Reference Photo Guide

Starting with a strong reference photo is so important for ensuring the finished painting is as vibrant and realistic as possible!

See my all-black dog below? I am oh-too-familiar with how difficult it is to get a high quality photo of her with so many turning out as just dark blurs. These two images give good examples of which kinds of photos are best for an art reference… and which ones, not so much.

Yes!

✅Outside on a sunny day
✅Strongly defined light and shadow areas on the face
✅High resolution
✅Clear definition of fur textures
✅Details of eyes very clear