based on my theories.
This is gonna get messy at least for me... you ready??
~~~Views & Advice~~~
Reference pics provide us with an image that is not in our minds at the time. They're like the perfect model, you just need to have the hand-eye coordination to draw it all down.
Have you heard or even felt that using reference pics was cheating? I totally disagree with this concept unless you are literally tracing the image. I believe we all need to use reference picture once in a while (unless you're a genius).
Also, there are those people who go too far and do actually trace reference pics. This can help you practice, but no traced images should be advertised as anything but traced images (make sense?).
There's another group who uses reference pictures constantly... so constantly that they become utterly dependant on them. Hey hey, don't look at me!
REMEMBER Its never ok to redraw, copy, trace someone else's fan artwork/OCs and then call it your own creation!! Sure, its your artwork but not your original idea. Same goes with redrawing manga characters. Though I'm sure no one would believe you if you said you created Naruto.
But if you redraw a character off of a reference pic and you've given credit to the original creators (whether through a catagory choice or actual links), take pride in your re-drawings/fan art! Its great to be able to draw a character so well that people know who they are!
And then there's that sweet middle of the road based on my theory. Its good to use reference pics, especially when you're beginning or learning something new. You wanna draw manga/anime? Look at manga and draw manga.
Now this is interesting... People use reference pictures without thinking. All painters usually do landscapes while looking at an actual scene. Thats referencing right? What about all those portrait artists who painted people's faces? Its reference pictures with a different meaning in my opinion. Its the first time drawn and if you redraw it, you're not the original artist. Using reference pictures (especially off of artwork) almost always put you in the place of second artist.
Tips to remember:
- Using more then one reference picture will help. It broadens the
- Using small reference pictures also is a HUGE must in my opinion. Bigger images might have more detail but you can get overwhelmed.
- Make sure you're not 'attached' to that reference pic. So if you lose it, its not the end of the world ok? Getting so attached to it won't allow your own creative spirit to flow. You want to be tough on yourself to make sure your get everything perfect, but you also want to let up and change things your own way.
- Never redraw or copy someone else work without permission and NEVER CALL IT YOUR OWN ART OR CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL IDEA!
-To make sure your own style and creativity can breathe, make sure to take breaks from referencing and not be so stiff with the pics.
Whether you're redrawing a fan character or drawing a different character based on a pose, remember these tips!
~~~My Story~~~
I started out drawing anime/manga for about 3 months without reference pics. Yes, I did believe it was cheating at one point x3 Then I drew my first fan art: a picture of Ryoma from Prince of Tennis.
I felt like I betrayed myself!
I found theO and I cannot believe how grateful I am that I joined you all here and kept using reference pics^^
My point is that the first fan art I drew didn't just help me find theO but also let me open up my skill. In my opinion, improvement is inevitable when you begin using reference pics (and start viewing other peoples' artwork while giving/getting feedback).
I think its alright to totally rely on reference pics at first. To be able to copy things and learn them really helps.
My little 8 year old bro just recently drew a picture of Yotsuba and now he's jumped ahead a couple levels in his artwork. He's drawing eyes just like Yotsuba now, without even using more reference pics. It just took one.
Its like something clicks in our brains and we immediately know how to do it after trying a couple of times... just like a baby imitating its parents. Its how we learn.
And I believe using reference pics help you stand and grow even more then those 'how-to draw' books do. Besides, if you're focused on drawing like the pros, why settle for anything less then actual manga?
But in my story, after finally racking up some fan arts and learning a lot, I became addicted to using reference pictures. Even if I wasn't constantly using them, I felt uncomfortable without a reference picture near me. I couldn't apply anything i learnt to my own drawings and style. My own style was actually getting mixed up in all those other manga styles I had used. Thats when reference pics can hurt... Don't depend that much on them. (Thats another reason small pics and mutiple pics can help out^^)
The only cure for that is to make sure you do some separate doodles and practice your own style. make sure you have an image in your head before starting. Also, you could try to look at a reference pic and then hide it until you need another peek. That way, your brain has to do its side of the job too.
