How do you like to look at reference while you draw?

[rajillustration]

Just curious because I always feel like it's in the way but maybe I'm ready for a change? (I tend to just have mine on my phone nowadays or in a tiled window)

also a fun little poll, but feel free to chat about how you display your reference as you do your art. There's really no right or wrong way.

• on my phone
• on my tablet
• A Photoshop Art board
• I think procreate has an art board, too?
• I paste it inside my drawing document on another layer I can make invisible and then I accidentally draw on that layer all the time
• It's in a tiled window
• It's in my browser also open next to my program
• on a separate monitor
• I print it out
• I'm old school and I still have stacks of national Geographics and old calendars just for this purpose
• The ghost of JC Leyendecker will judge me if I don't paint from life.
• Reference!?

Vote now!Show results

[Black_Conscious]

For me it'll be either having the reference on a layer (which I am recently doing) or having the reference side by side from another tab with the program I am using to draw with ( this I still do, since sometimes I do not want to download the image heh )
but that's for Digital, traditionally I would just use the computer and look up any reference that I am looking for

All the other stuff I can't do lol either it might have to do with money wise or I have not practiced on doing that yet.. or something

[nathanKmcwilliams]

When I'm drawing traditionally I have the reference on my phone, when I'm drawing digitally it's pasted on a layer in the program.

[likhoradka]

I'll paste it on my canvas if I need to color grab - like rocks and stuff. Otherwise, I'll pop it open in a browser tab and possibly forget about it. This mostly happens with fashion refs. And then I'll wonder why I was looking up 1400s apparel.

[IndigoShirtProd]

It's usually open in my browser, but I flip between it and my drawing program. Even when I draw traditionally, I'm doing it front of a computer, so I'll have what ever I need to look at in front of me.

[allenT]

I like my references on paper, have some online photo reference printed into a small booklet. I also have many drawn references on papers, some are sticked onto my window blind. I don't always look at them much though, only when i forget about the details.

[Xentama]

It depends,
If it's a specific pose or color reference, then I paste it into the document.
but if it's like a character sheet or a generic animal pic I bring it up on my phone so I don't have to keep flipping it on and off.

[noenoh]

I wanted to select all of them xD and also add -since Im old school- my mirror or reference pics I take of me with a specific pose lol (sometimes I make my friends pose for me and take pics for reference) then I draw looking at them on my phone/tiled window?

[rajillustration]

Yo I can appreciate the window blind technique. I miss having a wall next to my computer to hang ref on.

[ChaiKat]

I use a program called PureRef and keep it locked on a small corner, about 25% or less of my monitor but I've gotten used to it (depends on yours and can be resized): https://www.pureref.com/

[rajillustration]

This is really cool! Thank you!

[Kaydreamer]

I usually draw on my iPad, and I'll have my reference up on my little MacBook, just off to the side. That way, I can easily eyeball it when I need it.

[ninjashira]

I usually have mine in a browser window on my other screen, though sometimes I'll pop it right onto my canvas and then promptly lose it when I need it again. I'll use Clip Studio's subview window for things I need to reference a lot, like character costumes, just so I don't need to have tons of windows open.

[TedGravesArt]

Depends. If it's a reference from an internet search, most of the time I'll just use the chrome window next to photoshop. If it's one of my design docs, I'll use the photo viewer. If it's an expression reference, I'll usually take a picture of myself and prop up my phone next to my tablet.

[LCT_m_a_d]

Whenever I can I usually prefer hard copy of reference, but mostly I just use my phone as an alternative. I guess it's more eco-friendly to collect digital.

[BarBarKetrab]

I usually look at references beforehand (be it from real life, other comics, illustrations or photographs) and then add necessary details from memory. I don't usually have reference images lying around me as I draw.

[joannekwan]

It depends!

If what I'm working on has a lot of negative space, I'll throw the reference into a new layer of my file (but god do I accidentally draw on that layer sometimes).

If I have a crowded composition, then I'll use a two-up vertical display so that both files appear side-by-side in photoshop while staying as separate files.

If the reference is simple and it's attached to an email/g-doc from a commission client, then I may be lazy and just jump from photoshop to my internet browser.

[vothnthorvaldson]

I generally open it as a reference window in my program (Artrage).
But also on a layer, on a different computer and I use paper references (including some old Nat Geo ).

[Utamee]

searching a reference is really take time. so depend where I found it. If I found it while browsing in my phone, well I just use phone. If in in the net, sometimes I download it and put it in window for reference view. (there's separate windows in csp for that.) But lately I'm too lazy to download everytime and my laptop full on bunch, so I just see it in the web browser, go and back to csp. lol. If I don't find it online. I also take a pic of myself do the pose. It's faster than googling around. If just hand, I just look my hand while drawing.

[elyss]

I like to trace the ref on a separate layer to 1, get an idea of how my hand should glow to do it freehand and 2 Find the lowest use of lines to achieve readability. I then draw it free hand for the actual piece.