i'm still not sure if this is a good idea. no really, turn back now. rest those eyes. it's probably for the best.
here are a few examples of how i use photo references for my illustrations. a few years ago, it was a major part of my approach to painting. i have now found a happy medium & don't depend on them as much, but i still consider it an important step to illustrating.
my last picture book "bedtime at the swamp" did not have as many photo refs. but the one I am currently doing "abc baseball" has a ton of them, mostly to keep my art consistent with the sport.
so here goes. aw geez...
it's hard to tell, but i was actually upset when this pic was shot. why? because the photographer couldn't stop laughing & kept ruining the shot.
my mvp did some great poses here. this was a nice photo "backbone" to rest my illustration upon. i still think this is the best cover from the series so far.
speaking of great poses. an awesome job by a buddy posing for the whole book. all it took was payment in the form of a BLT sandwich. best investment on deli meat i've ever had. hands down.
since he did such an excellent job, why not show another one? the guy really worked hard for that sandwich.
and the coup de grace. told ya i used to work hard for my photo refs. my li'l bro was also stellar doing impromptu clutch work as the boxing manager.
so, there it is. obviously, there's more, but why prolong the pain?
8 comments:
MACKY--Thanks for this post...totally fascinating!!! And hey...47 more days 'till BATS. Cool! So lucky to have you illustrate it.
hi kristyn. glad you enjoyed it.
still 47 more days? wish i could see the book in stores tomorrow! like you, i'm excited.
you did an awesome job creating that world for me to illustrate.
Beautiful paintings! Photo refs are a good thing! The more we know about our subjects the better! Very cool!
these are great mac. thanks for sharing your process.
hi joseph -
thanks for the comment. i agree.
it also helps getting involved with the story behind the illustration & characters. made up or not.
hi chris (or c.b.) -
thanks. i have a strange suspicion you're familiar with the process. call it a hunch :)
WOW. What a great post. Taking the time to take photo references is part of creating and I'm always impressed when an illustrator takes time to do this. I've never really gone out to actually photographing references myself (maybe googling some reference pics). The extra effort is worth it. Givin' you some props indeed.
chickengirl - looks like i missed another reply. aw, i've seen your work. your stuff is amazing, with or without the photo refs.
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