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courteneyr · 22 hours
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I wasn’t meant to finish this so I don’t know what to write here 🌊 Social media  + Commissions  + PAPERCUT
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courteneyr · 22 hours
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the circus was in town that day 🤡
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courteneyr · 1 day
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courteneyr · 1 day
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when the music videos for Telephone (Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé) and Na Na Na (My Chemical Romance) both had scenes filmed in the same diner
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courteneyr · 2 days
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quick ref for a spider oc, Ari! i do have a fear of spiders irl, but that wont stop me from making them into sexie anthros…
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courteneyr · 2 days
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So I was chatting with the lovely Justin Oaksford yesterday, and he casually asked if I used photo reference for my recent Rolemodels piece- not as a bad thing, but because the pose and the camera angle read well.  Pretty sure I grinned like an idiot when he brought it up because, goddammit, I’m proud that the work shows!  I’ve felt like my work has been somewhat stilted as of late- I could feel myself subconsciously trending towards easier angles, easier poses, easier expressions just because it's slightly less frustrating for my brain to process- so getting that confirmation from a colleague was pretty damn satisfying.
I think there’s a tendency for artists to take pride in being able to draw out of your head, and, while that’s an admittedly important skill, what’s actually important is what that skill implies- it implies that you’ve internalized reference.  That you’ve spent so much time looking at the world around you, studying it, drawing from it, breaking it down, that you’ve amassed an extensive mental library that you can draw from.  You are Google reborn in the shallow husk of a human being.
But heck, the world’s a big place- what are the chances that you ever get to a point that you’ve internalized all of it?  Internalized it AND ALSO are never going to forget it ever?  Probably no chance at all.  Sorry buddy.  So rather than bemoaning the fact that we don’t have impenetrable search engine cyborg brains- yet- you sure as hell better still be using reference to fill in/refresh those empty shelves in your mental library.  You shouldn’t have worm-ridden books about dinosaur anatomy from the 60’s in there.  Stegosauruses with brains in their tails?  CLEAN THAT SHIT OUT.
So my general process for using reference of any sort is:
loose thumbnails and brainstorming.  If you have an idea, get that raw thing- unadulterated in it’s potential shittiness- onto paper.  Good art is a combination of both instinct and discipline, so you don’t want to entirely discount those lightning strikes of brilliance.  Or idiocy.  Happens to all of us.
research and reference.  Start gathering and internalizing whatever reference is pertinent to your piece- could be diagrams, art, photos, good old-fashioned READIN’, whathaveyou.  Please note that this doesn’t mean find one picture of a giraffe- this means find tons of photos of giraffes, read about giraffes, understand giraffes, and learn how to incorporate that knowledge into your art with purpose and intent (Justin uses the word “intent” a lot so I’m stealing it).  Don’t blindly copy what you see, but understand how to integrate it in an interesting and informed manner.
studies and practice.  Could be lumped in with the previous step, granted, but it’s worth reiterating- if you’re drawing something new, it’s worth doing some studies.  You discover things that you wouldn’t otherwise by just staring at them.  It’s weird how I’m still learning this- “Gee golly, six-shooters are way easier to draw now that I’ve drawn a ton of them!” Yes wow Claire BRILLIANT.  Gold star.
go for the gold.  Finally, I’m sure it goes without saying, you integrate all of that research and knowledge into your initial thumbnails.  If you learned something about anatomy, or fashion, or color, or butts, now you can drastically improve your original idea with this newfound knowledge.  Also, per the images above, this is also your chance to improve on the reference- photos are a fantastic tool, but trust your instincts.  Cameras can’t make informed decisions.
…So that’s my soapbox- it’s pretty easy, and it’s totally worth it.  Research and reference lets you stand on the shoulders of giants- it lends legitimacy, specificity, and allure to your work that wouldn’t be there if you were just drawing out of your head 100% of the time.  To put it simply- it makes your work ownable.  It makes you stand out.
It makes you a better artist. :)
-C
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courteneyr · 2 days
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i love her she's so cute and feral
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courteneyr · 2 days
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courteneyr · 2 days
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Drawing this made me hungry,,,,
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courteneyr · 2 days
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AN-TI-BO-DIES
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courteneyr · 2 days
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I opened up tipping for this acc if u ever feel inclined to give somethin for my dog art 💰
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courteneyr · 3 days
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vaguely inspired by this song
i may or may not have pulled an all-nighter to finish this, woops
experimental alt versions under the cut!
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courteneyr · 3 days
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Frango frito (•؎ •)
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courteneyr · 3 days
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charlie is self-help demon pilled 💊
📻🌈🦌🦌🦌
(bmc lyrics)
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courteneyr · 3 days
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A comment to my last upload asked about how I remember stuff for these comics. I used to just mutter what I heard to myself until I could get to a way to write it down. But now, with the convenience of my cell phone, I can make notes on the spot whenever I hear something.
This is a leftover from life in Boston. Two young fellows by Park Station at dusk, sharing a joint and reconsidering their life choices.
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courteneyr · 3 days
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Weir Leap | print
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courteneyr · 3 days
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I love the design of 背云(a beaded chain that hangs on the back) and I drew adult Zukaang hehehe
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