03/04/2023
You have a great talent - love 💕 your art
📷 Choosing Your Reference Photograph 📷
Being able to create a lovely drawing is very much dependent on a good quality reference photograph. There are a few considerations to have when providing a photograph for drawing which I will outline below:
Content
The first question to ask is whether the photograph accurately shows the animal. This may be their structure, their colouring, their character, anything that makes them ‘them’. If I do not know the animal I only have the photograph to base the drawing on, therefore the drawing needs to be a as close to a true representation of the animal as possible. The photo needs to include, as a minimum, the animals entire head (including ears!), shoulders and chest.
Do not aim for the perfect background to the photograph, after all, this will not be included in the drawing.
Eyes
To me, the part of the drawing which really makes the artwork come to life is the eyes. Please ensure within the photograph the animals eyes are as clear as possible. Reflections in the eyes are perfectly fine and, I think, add to the realism.
Clarity/Quality
In order to draw a realistic portrait I need to see the pattern of the fur. This is because the subtle changes in the fur direction usually follows the skeleton and anatomy of the animal. If this is not drawn correctly the animal will look the wrong shape. If the photograph is blurry (out of focus), shadowy, zoomed in or taken on a low quality camera it is unlikely I will be able to see the detail. ‘Screen captures’ are generally not sufficiently clear for a drawing. Likewise, photographs which have been uploaded to Facebook (or other social media) are generally compressed for ease of upload which impacts their sharpness. You can test this yourself by checking whether you can see the fur direction, even in darkest/lightest areas, before sending it across.
Perspective
The photograph should be take ideally at eye level with the animal. Drawings looking up or down at the animal, whilst exceptionally cute on the photograph, often do not look correct on a drawing.
The animal does not however need to be looking at the camera, in fact it is often easier to create depth if the animal is looking just over your (the photographers) shoulder.
Less Than Ideal Photographs
I appreciate there will be times where a drawing needs to be created from less than ideal images. In this situation I will do my best to use the photograph(s) provides, however I may need to take inspiration from other photographs of other similar animals to try and create a clear drawing. This will be discussed with you at the time of the need arises.
Copyright
If you wish to have a drawing created based upon a photograph taken by someone else (professional or not) I will require their written authority to use their photograph. This doesn’t have to be lengthy or complicated, just a message from them to say they are aware of the request to draw the photograph, that they are happy for this to happen free of charge from them. I always retain the copyright and reproduction rights to my artwork. No drawing of mine may be copied, reproduced or published without my written consent. The photographer must confirm they are happy for Donna Louise Drawings to own and use the original photograph and resulting drawing in promotional material.
If in doubt please feel free to send me a message and we can discuss further.
Sending Photographs
I would appreciate if you could send photographs by email to me at [email protected] . Please ensure these are sent at maximum resolution.
