Make reference your preference

Apart from getting images from the internet to know what a harness or sword looks like, you’ll always push your artwork further if you shoot your own reference. Don’t trust your mental library! Even if you only use parts of a photo, the extra information about drapery, light and shadow, or simply if a pose is realistic, can be invaluable. Can you spot where we used these hands in the final illustration? And again, the photo shoot is much easier when you work with a friend.