I've planning on starting a new manga and its my dream to be able to write some good stories. Its a much bigger challenge because I'll have to move my characters around and think up my own poses. When reference pics make you scared of drawing your own ideas, its time to ration your reference pic use.
~~~Examples~~~
The picture above is a couple examples of my art and the reference pics I've used. I don't like showing the pics side by side like this cuz it sorta degrades my artwork in a way *shot* xD
But as you can see, I've changed up some things. Its not exactly the same. I even have more reference pictures that I've used in different ways. Example: Sometimes a manga character can become a model for an OC, you take the pose but leave the characteristics. Our friend IyamiNaHamusutaa gave me a good tip about sketching the outlines of poses you like into a sketch book and using them later on. that way, if you've run out of ideas, you can pick up a pose in the sketch book without getting hindered from the manga style.
~~~More Points on Use~~~
Now I've probably confused you already by wandering all over the place xD But here's a couple tips on improving with those reference pics.
At first it might be really hard and discouraging, especially when you compare both pictures ehh just take a look at my work.
The main problem comes in when you make ONE LITTLE MISTAKE somewhere. Its important to be loose with yourself but also critical at the same time. One mistake on the arm can lead to a mess up at the hand. One mistake on the nose can throw off the whole face.
Its super important to be able to keep your temper and patience xD You might need to go back and erase that whole arm, even though it looked amazing to you. You'll only improve if you can do that when working with reference images. Don't take the easy road. But at the same time, check out your other choices. If you don't like how the arm is positioned in the reference pic, change it. And if it really did look amazing the first time, get creative to problem solve ideas on how to incorporate that pose. Maybe change the whole expression if you want. This is when referencing doesn't become your crutch but becomes your staff.
Reference pics can help you with developing your style though too. Do you like a certain style or feature? How about add all those different aspects into one group to create your own style? Redrawing fan characters opens up all those features and teaches you how to use them. It really builds your confidence as well. Just be careful with relying too much on them and not growing.
Also, sometimes viewing the picture as shapes helps too. Instead of seeing a face, you can see a triangle between eyes and mouth with the nose in the middle. The hair on the forehead can create a grid that helps show where the eyes would be. The ears can lineup the whole face. The shoulders connect with the neck, which leads to the arms, and the hands drop right below the hips so you know where to start the legs and stop the arms, and this makes no sense. But thats the only way I can explain it. Grids and lines work, but make sure you start with a stable feature. The head usually works well. You don't want to start with the legs and accidentally make them too long cuz you don't know where to stop. If you start with the head+neck+shoulders, its easy to join the arms and torso and everything else.
With reference pics, you'll have a constant image in front of you to work off of. As I said before, that helps and hurts. Use it in a way that you can work with, without only depending on it (do I hear a broken record?). Its good to add your own features, especially when it comes to hair and fold in clothing. Its much easier and better to let yourself go free, put away the reference pic and start thinking for yourself when it comes to details like that. And slowly you might be able to start developing your own ideas. The reference pic gives you a push and then you can keep going.
Oh by the way, I'm talking on different levels here... Of course, if you're drawing a fan character or something, you'll definitely need reference pics if you've never seen that character of haven't memorized him/her. But when it comes to your own ideas, why not try drawing an original pose with a face of a manga character? Or maybe an OC based on an original manga character pose from your fave series? Its totally up to you! But you know, just don't depend on it so much that it hurts you in the end. Practice drawing your own characters/style away from reference pics once in a while too^^
Ah I can't think of anything else right now xD
I hope this made sense, didn't confuse you, and helped, if you were able to read through all of it^^' I'm probably not gonna be able to get on my laptop too much later on, but I'll get to your questions asap or you can PM me if you have anything to talk about!
-MangaKid :)
