How To Evolve From Study To Your Art

In 2020 I wrote a post about this in which I used the same reference first for a study and later for an illustration. More about that here. Back then I was taking my first steps out of painting using references and into illustration. Today I want to share my perspectives five years later.

I see many of you practicing on a daily basis, and that's great news! Soon you will want to use those new skills to create something that feels fully yours, but before that, I want you to try this:

Adjusting Your Practices

Pick a reference and make slight changes in one of the different phases of your execution. My process is split into drawing or painting the fundamental big shapes in a composition, then adding colors, and then values, which are shadows and light to create three-dimensional volume. In that sense, this is how I recommend you approach each phase:

• If it's drawing, make small adjustments to the shapes and reduce the amount of information the reference has. Keep only the big shapes. If you are targeting human anatomy, adjust the gesture. If it's objects or scenarios, change the perspective, either from a different height or a lateral view. Remember to keep these shapes as simple as possible at first; then you can go into detail. In here you will find a simple example.

• If it's values, change the direction of the light source, perhaps add a new light. Try to keep it black and white. This might help you gain a more rounded understanding of shape volume so you can later apply it in your sketches. Like the example below, it is not necessary for your render to be high quality. Your goal should be to define the shadow shape silhouette and the shape volume. In here you will find a simple example.

• If it's color, consider changing the light source color. Perhaps if it's sunlight, try the same reference with moonlight or at sunset, so you can play with warm and cold palette combinations. If the light is artificial, play with a more saturated version of each color. Your challenge will be to understand how the base color and the light can change the shadow tones as well as the highlighted spots of your subject. In here you will find a simple example

Emphasis on "small adjustments" as you are taking your first steps into understanding the complexity of reality. Eventually, you will make a low-resolution version of the real world, but that's key, as you are choosing to build with your skills what you find valuable in it. That is style.

Don't quit the references just yet. Start from this small step and gradually increase the amount of information you change in your reference practice.

Here are some other articles that might interest you:

How I Pick References for Study!

Tips for Studying Full-Body References - Anatomy!

Just 3 References Helped Me Complete 'Casino' Art in Minutes - Process Video & File Inside

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