Reference - what is it?

Walking in the vast expanses of the Internet, you can come across such a notion as a reference ... "What is this?" - you ask. You can try to find out this question.

Origin and meaning of the word

The meaning of the word "reference" is found in different sources of information is completely different. For example, a photo reference, a character reference , there are even more incomprehensible uses for this word, such as a reference list (this is a document).

The word "reference" in English means "reference, footnote."

One can say about the concept of the word "reference" that it is in the broad sense of the word an auxiliary image, that is, a picture or photograph, studied by the artist before commencing work in order to more accurately convey the details of the work. Sometimes this word is shortened to "ref" or "refka".

So we draw a conclusion about the concept of reference, that this is an analogue of the sketch, only it can be both a drawing and a photograph.

Creating a character for reference

Before you start creating a cartoon, anime or comics, you write a script that describes the individual characters.

Based on these characters, you can make a 3D model and use it in games and on sites. You can also do 3D animation for advertising or a cartoon.

The most crucial stage in the production of a cartoon or comic strip is the creation of a character, because it is due to the distinctive features of the characters, our perception of them and the experiences for their destinies that we evaluate the quality of the entire cartoon or comic.

Two-dimensional characters are created on paper, they are drawn in various poses, and three-dimensional characters are created using three-dimensional models. If for the first suitable drawing characters, then for 3D-models use photoreference to capture the model in space in all angles.

Creation of characters is the first stage of the birth of any cartoon or comic book, and a reference is made to create the image of the future hero. What does this give us?

Using references to create cartoons and comics

Character references are illustrations of specific characters that show their personal data, appearance and various characteristics. Such flips, or model sheets, include images of this character in full height and data such as name, age, eye color, height, etc. Such sheets are used to illustrate comic books, teaching the drawing of this character by other artists. They were used by large groups of animators, if it was necessary to reproduce a huge number of frames with the character. Character references helped to unify such a process.

It is possible that the references originated from model sheets, that is, those drawings that are designed to work out the appearance of characters and are used in the creation of comics and cartoons. But the model sheets were usually made in black and white, but the references are done in color.

Reference for the creation of sculptures and computer modeling

Photoreferences are used for computer 3D modeling. These are such sets of photographic nudes. Such references are created in photo studios. Another purpose of such reflexes is to create sketches or sculptures. With the help of photoreference, the postures of the human body and its natural deformations are determined. Therefore, we should not confuse photoreference with an erotic photo shoot, since such refs are intended solely for further processing and are used in creativity.

The first stage in creating a sculpture is to create her sketch, but in order for the graphic part to be performed as accurately as possible, the sculptors in our time use photoreference. This helps them to see all the nuances of the future work, its location in space, relief features, which in the future will facilitate the work of the sculptor.

The same goes for artists. If you capture the model in the photo in all possible angles, it will give much more opportunities than creating a sketch, just looking at the model.

Artists and sculptors can find photoreferences for their work in the network, where they are arranged in the form of clip art. There you can buy them or download for free.

Composition of references

The composition of the references is not constant, it can include a character's image, its name, some distinctive features, description of the parameters, in the form of a scale or a schematic image, comments on some images, images of individual body fragments, ornaments, inventory, and a complete description of the character. But depending on the type of reference, this set may vary, as it is not always necessary to provide a complete set of information about the character.

Photoreferences can not contain any additional information at all, as they are not always used to create characters.