Reference Drawing?

[LoveLucario]

Ok i've been wondering is it easy for you to just pick up a pencil and look at the thing and draw it. Does it take any skill at all? That's how i draw all my pictures and I'm happy when I finish drawing them but then I'm like oh, it's just a picture off the internet that I looked at and drew, anyone could do this if they sat down and wanted to. A few of my friend's think since it's a reference it doesn't really count since you knew what to draw. Do reference drawings count?
I just want to know.

[Sihk_Sketch]

Using a reference is perfectly fine. It's a common practice among artists.
It helps to improve your skills, you should try doing your own original works though.

But it is fine to use references.

[Kookymime]

Originally Posted by Zora_Knight

Using a reference is perfectly fine. It's a common practice among artists.
It helps to improve your skills, you should try doing your own original works though.

But it is fine to use references.

I couldn't agree more, most of my previous sketches were from references, and I got a lot better at drawing. Now most of my doodles shall I say, look rather good and come from my mind.

[JonnyHomicide]

I do a lot of reference drawing. There's nothing wrong with it. It still takes skill and practice.

[Papersak]

References are good and bad. Imo.

If you want to improve, using a heavy reference and copying it exactly to learn details of, say, a person's face is fine. I prefer to call it "cloning" but it's great for practice. *shrug*
Some artists clone a picture but make variations on color or add odd things to it. Which is lovely, but I'm not experienced in... artful art? ^^; Expressive art? Eh, Iono.

It does take skill even to clone, though. My teacher says it's good for "training your eye." I like unique pictures better, but you gotta start somewhere. Long as you learn something by doing do. Or as long as it's fun. :P

Cloning fanart is bad, though. Not that people do it around here, but it ticks me off on deviantART. :P So~ don't~ do it~ without permission and credit~

[Eiko]

i don,t do reference drawings anymore don,t need to doing your own is so much better.

[Heimerdinger]

The thing is, first you use this reference, and then you draw it again without the reference. Keep drawing and drawing and etc. And you get better. Eventually you won't need references at all :3

[Nintendogirl456]

I tend to do reference drawing every once in awhile. =P

[*Michelle*]

They count. It's good practice. I used to stink at drawing and I would do reference drawings until I could the hang of it. Once you get really good at technique doing reference drawings try your own work. =) It counts though, it takes skill not everyone can do it.

[lolwut]

I think it's boring. My sister does it a lot, she's great at it but fails to use her imagination to think up something unique.

'Reference Drawing' as you call it destroys an artist's imagination.