Drawing References and Resources

If you want to add depth and realism to your drawings, lighting is something you have to pay attention to. This simple reference guide will give you a basic idea of how to add lighting and shadows to your drawings.

A useful reference guide containing tips and guides about drawing a perspective image of the human hand. If you've always wanted to master the art of drawing the hand at different angles, this tutorial is for you.

A collection of sketches that will teach you how to draw a wide range of poses. The point of this reference image is to develop the ability to "see through the figure and find the placement of the rib cage and the relationship with the hips".

A useful resource if you're someone who wants a simple way to find the right skin tone when painting human subjects. You can use the Photoshop color drop tool to select the skin tone you want and apply it to your portraits as needed.

A useful reference guide for any artist who wants to learn about the basics of drawing eyes on Asian and Caucasian subjects. Of course, you can apply these techniques to any of your projects requiring detailed eye drawing.

Keep this reference guide handy whenever you decide to draw full body portraits. It contains some useful tips and guides about drawing a proportional human anatomy from toddler to adult.

A reference guide with useful tips about drawing facial features on your character features. It shows you how to place features on the face, draw  facial features attributed to different ethnic groups, and define facial shapes.

This reference guide shows you how to add the effect of flexibility on your drawings. This is probably one of the most detailed guides you'll come across. Check it out!

Use the reference guide to find out the techniques involved in drawing an arm as it swings towards the viewer. This is also a useful guide for anyone who wants to learn more about the anatomy of the forearms and hands.

Mastering the art of perspective can be challenging for any beginner artist. However, just like with anything else, practice makes perfect. This comprehensive reference guide contains a bunch of useful tips that will help you understand how to add perspective to all of your drawings.

This reference guide is for anyone looking for a simple guide about drawing proportional female body shapes. It covers all body shapes from the hourglass, to pear, to the bell, and even cello. Click on the image to find out more.

Body language is one of the hardest things to draw. This reference guide does a good job of explaining some of the key concepts you need to understand if you want to add body language to your drawings. Click on the link to take a look.

This amazing collection of free photoshop brushes will bring added flexibility to your graphic design projects. Not only do you get them for free, but you also get a fairly detailed explanation about the different situations you can use each brush in.

Becoming proficient at Adobe Illustrator will not only help you create better designs, but also elevate your skills as a graphic designer. This comprehensive article covers the tools and shortcuts you need to know in order to become an Adobe Illustrator wiz. Check it out!

Use this proportions reference guide to determine how to add muscle definition to the female body. The reference guide assumes an ideal proportion, so you can also use the measurement guides when drawing the female anatomy in general.

A collection of doodles you can use to practice your anatomy drawing. It contains sketches of various poses, body structures, hand gestures, and facial orientations.

This reference guide clarifies the concept of drawing realistic legs and feet. The guide comes with tons of information and diagrams that walk you through the learning process. This is a very useful resource for any artist.

An interesting collection of character poses you can use as reference for your own drawings.

A comprehensive reference guide that explains every aspect of drawing human features. It includes features such as hair pigment, eyebrow shapes, hairline shapes, skin tones, eye color, and several other common features you'll need to draw often.

In order to draw the human hands, an artist must be able to look at the hands as a series of basic shapes and lines. This reference guide does an extremely good job of describing the features of the human hand and provides tips you can follow to get the right shape and form to your hand drawings.

This reference guide is for anyone in need of a straight to the point guide that covers both basic and advanced topics about the anatomy. Whether you're an art student or professional artist, this guide will help improve your anatomy drawings noticeably.

Use this reference guide if you want to learn how to make your drawings look more accurate. The guide emphasizes the importance of making drafts or guidelines so that you can  get a better idea of what you're doing and check whether the object you're drawing looks proportional.

So, you finally found a reference image you want to draw -- but still have no idea how you're going to transform that image into a decent looking painting? If you ever find yourself in that situation, just make sure you have this guide somewhere close by. It explains everything you need to know.