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| DR • Using references doesn't mean you're lazy or uncreative |
| This is from the blog series Designer Rant that I wrote on a site that shall not be named and has been re-edited to fit VP (because why not post it here as well, it's not like designing is something this universal). Please keep in mind, that this is no invitation to talk about the primary source of this posts (I don't want the mods to delete this blog) and that while some of the topics or specific examples might not be completely true or fitting for VP, they certainly can be found on pixel based dress-up games and thus I think them important to get mentioned in the context of VP as well. So, basically, this is designer content but make it commentary from my angry and frustrated mind. (Also thinking about publishing my tutorials I made because some of them just look fucking amazing.) I've seen so many people make off-handed comments about how they don't like using a reference, because they don't want to copy or how they don't need it since they are actually creative and every time I'm ready to smack some sense into them. Using a reference doesn't mean you're lazy or that you're uncreative. Using a reference is a tool, like using a ruler to make a straight line. Only scumbags gloat about how they are so special, they don't need a helping device to make a straight line. And the same goes for designing. Needless to say, many people who I've seen claiming they don't need a reference are actually badly in need of one. But why is that? Why is using a reference not shameful? What does a reference help with? And why should we use them more often? The short answer is: So you know what you're doing. The long answer is a bit more complicated. Let's start with one of the main arguments, because it's easier to explain when showing how stupid they are. I don't need a reference, I'm that good. You might have read my Designer Rant about skill and talent and remember me saying that designing is a skill you need to learn. Any form of art is. When starting to design, people who come from a different art background might find it easier to get to understand the intricacies and differences designing offers, but even they need to get used to the new way of doing things. (The limited scale for instance is a big issue for many. It's why despite many people making great designs, the most common mistake for more experienced artists is a lack of contrast.) Trust me when I say, you do need a reference to not get lost on the first couple of designs, no matter your level of expertise. Most common issues here are just people not understanding where or how to make folds and shadows, especially on such a reduced scale. I am creative enough to not need a reference. Well, kinda see point above. People rarely use references because they aren't able to imagine how clothes look. They use references to understand how clothes act on a body. I don't tell you to look up the reference of a white tank top because I don't trust you to know what that looks like. I want you to analyse the colours it has to make it look white (because it's not just pure white, there's also shading and highlights going on). I tell you to use a reference so you know how different cuts look on different body types. Do you see how both of these arguments are abolished? Using a reference is not about your skill level or a reflection of your creativity. Using a reference is purely a helping device to understand colour and shading. Using a reference doesn't mean you have to 100% copy what's going on in the picture either. You can use it and make it your own. But that only works if you really understand what the reference is showing you. [Redacted because talk about other sites and not necessary for this blog.] Now when it comes to the whole reproduction thing ... There are some people who struggle with the differentiation between copying and reproducing. And it's actually rather easy. When you copy, you either literally use the copy paste function of your device or you trace the lines and shadings of the original reference. That's obviously not allowed. You have to make everything from scratch. But you can go ahead and reproduce something. You can try to recreate the shape of something as well as you can without tracing or counting the pixels. You can look where the folds on the reference are and place them in the same space on your design. When doing these things completely from scratch, your design will look a lot like the reference. But you won't be able to cut out the reference, size it down and overlay completely over your design. It just won't match. You also won't be able to make all the folds and lines match up. Because you tried recreating it and did not actually copy. There are people who say that reproducing is just lazy and does not require any amount of "talent" (which, again, kind of a bullshit notion, read my blog about it to know more) and is just as wrong as copying. And yeah, in some instances it might be wrong (see copyright). But most of the time, it's neither. I still need the same amount of time to work on a design when I try reproducing something as I do when I try to make something completely my own. It takes the same amount of energy and frustration. The endresult is just often way better. Also, just because you use a reference, does not mean your design will be perfect. You still have to learn how to design and how to adapt your personal style do the canvas. You still have to learn the skill. So yeah, if you want to be elitist about the idea of talent, then of course someone just skilled and able to recreate but not really having any personal input on what could look good when combined together is not as good as someone who can come up with crazy concepts on their own. But they are not talentless. They are not undeserving. And they might, sometimes, still be better designers than you are. (Also, where do you draw the line? Because then you also have to shame people who aren't able to dress "stylish" without the help of influencers guiding the way of what is in right now. Just food for thought.) |
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