Oct 3, 2022
One of the most common questions I get is“Where do you find inspiration for your drawings?” If you're an anime artist, you know how important it is to have great drawing references.
There are a lot of great websites out there that can help an anime artist hone their skills and improve their drawing by using proper references to practice. It can be hard to know where to find the best resources in the millions on website on the internet. Luckily, I've got you covered.
Here are ten of the best art reference websites that every artist should bookmark:
P.s. Some of them were recommended by our Discord member, Derchy! Thank you so much for the recommendation.
SetteiDreams
Reference website for character design sheet
Setteidreams is a reference site for artists. It's full of character design sheets from anime! It's is a fantastic resource for artists looking for inspiration for their characters.
The site is full of high quality character design sheets from a variety of different anime, which can be a great source of inspiration for artists looking to create their own characters.
In addition to providing inspiration, SetteiDreams can also be a great resource for artists looking for specific information on how to create certain types of characters, props, costume. The website provides a wealth of resources of different character design in any anime shows, which can be incredibly helpful for artists who are looking to improve their skills.
Sakugabooru
2D animation reference shot for artists
Sakugabooru is a great site for artists who want to improve their skills in 2D frame-by-frame animation. The resource on their website is well organized and easy to navigate, making it easy to find the right references for your needs.
The vast selection of categories means that you can find exactly what you're looking for, and the quality of the animation is top-notch. This makes Sakugabooru an invaluable resource for anyone interested in 2D animation.
Characterdesign References
Boost up your mindset with beautiful artwork and artist interview
Characterdesignreferences is an excellent website for anyone looking for inspiration for their artwork. The website is full of beautiful artwork from many artists in a variety of styles, and also features interviews with artists to help boost your inspiration.
This website can help you develop a more positive mindset towards your artwork by providing you with insight from professional artists. If you're ever feeling stuck or uninspired, be sure to check out characterdesignreferences.com for a shot of creative inspiration.
Creativeuncut
Great source for game artwork
Creativeuncut is a great reference website for game artists. You can find high quality art from popular games, as well as character designs and reference sheets to help inspire your own drawings.
There is also a large selection of official artwork from game developers and studios. The site is constantly updated with new content, so it's a great resource to bookmark and check back often.
Posemaniacs
Quick poses and human muscles free images
Posemaniacs is a website that provides free pose reference and anatomy resources for artists. The site is useful for understanding the gesture and muscles of the human body.
The character poses are helpful for studying the human form and for creating artworks. The site is also useful for learning about the muscular system and the different muscles of the body.
This website is also a great resource for artists who are looking for reference photos of human faces. It is well organized and includes a large variety of reference photos. The photos are high quality and great for artists of all skill levels.
Human anatomy for artist
Variety photo reference for your character pose
If you're looking for a real photo for gesture drawing, the Human anatomy for artist website is a great resource for high-quality reference.
They provide a large perfect reference resource of human figure photos in various poses including male and female model, and you can select the details of the model from their categories. This is a great way to get a realistic photo of a human figure for your artwork.
One of the great things about Human-anatomy-for-artist website is that it comes with a wide variety of both solo and group poses. This means that when you're creating an illustration with multiple characters, you can easily find the perfect pose to help you with your composition.
Human anatomy for artist also has a number of poses specifically designed for couples, which can be very handy when creating romantic scenes. You can improve your gesture drawing by using the good references from this site.
Hatoking
Online art resource for anime hand available for free
Hatoking is a great resource for drawing anime-style hands. The website provides so many images of hand poses that can be used for reference or tracing.
The poses are well-drawn and beautiful, making them ideal for studying and practicing. The site is a great resource for both beginners and experienced artists who want to study the hands.
Sketchdaily
Let's sketch everyday
Sketchdaily is an excellent website for practicing your sketching skills. You can choose the topic of the photo you want to practice and use these photos to do the timed practice in sketchdaily. It's like you attain the life drawing session.
It's the best place to have drawing sessions and practice sketching from photos. The website provides many photos of subjects to choose from and the timer ensures that you spend a sufficient amount of time on each sketch.
They offers a variety of photo categories for artists to practice their skills. In addition to the human figure, they have animal and architecture photos as well. This variety allows artists to explore different subject matter and styles, expanding their artistic repertoire. Plus the photo collection are high quality!
Line of action.com
Great reference for drawing practice
Line of action is one of many great reference websites for artist to practice figure drawing skills. The photos slide show is a great way to get inspiration for your drawings. The site is also have a forum where's a great place to find other artists to discuss and get feedback on your work.
The Line-of-Action also has a subscription model which is a great way to keep track of your art practice. For a monthly fee, you can have access to an ad-free access, more drawing tips when sketching, have more control of the type of images, and so on. It'll help you stay on top of your game.
Sketchfab
Free and paid 3D warehouse for your personal and commercial use
Sketchfab is a website that offers collection of free and paid 3D models that can be used as drawing references. They have a huge variety of 3D models. If Unsplash and Pinterest is my favorite for 2D image free stock, then Sketchfab is my preference for 3D model.
Whether you're looking for a simple object to use as a reference for your character, or a more complex model to use for an architecture, Sketchfab is sure to have what you need. However, you may need to read their license agreement before putting them into your artwork.
