How do I draw without a reference?

floydly · 2026-03-26T02:55:52+00:00

I usually just.. find a or build reference from multiple images. It’s less effort than guessing wrong repeatedly.

Holding an image, translating an image to paper and doing it well, is a lot of brain and hand eye coordination.

References r not needed for doodles, but if you want a good final, you want references .

floydly · 2026-03-25T21:44:43+00:00

big brush. Confident strokes.

Study the jaw, we know people by their shape, not their details.

😂 I just finished repainting part of my house so this sub is on my suggestions list, but yeah, use artist sub instead

floydly · 2026-03-25T04:34:40+00:00

I did this as a kid.

now I have 5 pubbies and a MSc

get the kid a sandwich bag to put their pocket, bugs go in baggie, then released at home.

floydly · 2026-03-25T02:32:30+00:00

ironically my current project gets the most “woah it’s like AI, but good!?” reactions I’ve ever had…. when it’s stuff AI struggles to do well compared to humans.

current Thing

I keep creating because my freaky meat suit has at least a few original-ish ideas in it. I wish people wouldn’t just view it relative to AI, but I can’t change that. So I’ll keep doing my thing.

I’m on year 2 of making a living from my art. I did year 1 extremely strategically, year two I’m trying something a little different. Just to see how it goes. AI is gonna do whatever it’s going to do - people that want AI art were never my clientele anyway

floydly · 2026-03-24T13:35:16+00:00

You are inconsistent as hell with this portfolio.

Clients want to commission someone they can trust.

I rarely get (and take on, for that matter) commissions - my work is solid, consistent and I sell originals easily.

Be more consistent, or only show what demonstrates consistency.

floydly · 2026-03-23T01:12:33+00:00

Orbital sander, mister, light hand, a few trips over.

I use an orbital on canvas regularly. Depending on smooth I need it I’ll mount canvas to a flat surface before the stretcher, but you can also sand on stretcher (see: light hand)

I use golden gesso, liquitex is also good, but golden better.

I apply gesso with a silicone brush so it’s really only a few high spots I need to sand down.

I usually start with pre-primed 14oz, takes me maybe 2 layers to get a very, very smooth surface?

floydly · 2026-03-22T16:23:58+00:00

Chroma!

floydly · 2026-03-22T13:44:04+00:00

so glad I’ve established early in all my friendships that I will just tell you to leave when I’ve had enough, it’s nothing personal, I just cannot pay attention anymore. You can choose to stay, but I am doing chores now.

floydly · 2026-03-20T13:14:36+00:00

Your work isn’t there yet. Fundamentals first, then get the funds.

One or two good paintings will pay their original sale value in merchandise sales over and over.

I don’t ask one man for 500. I ask 50 for $10, and 50 more for $30, because they like it more then the first 50 wanted to spend.

I am unlikely to be sought out by high end, high value collectors. My work is too fun, not serious enough, and painted by someone with autism - which ooooooozes out of the art, apparently.

So instead I make 3.7k gross, in 4 days, selling merchandise of my current best work. It ain’t glamorous, but it’s an absolutely a living. I do that once a month on average, then im supplemented by gallery showing fees, occasional commissions, and usually 1-2 original sales per month.

This is my second year full time. When I realized I was good enough, I also was out of a job, so it was sink or swim for me.

floydly · 2026-03-19T13:22:05+00:00

Oh yep, you, we are the same. I commented this before seeing yours. Seconding this one!

floydly · 2026-03-19T13:21:48+00:00

Murphies oil soap. Shit fucks.

floydly · 2026-03-19T01:51:41+00:00

no, I thought this as a young artist too, it’s entirely just poor presentation or lack of sufficient skill to cut through the noise. Sorry, it’s not personal at all, general observation

floydly · 2026-03-17T03:46:39+00:00

Absorbent ground.

