Can't stop drawing from photos...

[FlameDragon]

I go to life drawing about once or twice per month, but I still mainly draw the figure from photos. On dA I usually ask different people if they could do poses for me and then I draw the photos they do. The people I draw seem to really appreciate being drawn and it even raises their self-esteem. Also, it moves beyond just poses because I see how interesting the person is and we start talking on a regular basis, even becoming friends. There are many many people to draw, of all shapes and sizes, and there is a joy in being able to have a photographed pose since it doesn't change. I know drawing the figure from photos probably isn't that good of a thing to do, but the aforementioned positives keep me going back to it. Do you think continuing to do this is just going to stunt my artistic development?

[Maidith]

It's a good thing for practicing. If it helps you understanding and drawing figures better, so do it as long as you feel like it. With additional life drawing you'll improve.
If you want to do a finished, "real" painting however, watch out for distortion on some photographs. Plus, colors on photographs look very flat when compared to those in nature. Ever taken a photograph of a really great sunset just to see later that the photo doesn't evoke the same "wow" effect that the real sunset had?
Do whatever you have to do to make your picture/painting work. Depending on whether you work traditionally or digitally, you'll find out what will bring you better results. Oil painters like Jacob Collins, Hongnian Zhang & Co. almost entirely paint from life because of the more light and color that's visible there.

[Elwell]

Don't worry. Draw from everything.

[HunterKiller_]

Look at it this way. Drawing from (good) photos is infinitely better than not drawing at all.

[FlameDragon]

It's a good thing for practicing. If it helps you understanding and drawing figures better, so do it as long as you feel like it. With additional life drawing you'll improve.
If you want to do a finished, "real" painting however, watch out for distortion on some photographs. Plus, colors on photographs look very flat when compared to those in nature. Ever taken a photograph of a really great sunset just to see later that the photo doesn't evoke the same "wow" effect that the real sunset had?
Do whatever you have to do to make your picture/painting work. Depending on whether you work traditionally or digitally, you'll find out what will bring you better results. Oil painters like Jacob Collins, Hongnian Zhang & Co. almost entirely paint from life because of the more light and color that's visible there.

That's quite true, many times in the image I look at the figure and feel it's weird that a particular part looks the way it does, since images are flat. I try not to rely on the photos for actually improving my knowledge/ability in drawing of the anatomy.

[FlameDragon]

Look at it this way. Drawing from (good) photos is infinitely better than not drawing at all.

You and Elwell make good points as well. Just wanted to see if doing it would actually be harming my development rather than helping in even a little way.

[Digital_Blacksmith]

As long as your doing it, aint anything that can harm your development, only improve it....unless somehow in a freak accident you break off the lead on your pencil while drawing and it shoots into your eye...bu thats about it. Just keep drawing from anything and everything.

[geckochan]

As everyone has said, at least you're drawing! And photo references are really handy. Any kind of drawing will help you improve...but, you'd improve even more if you drew from life more! Do you carry a little sketch pad around with you? I can see how the convenience and the personal interaction would make you unwilling to leave off using photos for your finished pieces, so maybe starting with quick sketches of things and people you come across while you're out and about would help you start to bring more varied practices into your drawing? After all, a picture of a real object turns that 3D object into a 2D one, and in a photo that part's already done, so the work can end up a little flatter, since that vitality of movement and weight is not being translated as you draw.
Anyway, all drawing = good, yes indeed ^_^

[FlameDragon]

As everyone has said, at least you're drawing! And photo references are really handy. Any kind of drawing will help you improve...but, you'd improve even more if you drew from life more! Do you carry a little sketch pad around with you? I can see how the convenience and the personal interaction would make you unwilling to leave off using photos for your finished pieces, so maybe starting with quick sketches of things and people you come across while you're out and about would help you start to bring more varied practices into your drawing? After all, a picture of a real object turns that 3D object into a 2D one, and in a photo that part's already done, so the work can end up a little flatter, since that vitality of movement and weight is not being translated as you draw.
Anyway, all drawing = good, yes indeed ^_^

I dont have a sketch pad, although maybe I should invest in one. I try drawing people outside but the movements are too quick to even get a basic gesture. I'll just have to try it some more.

[eskanto]

i don't try to shoot for a perfect drawing. you're still learning even if it's not perfect. i draw people on the subway and they squirm and move much to my annoyance but i try to draw what i can. get a sketch pad and try it. oh, and by the way, i draw from tons of photographs too. i think it's ok juct as long as your drawing :)

[Giorge]

I think is bat that you cant stop drawing from photos, that's a bad habit in my opinion , and is bad from the drawing from memory to , cuz the characters , lets say' start looking flat , like manga or other flat cartoons .

[armando]

You should still draw other stuff from life if you don't have access to nude models. Doesn't really matter what you draw, trees, cars, various products, statues, it's a good idea to get a little life drawing in every day. Drawing from life, photos, other art, from memory of those things, all train your art skills differently, it's good to do as many variations as possible.

[armando]

Probably the main difference between life and photos, is that when working from life there is constant movement caused either by the viewer or the model, so the difficulty is forming a composite of those views. Also the end of the pose never looks the same as the beginning since the model gets tired, so when you work you have to get your gesture right away as it looks in the beginning, or adjust it by guessing how it will look by the end. I think a similar thing could be done by working from several photos of the same thing/person at once, where, in the final image, none of the views of the parts would match exactly with any of the views in the photos. By that I mean to say it wouldn't just be choosing the best view from each photo and then cutting and pasting, but looking at each photo, forming one mental image from that, and adjusting all the parts to correspond to that mental image.