Edited by: Zubaida Nazzal
Drawing from imagination is a skill in itself, we can actually draw from imagination, but it requires an outstanding number of skills and practice to master it. The best example is the Korean artist Kim Jung Gi who can draw perfectly structured scenes and objects using the correct composition, anatomy and perspective from imagination. Bear in mind his age, he is nearing his 50s, so it doesn’t make sense to look at a great older artist like him who is out lashing his imagination and assume that you can directly be like him in your twenties.
It’s illogical that you’d think skipping practice will still give you the same results as him, while he might have put more than 80,000 hours into his craft. In his university days he studied hard, practiced, improved his skills, did live and still-life drawing and drew everywhere and at any time. Therefore, it won’t happen if you don’t put the same amount of effort and time, Life wouldn’t be fair then if you’d gain such status while not putting any effort or time. God says “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” verse 39:9
It is not likely you’ll be able to draw something great from imagination by chance, it requires lots of practice, effort and time. However, you should bear in mind that people are always different in their capabilities, some have better memories while some have better ideas, but it doesn’t matter as long as you have the right references and skills.
I’ve always lived with a ‘If there is something I want to draw, I must draw it no matter when or where I am‘ kind of mindset.
Kim jung gi
Is it deemed professional to use references?
All professionals use references, and I am not sure why is it demonized among many beginning and intermediate artists. There is nothing wrong with using them.
All the great productions you see, from games, to movies and shows have references used in them. Here in Sweden where I work, they make an inside joke about people who still don’t use references because they think it’s a form of cheating.
If you look back in history and study the work of the great artists all the way from the old Greek to the renaissance and the baroque and many others in between and even after, you’ll find that they all used references to create the magnificent masterpieces we have today.
Does using a reference depends on the art style that I want to use?
You can draw and paint in any style you want, but a reference is a must, even if you want to create your own style.
For every rule there are exceptions of course. In theory, almost 1 out of every 10,000 persons, is the exception that can draw only from imagination and this exception can be you. Therefore, I’m referring here to the majority of people and myself included. There are only very few who can create something from scratch without a single reference.
For me personally, I need to study what’s there, conduct my studies and I think with age I will reach my own style and whether I reach it or not, I don’t really care, because I’d rather adapt to many styles rather than having only 1 style. I admire my ability to adapt and it feels like a strength point to me as a concept artist
Feel free to watch the full video on my YouTube channel https://youtu.be/hmcl1Y5taug and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more. Stay tuned for another article.