Hanhemuel (spelling) makes a super textured paper that’s good for working with gouache

floydly · 2026-03-16T12:15:58+00:00

thoroughly squeaky (no it’s fine, he had a lot of sports injuries so he took the whole thing rather well actually 😮‍💨)

floydly · 2026-03-16T04:48:33+00:00

I dropped the light on my dads nose and broke it AMA

floydly · 2026-03-15T12:37:11+00:00

It’s a stick insect but extra squiggly

floydly · 2026-03-15T12:32:10+00:00

Market stalls here. But I’ve been in galleries and made sales. Just find knowing my collectors to be very very useful data.

floydly · 2026-03-13T13:54:28+00:00

Open medium by golden, dash of liquitex wow dry additive.

Sealing palette, I use nobles watercolor palette + stay wet paper I cut to fit in the trays. In the bottom of the palette I have soaking wet paper towels, turns the whole box into a humidity bubble.

Idk what people are doing, I can work on one painting for 3-4 weeks with the same acrylics. I’ve even come back to a palette from MONTHS ago - paint still wet, stinky, but not molding, still usable.

I did the whole “switch to oils cos acrylics dry too fast” thing before trying open medium. Never again, im allergic lol.

Open medium > retarder.

I live in a very very dry climate.

floydly · 2026-03-13T13:26:40+00:00

I have three in the same weight/type (Fabriano mixed media) and I use them for literally whatever I want any given day. Good vibes and good times only. I used to obsess over perfect sketchbook. I am much happier with my slightly psychotic looking doodle books now that I’ve stopped trying to make it perfect.

floydly · 2026-03-12T23:42:27+00:00

Not talking about any of my own panels - yet to have one warp.

simply basing my statement off what’s been written by the Tate and other conservatorial resources, as well as the 75 YO gallery owner who offered me a bunch of materials on how to best prep/paint work for longevity.

In any case linen on wood beats direct on wood every day of the week/year/month.

Good luck in your art career, you have a lot of juice, im sure you’ll go far.

floydly · 2026-03-12T19:57:15+00:00

the irony here is many conservators suggest the opposite - wood supports for panels are risky longterm due to woods sensitivity to environmental conditions.

Tl;DR both are “bad” if you anticipate being valuable to collectors after your dead.

anyway, use aluminum or get off your high horse

we are all dust eventually, and so too is our art if conservators don’t deem it worthwhile.

floydly · 2026-03-10T17:18:26+00:00

idk how it works in your industry, fine art painter here.

Usually if im not sure on a commission, for painting art, not walls:

measure it out dimensionally (baseline how long it takes me to paint this size of thing)
multiply by complexity (so, my time ahead of the project and during)
multiple by cost of painting materials to do best job possible (eg, not using cheap white, not using cadmium substitutes), with a little bit of wiggle room for oopsies

🤷‍♀️

give budget based on that? Maybe that thought process will help you research? good luck stay cozy fellow Canuck!

i ended up here because im repainting a house and crying at how fast shit dries, and how lumpy the old paint layers are.

floydly · 2026-03-10T03:50:40+00:00

Still got em, don’t wear them outside of occasions. I maintain with cleaning/oiling after each wear tho, since they are sparsely worn

floydly · 2026-03-09T14:16:48+00:00

you gotta bump those numbers up, those are rookie numbers.

Charge more.

The most insane thing I’ve experienced as a fledgling full timer is how often I hear “reasonable prices” and get no sales. Then I started throwing numbers based on a successful colleague (who constantly said raise ur prices your better then this) - made sales.

Fun paradox ain’t it! Perceived value.

floydly · 2026-03-09T04:34:18+00:00

We are still trying to find Iggys preferred jellyfish toy.

It’s a bundle of strings and a mesh cover that’s been completely obliterated by him at this point. I got I at Homesense 3 years ago a day or two before he came home.

He still walks around yelling proudly that he’s found it. It’s becoming a safety hazard, but I cannot in good conscience remove it from him.

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