Is It Really Okay For Artists To Use Reference Photos?
Reference photos are simply a collection of images used by artists for inspiration and as raw material to create their compositions from.
They are handy tools and a great resource for artists to work from.
When used as resource material, reference images can be of any living or inanimate object, place, animal, plant, or person.
Many artists prefer to look at the element or subject matter they wish to draw or paint, however, sometimes it just isn't feasible for them to do so.
This is when a reference photo comes in handy.
There are several reasons why an artist would want to use such images.
For one, a good reference photograph can take an artist to any location in the world without having to leave home.
Some artists simply do not have the means to travel to faraway or exotic places when they want to paint a particular place or location.
And for many other artists, it simply isn't possible to go out on location day after day with a canvas, easel, and paint box in tow.
Photographs make it easy for the painter to go anywhere and are a much more convenient way for them to paint or draw out on location without having to travel there and also brave the elements.
Resource images also allow the artist to capture and preserve the moment.
I know of an artist who was commissioned by an upscale seafood restaurant to do a painting for their main entrance.
He set up a still life using real fish and other sea food in the setting.
He then took a photograph of his composition to paint from.
I can only imagine what that fish would have smelled like after a few days of painting! The resource photo allowed him to work on his painting without having to worry about his props smelling fishy.
Another artist I know loves painting flowers, however, fresh flowers will start to fade after a few days.
She will take a picture of them that she can refer to while painting her flowers.
This image makes it possible for her to finish the painting with bright fresh looking flowers instead flowers that had faded and wilted.
In addition, reference pictures come in handy for the sheer convenience of them.
If an artist is painting from a live model, taking a photo of the pose will mean he or she can paint during the times when it is inconvenient for the model to be in the studio.
Many portrait artists often work this way.
As you can clearly see resource images are great tools for busy artists.
Although, there are some who scoff at the notion that an artist would ever use reference photographs to compose from.
They believe the appropriate way to do it is to make on-the-spot sketches when they go out on location.
While this may be the ideal way of working, the reality is many artists don't always have the time to make the necessary detailed drawings that would be required for studio work.
Ever since the camera was first invented, many famous painters whom you will recognize, have used photographs to paint from.
Such renown artists include Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Toulouse Lautrec, and Vincent Van Gogh, to name but a handful.
This puts you in very good company if you want to use reference photos too.
There are a number of places where you can find resource pictures to refer to while painting.
The most obvious (and most preferred) place is by taking these photographs yourself.
When you are the photographer you will never have to worry about copyright infringement.
Another source is old family photo albums.
Pictures of family vacations can be a great source for painting landscapes of places visited and also bring back many fond memories.
Another way to find reference pictures of what you want to paint or draw is to look for them on the internet, however, you must first get the photographer's permission to use them.
If you Google the term "reference photos for artists", you will find quite a few websites that have photos you can use for reference material.
In these sites, the photographer has granted permission to use their images.
Photo reference books for artists are also available for purchase at your local art store, bookstore or even online.
These images are copyright free as long as you use them according to the terms specified.
What about copyright? Any photo or illustration you find in books, magazines, newspapers and even on the internet is protected by copyright law.
If you use one of those images as resource material for a painting by copying it exactly and you do this without the permission of the copyright owner, then it is considered copyright infringement and that is illegal.
If you want use reference images in your works of art, you will need to: (1) obtain permission from the owner of the copyright.
(2) Use images that have become public domain.
An image becomes public domain when the copyright has run out.
This happens when the original creator has been dead for more than seventy years.
(3) Make significant changes to the reference image in order to create an original work of art.
The best way to use to reference photos is to have multiple images to work from.
For the best results you might prefer to use various elements from several different reference photos and combine them to create a new and interesting composition.
Feel free to take artistic license by repositioning the components in the different images to accomplish this.
When combining photographs be careful that the various elements in your painting are unified by making sure your light source, color temperature, value relationships and relative scale are consistent with each other.
They are handy tools and a great resource for artists to work from.
When used as resource material, reference images can be of any living or inanimate object, place, animal, plant, or person.
Many artists prefer to look at the element or subject matter they wish to draw or paint, however, sometimes it just isn't feasible for them to do so.
This is when a reference photo comes in handy.
There are several reasons why an artist would want to use such images.
For one, a good reference photograph can take an artist to any location in the world without having to leave home.
Some artists simply do not have the means to travel to faraway or exotic places when they want to paint a particular place or location.
And for many other artists, it simply isn't possible to go out on location day after day with a canvas, easel, and paint box in tow.
Photographs make it easy for the painter to go anywhere and are a much more convenient way for them to paint or draw out on location without having to travel there and also brave the elements.
Resource images also allow the artist to capture and preserve the moment.
I know of an artist who was commissioned by an upscale seafood restaurant to do a painting for their main entrance.
He set up a still life using real fish and other sea food in the setting.
He then took a photograph of his composition to paint from.
I can only imagine what that fish would have smelled like after a few days of painting! The resource photo allowed him to work on his painting without having to worry about his props smelling fishy.
Another artist I know loves painting flowers, however, fresh flowers will start to fade after a few days.
She will take a picture of them that she can refer to while painting her flowers.
This image makes it possible for her to finish the painting with bright fresh looking flowers instead flowers that had faded and wilted.
In addition, reference pictures come in handy for the sheer convenience of them.
If an artist is painting from a live model, taking a photo of the pose will mean he or she can paint during the times when it is inconvenient for the model to be in the studio.
Many portrait artists often work this way.
As you can clearly see resource images are great tools for busy artists.
Although, there are some who scoff at the notion that an artist would ever use reference photographs to compose from.
They believe the appropriate way to do it is to make on-the-spot sketches when they go out on location.
While this may be the ideal way of working, the reality is many artists don't always have the time to make the necessary detailed drawings that would be required for studio work.
Ever since the camera was first invented, many famous painters whom you will recognize, have used photographs to paint from.
Such renown artists include Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Toulouse Lautrec, and Vincent Van Gogh, to name but a handful.
This puts you in very good company if you want to use reference photos too.
There are a number of places where you can find resource pictures to refer to while painting.
The most obvious (and most preferred) place is by taking these photographs yourself.
When you are the photographer you will never have to worry about copyright infringement.
Another source is old family photo albums.
Pictures of family vacations can be a great source for painting landscapes of places visited and also bring back many fond memories.
Another way to find reference pictures of what you want to paint or draw is to look for them on the internet, however, you must first get the photographer's permission to use them.
If you Google the term "reference photos for artists", you will find quite a few websites that have photos you can use for reference material.
In these sites, the photographer has granted permission to use their images.
Photo reference books for artists are also available for purchase at your local art store, bookstore or even online.
These images are copyright free as long as you use them according to the terms specified.
What about copyright? Any photo or illustration you find in books, magazines, newspapers and even on the internet is protected by copyright law.
If you use one of those images as resource material for a painting by copying it exactly and you do this without the permission of the copyright owner, then it is considered copyright infringement and that is illegal.
If you want use reference images in your works of art, you will need to: (1) obtain permission from the owner of the copyright.
(2) Use images that have become public domain.
An image becomes public domain when the copyright has run out.
This happens when the original creator has been dead for more than seventy years.
(3) Make significant changes to the reference image in order to create an original work of art.
The best way to use to reference photos is to have multiple images to work from.
For the best results you might prefer to use various elements from several different reference photos and combine them to create a new and interesting composition.
Feel free to take artistic license by repositioning the components in the different images to accomplish this.
When combining photographs be careful that the various elements in your painting are unified by making sure your light source, color temperature, value relationships and relative scale are consistent with each other.