A consistent theme I’ve seen, wherever I’ve lived, from Dubai to Ottawa to Houston, is that artists are the worst at policing one another.

We constantly bully and belittle peers for doing it “the wrong way.” From assuming abstract art is easy, to dismissing digital art when it first arrived on the scene, to conversations about having to learn skill in a specific way to be legitimate, I’ve heard it all. I’m curious what’s one arbitrary standard you’ve heard to define artists?

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Over time, and across history, what’s actually wrong has evolved and changed, but the theme has remained: we all spend a little too much time judging others for how they show up and make art.

A repeated judgement I hear is: “real artists” don’t use references. 

Now let’s debunk this myth once and for all.

What are references?

References are both 2D and 3D imagery artists refer to (thus the word reference) when making art. They can include photographs, collaged elements, digital drawings, still lifes, models, buildings, landscapes, and more.

Artists from the Renaissance to today have used references in all kinds of ways to help them communicate the ideas in their art. Let’s break this down into further detail.

“Real artists don’t use references.”

Reality: All artists, especially great ones, use references.

This myth thrives on the idea that art should pour purely from your imagination. That using references somehow makes you a copier, not a creator. So many of you have expressed concerns about being a copyist I wrote and recorded an entire episode on it here.

But that idea erases centuries of real art-making.

Leonardo da Vinci? He sketched cadavers to understand anatomy. He also used his own drawings for later paintings.

Mary Cassatt? She spent years studying Japanese woodblock prints and often painted directly from life.

Frida Kahlo? She drew from photo references of herself and her family when bedridden after her bus accident.

Kara Walker? Her silhouetted figures are built from deep research: historical texts, photographs, even old racist advertisements.

I consciously picked artists recognized by art history because we tend to put people like these on a pedestal. When I ask myself, do you think you’re above using techniques used by masters of the Renaissance? The answer is obvious.

In other words: using references is not cheating. It’s learning. It’s honoring what you see. And it’s a strategy that artists at every level, from beginner to world-renowned, employ.

Why the Myth Persists (And Who It Hurts)

This idea that “real” art can’t rely on sources stems from a perfectionist, elitist mindset. One that whispers:

• “You should just know how to draw that.”
• “Using a reference makes you less talented.”
• “Tracing? That’s for cheaters.”

These messages disproportionately impact:

• Self-taught artists, who often feel pressure to “prove” themselves without formal credentials.
• Women artists, historically excluded from life drawing classes or access to human anatomy training.
• Marginalized artists, whose cultural knowledge systems or approaches to art may differ from dominant Western narratives.

Let’s stop gatekeeping the tools that help us grow.

Women Who Used (and Reinvented) References

Let’s highlight a few extraordinary women who made referencing part of their process:

Loïs Mailou Jones (LOH-iss my-LOO JONES)

A Black American painter who used photographs and textile designs from Haiti, Africa, and the Harlem Renaissance to inform her vibrant compositions. Her works were layered with historical meaning, made possible by a deep reference practice.

Amrita Sher-Gil (AM-rit-ta Sher-gill)

Often called “India’s Frida Kahlo,” she studied European masters and referenced Mughal and Pahari miniatures to create a truly hybrid style. Her use of cultural reference wasn’t copying, it was claiming space for a new visual language.

Amy Sherald

Known for her portrait of Michelle Obama, Sherald works from photo references she stages and shoots herself. She uses grayscale skin tones to push beyond realism and highlight the constructed nature of portraiture itself.

None of these artists would be considered less “real” because they used references. In fact, their work stands out because they do.

What Counts as a Reference?

A reference is anything that informs your visual decision-making. That includes:

• A photograph you took
• A Pinterest board
• A still from a movie
• A friend’s hand posing under good light
  Your reflection in a spoon
• A figure you sketched on the subway

References are not the enemy. They’re raw material.

Like a chef gathering ingredients for a signature dish, you’re allowed to source, mix, adapt, and transform. What matters is what you do with it.

