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Painting

view of a gesture drawing session
How-to's

Posevember 2025: Your daily gesture drawing challenge starts here

Posevember 2026 is here. 30 new daily pose prompts, a focus tip and pose reference for every day, a 15-minute routine and a printable checklist are on the Posevember 2026 page. This page stays online as the 2025 archive. What is Posevember 2025 Posevember 2025 is a month-long gesture drawing Read more

By Armored Pencil, 1 year28 October, 2025 ago
Examples of fabric folds on dresses, sleeves and draped cloth: pipe, zigzag, spiral, half-lock, diaper, drop and inert folds
How-to's

The art of painting clothing: Understanding and rendering fabric folds

The seven fabric folds this guide covers, on dresses, sleeves and loose cloth. Painting fabric folds is a crucial skill for artists aiming to bring realism and dynamism to their artwork. Understanding how fabric behaves and how to accurately render its folds can transform a flat, lifeless painting into a Read more

By Armored Pencil, 1 year10 September, 2025 ago
Eight versions of one blue-haired character redrawn in different art styles, from the 5 styles challenge by RossDraws
How-to's

How to Find Your Digital Art Style (Hint: It’s All About Experimenting)

One character, eight styles: the 5 styles challenge by RossDraws. So, you’re starting to get into digital painting, and you’re wondering, “How do I find my art style?” Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. It feels like everyone around you has this super distinct style, right? But here’s the thing: Read more

By Armored Pencil, 2 years1 April, 2025 ago
Art Prompts April - new wings by clockbirds debfkra
How-to's

Mythical Creature Mastery: 30 Art Prompts for April 2025!

Alright, it’s April, and that means another month of art prompts! If you’ve been following along, you already know the deal—30 days, 30 paint ideas to keep your creativity rolling. But this month? We’re going full fantasy. Mythical creatures are some of the most fun things to draw, but if Read more

By Armored Pencil, 2 years23 March, 2025 ago
Person looking at a reference photo on a phone while painting a blue canvas on an easel
How-to's

11 Powerful Reasons You MUST Use References: Unlock Your Full Artistic Potential

Ever feel stuck staring at a blank canvas, wondering where to start? Or maybe your work just doesn’t look as lifelike or dynamic as you’d hoped? Here’s the game-changer: art references. Using references isn’t “cheating”—it’s what pros do to elevate their craft. Whether you’re painting, sketching, or designing, references provide Read more

By Armored Pencil, 2 years19 November, 2024 ago
Collage of Halloween digital paintings with the text 10 amazing digital paintings for a scary Halloween
Inspiration

10 amazing digital paintings for a scary Halloween

I hope you don’t scare easily…, 10 amazing digital paintings for Halloween, scary digital art! Every year I get to see these amazing digital paintings for Halloween depicting all kinds of concepts around this topic. Ghouls, ghosts, witches, zombies, and creepy cabins in the woods. Now finally, it’s my turn Read more

By Armored Pencil, 4 years12 October, 2022 ago
statue-references
References

Statues drawing & painting references

Download the statues drawing and painting references When I was looking for statue practice material previously, it took me some time to locate anything worthwhile. So I had the brilliant idea to photograph the busts and statues I saw while on vacation in France. Which means you don’t need to Read more

By Armored Pencil, 4 years29 September, 2022 ago
free us national parks references
References

Free US National parks references

Download the free US National parks references Painting or drawing backgrounds can be daunting. We all practice portraits and human anatomy but landscapes are another expertise we often need. In this free US National parks references pack, you will find several different nature parks from the United States to help Read more

By Armored Pencil, 4 years10 August, 2022 ago
Free malaysian animals references
References

Free Malaysian animals references

Download the free Malaysian animals references Painting or drawing animals can be daunting. We all practice portraits and human anatomy but animals become a whole different ball game. In this pack, you will find several different apes and other jungle animals to help you practice and create wildlife for backgrounds. Read more

By Armored Pencil, 4 years27 July, 2022 ago
Splash art from Jeremy Anninos for LoL
Inspiration

Use references in art

Why use references in art, you ask? Let’s clear up one thing: why should you use references in art? A reference provides much more information than our meager peanut brains can comprehend. Form, shape, lighting, and color are just a few of the many factors that need to be taken Read more

By Armored Pencil, 4 years26 June, 2022 ago
Laptop and tablet on a desk with the text Free reference sites
References

Free reference sites

Really? Free? Yes, they are free! So when you are starting with art you need any help you can get, right? You’re always looking for free tutorials, free coaching, and free references. So we got you fam! Below you will find a quick list of free reference sites. Drawing from Read more

By Armored Pencil, 4 years20 June, 2022 ago

Digital artist & Blogger

Armored Pencil, the artist behind Drawing-reference.com, smiling in front of a pink circle


Nico Konings is an artist & marketeer and the founder of Drawing-reference.com, a drawing reference site & art educational blog that focuses on becoming the industry-leading blog for pose references. Get in touch.


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