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This article was reviewed by Jeanine Hattas Wilson. Jeanine Hattas Wilson is a Professional Painter and the President of Hattas Public Murals, Inc. With nearly 20 years of experience, Jeanine specializes in creating, overseeing, designing, and painting murals. Jeanine holds a BA in Advertising from Marquette University and a Studio Painting Minor from The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. She has studied at The Atelier Artien in Paris, France, Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, and under renowned artists such as Robert Liberace, Michael Siegel, and William Cochran. To date, Hattas Public Murals has painted nearly 5,000 commissioned works of art in homes and commercial and public spaces.
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If you want to draw something on paper, you don't have to have it completely visualized and worked out in your head. Instead, you can have a general concept of what you want or a few ideas about certain elements of what you visualize, then photograph a similar scene and use the image(s) to help you create a wonderful piece of art.
Steps
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Determine how you will use your photo. Some options are:
- Duplicating the photograph using visual tracing.
- Referencing the photo for shapes, shadows, visual texture, light direction, etc.
- Picking out elements whereby you use only a part of the image for reference or tracing.
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Develop an idea of what you want your end result to be. You might end up using Photoshop for manipulation or wanting to create your own reference photos.Advertisement
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Sketch it out on paper or on a tablet. It doesn't have to be pretty, but you will want to take into consideration the following:
- Direction of light in relation to the subject
- Direction, quality, and color of light
- Your subject and the subject's motions (if any)
- Your subject's pose
- Composition of the shot (or shots)
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Know ahead of times the basic shots that you will need. As your project evolves, you will find yourself needing more shots (or different ones).
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Take your photo. They don't have to be perfect. These are reference photos, after all.
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Keep your work tilted towards you. Use something like a drafting and drawing table. This will lessen the chance that your work will be distorted.
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Keep your photograph close to where you will be referencing it. That means working directly beside it. This will also keep your eyes level when moving from your reference photo to your sketch.
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Pay attention and focus on your work. While drawing, place your finger on the reference photo where you are sketching it on the paper.
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Take your time. Make sure that your finger stays on the photo where you are sketching on the paper.
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Use straight lines and angles in your work. Breaking your image down into a grid with horizontal and vertical lines can really simplify your work.
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
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To learn how to draw portraits, get in front of a mirror. Alternatively, use yourself as a reference photo.Thanks
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Use what you got. To practice reflections and shadows, use something in the house with reflections and shadows, photograph it, and sketch it.Thanks
Warnings
- It's very easy to simply duplicate your photograph in your sketch. Be aware of this issue and do what you can to avoid it.Thanks
References
- https://www.creativebloq.com/illustration/how-use-reference-photos-your-work-11618977
- https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/drawing/how-to-view-your-photo-reference-for-accurate-drawings/
- https://claralieu.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/ask-the-art-professor-when-and-how-you-should-use-photo-references-to-draw-2/
- https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-draw-creatively-using-photo-references--cms-26310
- https://www.creativebloq.com/how-to/how-to-use-reference-correctly-8-essential-tips
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