I’d love to know: how do you use references to help bring your ideas to life? If you aren’t sure how to move away from copying and you want to step into a more unique voice, be sure to sign up for my workshop How to Transform Your Ideas Into Artwork That’s Uniquely Yours. The workshop is completely free, and the link is in the description below.

But What About Copying?

This is where things get nuanced.

Copying for learning is a time-honored practice. Every atelier student studies the masters by duplicating their work. Artists often learn proportion, color, or composition by mimicking what they see. That’s not theft: it’s education.

The key is to eventually move beyond copying and use references as springboards for your voice, not replacements for it.

When your work is too close to the original, it’s called being derivative. But when you start to piece together your inspirations with your own take, it starts to become something else entirely yours. Let me know if you’d like more conversation about derivative art in the comments below, just comment “derivative art” to let me know.

Austin Kleon has a great little book you may have heard of called Steal Like an Artist. In it he gives some great advice about how to start moving away from the artists that have inspired you and how to step more deeply into your unique voice.

My favorite advice is what called Mapping Your Artist Family Tree. I liked it so much I created a workshop around the concept inside my signature program Self-Taught to Self-Confident. The idea is to look at the artists who inspired you and then look at the artists that inspired them and keep going so you can see the thread of history across artists that help you make the art you want to create.

4 Action Steps to Embrace Reference Without Guilt

1. Curate a “Yes, You May” Folder

Collect screenshots, paintings, photographs, and figure studies from artists you admire. Label the folder something affirming. Every time you feel that old shame creep in, go there and remember: references are part of the process.

You could even create a wall or poster that lets you easily see the images together and help you start to piece together what’s a through line across all of your inspirations?

2. Practice “Remix” Drawing

Take two or more references: say, a vintage photo of a woman, a color palette from a flower, and the pose of a statue, and create something new from their combination. This builds your design muscles and makes it yours.

I recently took up collage as a way to make art with my daughter. And as I created mini compositions, I realized I wanted to try to draw or paint them. It’s become this really fun way to create whimsical, surreal art that looks like nothing I’ve seen anyone create.

3. Celebrate the Source

Post your art alongside the reference photo (with credit if it’s not your own). Share your process. It invites community, shows your learning journey, and encourages other artists to drop the shame. When you’re learning it’s okay to work from copyrighted photos. What’s not OK is to pretend that original photograph is yours or to sell your art that directly copies the image reference. 

While I totally understand people’s excitement about developing their skill and really capturing a likeness or the photo, I challenge you to start thinking about what’s next for your art. If you can copy the photo, you have the skill to start bringing your own ideas to life.

4. Study Artists Who Use Reference Boldly

Make a list of artists (especially women and marginalized creators) who embrace references in their work. Some to start with:

• Mickalene Thomas
• Faith Ringgold
• Toyin Ojih Odutola (TOY-in OH-jee OH-doo-TOH-lah)
• Bisa Butler
• Georgia O’Keeffe

Follow their interviews, process videos, or studio talks. Learn from how they learn.

Final Thought: You Are the Artist

The most dangerous idea isn’t that references are bad.

It’s the notion that you aren’t a “real” artist unless you create in a certain way.

That’s the root of the shame. That’s what we need to unlearn. And stop perpetuating it when we bully or belittle others in their creative practice.

Using references doesn’t make you a fake artist. It makes you a prepared one. A thoughtful one. A resourceful one.

So whether you’re sketching from a Pinterest board of hands, your own selfie, or your child’s toy dinosaur, know this:

You are a real artist.

And the tools you use to build your vision? They’re part of your power.

Want to celebrate and grow your practice with others who believe the same?
Join the Artist Strong community and proudly call yourself an artist: references, inspiration boards, messy sketchbooks and all.

Because together, we reclaim the artist identity. 

Thank you so much for watching. As always please like and subscribe to my work to never miss an episode. And tell me what you’d like to learn about next in the community tab: your ideas determine the content I create!

Remember: proudly call yourself an artist.
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