Photo-referencing

Artists choose a reference photo that usually aids in providing direction where creativity is lacking.

To avoid copyright, either changing the reference in noticeable ways or finding copyright-free photos is key.

In the comic book industry, photo-referencing is criticized by some as a technique used to disguise the weakness of the artist's technical capability.

Award-winning comic creator Alison Bechdel[3] also uses extensive photo reference, frequently photographing herself in the poses of the characters she draws in order to convey body language accurately.

It is even useful when trying to simply improve skills Artists who have been accused of excessive photo-referencing by their critics include Greg Land and Alex Ross, though others defend the quality of their work.