Reference or Cheating? Brunswick Cats (Original Comic)
Since the dawn of time, man has argued the question without end: “At what point does the use of photo reference become cheating?” I am exploring this polarizing mystery in a side project, a 2-page story as part of Squishface Studio’s upcoming comic anthology, the theme of which is Brunswick, its suburb of locale. I compiled a bunch of photos of the area (kindly donated by Squishface head statesman Ben Hutchings), as seen on page 1, below.
With this rough layout in place, I’ve used masks to segregate the photos and to create clarity and flow.
Next step is putting them into a folder, to which I apply a desaturation filter and lower the opacity.
Next stage, drawing directly over the top. That’s cheating though, right? I could argue that I still make artistic choices in which lines to use, and how to draw them. If this were the last stage of the process, then yes, it would be cheating. But I’m not finished yet. The next stage is to print these pages out and ink over the top, further pushing this into something resembling my own style. In the meantime, I’m learning a lot by this sort of extended street study. All the little bits and pieces that comprise buildings, street signs, light poles, add to my visual library. It’s plein air painting for lazy digital people.
What do you think? Reference or cheating?
It's called "using what resources are available to get the job done" XD I have a bit of a short fuse for people who scream about how it's cheating if you don't draw it from scratch. But then again I've ignored people in the past who claim that using a computer is cheating because the computer does it all for you XD
ps - forgot the most important part of the comment: the result is quite nice!
I'm definitely seeing the advantage of going this route, which is still fairly new for me. There are a lot of perks! Thanks for the comments
Most definitely! I am not brilliant at humans or perspective so I tend to "cheat" a lot XD If I didn't have my 3d building blocks to play with I don't think I'd ever get anything done in a reasonable amount of time.
Oh one other thing I forgot to mention in the previous comment, it's a good idea to cite your sources at least on your blogs/sites if you can't in the finished product :)
Good point, and definitely I would if I were using other people's work as reference, but these are all amateur photographs taken by a friend of mine. Certainly saves time!
It is tracing. It is what it is, after you trace you edit and still are creating from there, so as long as the art is not what you traced and nothing more, it isn't cheating. I think the term comic artists use is "swiping" Greg Land does it
David Mack does it
Rob Liefeld has been "caught" referencing heavily things
It isn't exactly the equivalent of a rapper having a beat made from samples of other work, but it isn't exactly a straight up copy either, it's something in between I think.
I've heard about Greg Land (whose work I quite like but if it's all photo ref then whew- counterproductive). Rob Liefeld- in his case, I totally urge him to use reference. Particularly for anatomy. I remember reading his books in the 90s and thinking, great, I don't need to draw backgrounds at all. Agreed though, it's where I take the copied photos that decides how much the end result is my own work. Thanks for your thoughts and great reference- I'm not alone obviously in using photo "reference".
Greg Land is the worst, or the best, at this practice. There is full blogs dedicated to following the things he has traced. It is a weird blurry line that everyone is drawing in a difference place on where they stand or think on what is right or wrong. I try to not stigmatize the word tracing, and know that tracing to some pieces is just one step to completely one's art. But there is definitely something to be said about a personal style being lost depending on how heavily one traces to finish a piece. Also, I have no idea what the hell you are talking about with that rude Rob Liefeld comment, he just draws humans to their ultimate perfection:
Ha ha yes, I apologize, Rob Liefeld really understands the true potential of the human form. Magnificence!
Well you haven't given us the inked version so the jury's still out I guess! I think if the end result can be said to produce something new and "important", then it's not cheating. If "art" can be subsumed under "creation", then the only way to create is by making something original, in whole or in part.
Overall, a great insight into the mind of an artist, for folk like me who aren't artists!
Great comments. I'll unveil the process over a couple more posts, and you can judge for yourself. Thanks man!