Anonymous asked: In light of the whole Miranda debacle, I’d like to ask you, all creative entity, how exactly does one be creative? I think I’ve caught the Miranda, wherein I can only draw something if I have some sort of picture reference. I try really hard to sit there and think of something new and all of my own but when I actually try and implement it on paper, it always ends up looking tragic. Or really(!!) cliched. Is there anything I can do to conjure up great ideas, or is this something ones born with?

I’ll address photo references first. Most artists use some form of reference in their work - it’ standard, often necessary procedure, whether it’s to capture the folds of material, light, an elaborate period hairstyle, or to get the textures and details of a space helmet just right.

The #1 problem artists solve with photo references is perspective. Whether it’s a row of buildings or an unfamiliarly-foreshortened limb, we don’t always have the answers in our heads - but we should try to equip ourselves as best we can. Life drawing classes are irreplaceable tools every artist should try to give themselves early on, because they’ll help answer the questions of perspective and proportion. Theoretically, artists be doing some form of life drawing once a week to keep this skillset sharp, regardless of expertise. Realistically, we don’t all have the opportunity to take classes, so the only way to develop comes with practice, part of which usually involves reference.

So where do we get this reference material?

Get a friend to sit for you while you draw

Shoot your own reference - this is something artists like Stuntkid do regularly. Degas, Picasso, Gaugin, Lautrec, Mucha and Rockwell did it. I do this, as well. In short, this is a common, legitimate way to get what you need.

Ask friends to contribute a photo specifically for your project. Here is an example of a collaboration between painter, model and photographer. My long-time collaborator, Saturno Butto, who lives in Italy, gave me a series of lighting and posing parameters. I worked with photographer Andrew Yoon to capture this image and Saturno painted an interpretation:

Shoot yourself with a timer, a remote, or with your computer’s built-in camera. This is another tried and true technique of mine.

Remember, direct art reference is like a song cover. If you can’t improve or change it significantly, don’t bother. If you see an image you’re desperately compelled to re-create, find out who the originator is and ask permission. Chances are they’ll be flattered and say “Yes”, provided they are credited. If you end up selling the resulting work, you might agree on a percentage and other terms the original creator is comfortable with. You might always have to say the work is based on a piece by someone else.

If you’re looking for a particularly complex, specific pose that neither you or your friends can replicate, it’s to the Google.

Here is where we get into a grey area. When referencing a found photo, make sure you’re doing just that - referencing. You’re not copying someone else’s image, but are using it as a tool to help you build your project – not building the project around it. By all means, look at the patterns on snakeskin, the shadows on a model’s face, the slant of rooftops and reference away but do not copy and most certainly don’t trace anything you didn’t yourself photograph or that wasn’t given to you for the purpose.

It comes down to this: if the finished piece looks like it was based on a specific photo, it is a derivative, and if that photo is not yours to use, you’re a plagiarist.

Another important point to consider in terms of photo reference is that your piece should not look like you used photo reference. Oftentimes, folks who know a thing or two about art will spot conspicuous reference mishaps and condemn your work. Typically, if something looks right in a photo, but wrong in your painting or drawing, it’s obvious.

Now on to your other question: “Is there anything I can do to conjure up ideas?”

This is something I get asked regularly, and the answer is, yes, absolutely. Saturate yourself with things that excite and inspire you. Read good books, watch great films, study up on history, check out galleries and museums, have adventures. Think. Fact is, most creatives can’t produce without consuming and processing, which takes as much time and effort as actual training and is just as valuable. The muses are hungry. Feed them well.