This Creative Drawing Exercise Will Change How You Use References

This drawing exercise is perfect for artists who are looking to break out of their comfort zones and get better at imaginative drawing using basic references. Give it a try!

✅ Digital Painting with Bobby Chiu
✅ Speed Sketching Animals with Bobby Chiu
✅ Fundamentals of Expressive Character Design with Wouter Tulp
✅ Character Design & Costuming for Games with Alexandria Neonakis
✅ Visual Development Step by Step with Sylvain Marc
✅ Environment Design Workout with Nathan Fowkes
✅ Creating a Gallery Show with Nathan Fowkes
✅ Storyboarding for Feature Animation with Alessandra Sorrentino
✅ Painting in Procreate & Animation in LumaFusion with Nikolai Lockertsen
✅ Book Illustration with Marie-Alice Harel
✅ Foolproof Concept Painting with Airi Pan
✅ Felines with Terryl Whitlatch
...and more!

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[therealjoal]

Ok, that working on low contrast tones in the early part so the piece still feels adjustable or workable is a revelation to me. Thanks for putting up free content fpr those of us who cant pay for your lessons.

[flamake]

Bobby just showed how the brain works during dreaming/imagining - combining silhouetes from memories, adding colors and adjusting to scenarios. If some day there is a device, which can extract recordings from our brains during sleep - the result will be pretty much like the process in this video. And this is the blessing of the creative artists - their brains can transfer their literal functioning to the canvas - and this is how the artists draw abstract fantasies. In fact this is what we all have within our cognitive activity. But only people like Bobby can recreate it in the real world. And this is why the great artists will never be replaced by AI - the computer will always have a clear vision of what it wants to achieve. No random glimpses of a masterpiece genius, no feelings that something isn't quite right and needs to be changed. Only the human brain is capable to not know what it wants, but when it sees it to say "That is what I wanted"!

[linzertube]

Bobby, your drawings have warmth and your characters have depth. It feels like your characters have lived and suffered. There’s a knowing in their eyes, and, you draw imperfections and wear on their bodies and clothing but, you temper that with utterly adorable expressions, like on this rider. The flamingo-raptor-type creature also has intelligence and humour in his expression.
I like your work a lot.👏🤩

[viktortitov]

Really cool exercise Bobby ! you are great

[Gashren]

This is awesome piece of advice! Thank you!

[sahilsen]

Really enjoyed this practical way to incorporate reference with clear intention into my work. Thanks

[darkvvulf]

I appreciate how succinct this video is while still packed with some great thoughts

[benwazo]

Cool creative and fun way to use reference! And coloring progressively from dark to higher contrast thats such a good tip, thanks!

[evikapitali]

Very beautiful art piece and that's the way to go about references. Bobby is giving great example!

[brunomedeiros]

Bobby, i would love to play a fantasy adventure/exploration game with those awesome characters and creatures you create and thank you for the hints!

[heshankolitha]

what a great video to start the day with. Thank you Bobby

[borysencos]

Thank you so much for sharing your thought process! It makes me understand and analyze everything so much more!

[nicoleferris]

Wonderful information, thank you Bobby!

[Leonsjourney]

This was great, Bobby - Thank you for the insight. I love simple yet, super effective exercises like this.

[fictionvision]

Really valuable tips in this video. Thanks for sharing!

[hudaambani]

I like your way of drawing, it is an inspiration

[jamtronart]

Thx for sharing process and great advice :)

[commonwunder]

Whatever it is that you've created, if it were real... it would fall over.

[dimifisher]

I love this, usually i tend to be somewhere in the middle, i will use reference if i believe i need it for inspiration or anything, but sometimes i may not use anything at all which i don't think is bad either