learning how to draw w out references

[Anonymous No.2052234]

I think my art is fine but that's only if I have a reference in front of me so I really wanna get rid of this bad habit.
I just wanted to know if there were any other things you guys do to practice your understanding of anatomy and whatnot, or if there were any books/sites you would suggest.
The only practice I do when it comes to no refs is just really weird poses. helpme.

[Anonymous No.2052236]

>I think my art is fine but that's only if I have a reference in front of me so I really wanna get rid of this bad habit.

I don't know where you got this idea that it's a bad habit. What the fuck are you smoking?

Use references.

I bet you're confusing 'using a reference' with 'copying a photo', which is not the same thing at all.

[Anonymous No.2052243]

There is a distinct difference between using references, and doing "studies".
If the only way you can create art is by copying entirely what you see, you have a problem

It's perfectly okay to look up "muscles of the shoulder" on google and use the images to help you understand how to construct your own.

Honestly. I spent a lot of time drawing without any help. If you have a good foundation, in which I mean, knowledge of muscle structure, you can create stylized images of what you already know without any reference.

It's good to be able to do both, but if you're drawing something more complex/unfamiliar, there's no reason not to use the resources at your disposal.

[Anonymous No.2052248]

I just want to be able to draw w out having to constantly rely on a reference.

[Anonymous No.2052267]

>>2052248
I know this feeling, because this was my idea of "being good at art" when I first started too.

But know this is a bad idea to set as your "end game standard" so to speak, because to do so requires a true mastery skill level of art.

Be okay with studying the fuck out of anatomy for YEARS using references and maybe a few years down the road you'll have learned so much from references and real life drawing that you can intuitively know how every part of the human body connects and the many layers to it. Cause only then can you draw from scratch ANY person you can think of in ANY pose you can think of.

[Anonymous No.2052269]

>>2052234

You need to use references to get to the point where you can finally do without. That's why there are studies. The point of them is building your mental visual library so you can eventually do without while learning and gaining a legit understand of and confidence on the subject matter.

[Anonymous No.2052327]

>>2052234

>try and fail
>repeat

that's it.

[Anonymous No.2052340]

>artist using reference
>bad habit

you haven't been doing this for very long, have you?

[Anonymous No.2052348]

>>2052340

There's a difference between using references and being a slave to the reference.

[Anonymous No.2052407]

>>2052234

learn the principal skeleton bones, every muscle, use ecorchés or anatomy books to learn the superficial ones. draw them in generic poses like the normal front back pose used in anatomy books.
when you look at pictures now, muscle shapes will make more sense to you and you will know what it looks like under the skin. analyze it, do not copy it, put the reference away and try to reproduce the pose. start with the basic skeleton bones or gesture lines, then construct your body muscles. once you finish your sketch take back the picture and see what you drew vs what you see, put the reference away and do it again. keep at it using different references.

people on ic will probably keep talking about lifedrawing or reproducing references, it's not needed, it's boring as fuck and not time efficient. worked for me, should work for you.

[Anonymous No.2052427]

>>2052348

>http://muddycolors.blogspot.de/2015/04/trailer-park-fae-behind-scenes.html

>spend all that time and money hiring a model and taking elaborately set up reference fotos

>produce a shitty piece of utterly mediocre art that wouldn't require any halfway serious artist any reference

all of my why.jpeg

[Anonymous No.2052832]

>>2052234
Draw without reference, force yourself to draw in your head BEFORE actually drawing.
Then search refs/cheatsheets/other artists' stuff and fix things.
Repeat.

[Anonymous No.2052845]

>>2052348
Disgusting

[Anonymous No.2052851]

>>2052832
>Draw without reference, force yourself to draw in your head BEFORE actually drawing.
>Then search refs/cheatsheets/other artists' stuff and fix things.

what kind of backwards workflow is this? Searching references BEFORE doing the actual drawing is more efficient than frustrating yourself trying to draw something you are having a hard time conceptualizing. Fixing your work without critique usually adds even more problems.

[Anonymous No.2052852]

>>2052234
Do study. Then try to do if again from memory.
Do a mirror study. drawing essentialy the same thing, but mirrored.

[Anonymous No.2052858]

>>2052832

This