BONUS: x6ud.github.io
Best website for drawing animal heads
If you're looking for a website that can provide you with animal head references, look no further than x6ud.github.io!
You can select the animal type you're interested in, then rotate the skull in the 3D pane to get the head reference in that view. The website will provide you with reference image of animal heads in the same angle direction of the 3D you adjusted, you can quickly find the animal's head reference in your preferred angle. It used to be so hard for me to find the perfect wildlife reference. I can't find them easily on the search so this website helped me a lot.
BONUS: Female anatomy for artist
Best website for female anatomy references
Female anatomy for artist is a website that full of great high quality photo references for female poses!
I really love this website because it helped me a lot when I want to find a reference to draw realistic female character. The website has a lot of different categories and poses that you can choose from, and the photos are all high quality and easy to access. I highly recommend this website for anyone who wants to improve their drawings of female characters.
Plus! You can also use the same method of x6ud.github.io on this website to search for the pose you want on the female anatomy website by adjusting the model to search!
In conclusion, these 10 websites are super great and they helped me develop a solid artistic foundation and much more. I wish the same to you and I hope you'll bookmark them and use them often! Do you have a website that you're loving? I'd love to hear about it! Let's tag me @lunarmimi in your IG stories and let me know your favorite list!
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As an expert and enthusiast, I don't have personal experiences or preferences, but I can provide information on the concepts mentioned in this article. Here's a breakdown of the different art reference websites mentioned:
SetteiDreams
SetteiDreams is a reference website for character design sheets from anime. It provides high-quality character design sheets from various anime shows, which can serve as inspiration for artists looking to create their own characters. The website also offers specific information on how to create different types of characters, props, and costumes. [[1]]
Sakugabooru
Sakugabooru is a website that focuses on 2D frame-by-frame animation. It offers a well-organized collection of animation references, making it easy for artists to find the right references for their needs. The website features a vast selection of categories and high-quality animation, making it a valuable resource for artists interested in 2D animation. [[2]]
Characterdesign References
Characterdesign References is a website that provides inspiration for artwork. It showcases beautiful artwork from various artists in different styles and also includes interviews with artists to boost inspiration. The website aims to help artists develop a positive mindset towards their artwork by providing insights from professional artists. It can be a helpful resource for artists feeling stuck or uninspired. [[3]]
Creativeuncut
Creativeuncut is a reference website specifically for game artists. It offers high-quality art from popular games, including character designs and reference sheets. The website is regularly updated with new content, making it a valuable resource for game artists looking for inspiration for their own drawings. [[4]]
Posemaniacs
Posemaniacs is a website that provides free pose references and anatomy resources for artists. It offers a variety of character poses that are helpful for studying the human form and creating artworks. The website is well-organized and includes a large variety of reference photos, making it suitable for artists of all skill levels. It also provides resources for learning about the muscular system and different muscles of the body. [[5]]
Human Anatomy for Artist
Human Anatomy for Artist is a website that offers a variety of photo references for character poses. It provides a wide range of human figure photos in various poses, including male and female models. The website is a great resource for artists looking for realistic references for their artwork, especially for gesture drawing and composition. It also offers poses specifically designed for couples and can be useful for creating romantic scenes. [[6]]
Hatoking
Hatoking is a resource specifically for drawing anime-style hands. The website offers a large collection of hand pose images that can be used for reference or tracing. The poses are well-drawn and suitable for studying and practicing. Hatoking is a valuable resource for both beginner and experienced artists who want to improve their skills in drawing hands. [[7]]
Sketchdaily
Sketchdaily is a website that provides a platform for practicing sketching skills. It allows users to choose the topic of the photo they want to practice and provides a timer for timed sketching sessions. The website offers a variety of photo categories, including human figures, animals, and architecture, allowing artists to explore different subject matters and styles. It is a helpful resource for artists looking to improve their sketching abilities. [[8]]
Line of Action
Line of Action is a reference website for artists to practice figure drawing skills. It offers a photo slideshow that provides inspiration for drawings. The website also has a forum where artists can discuss and receive feedback on their work. Line of Action offers a subscription model that provides additional benefits such as ad-free access, more drawing tips, and more control over the type of images displayed. It can help artists stay motivated and organized in their art practice. [[9]]
Sketchfab
Sketchfab is a website that offers a collection of free and paid 3D models that can be used as drawing references. It provides a wide variety of 3D models, ranging from simple objects to complex architectural structures. Artists can find references for characters or architecture on Sketchfab. However, it is important to review the license agreement before using the models in artwork. [[10]]
x6ud.github.io (Bonus)
x6ud.github.io is a website that provides animal head references. It allows users to select the animal type they're interested in and provides reference images of animal heads in different angles. This website can be helpful for artists looking for wildlife references for their drawings. [[11]]
Female Anatomy for Artist (Bonus)
Female Anatomy for Artist is a website that offers high-quality photo references for female poses. It provides a wide range of categories and poses to choose from, making it a valuable resource for artists looking to improve their drawings of female characters. Similar to x6ud.github.io, it allows users to adjust the model to search for specific poses. [[12]]
I hope this breakdown of the different art reference websites mentioned in the article is helpful to you! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.
