Hello! Do you usually use references for drawing clothing? It always looks so real, the newest painting of yours included <3

hi! thank you!!

*getting on my soapbox of Fellow Artists Please Use References*

short answer is, yes i do!

long answer is, i usually use like a dozen references for one illustration alone; if i’m drawing, say, a silk skirt, i google “silk skirt” and study all the shit that comes up to better understand a) the texture of silk and how it reflects light and b) the density of silk and what kind of folds it creates. and then mash all of that up into my own silk skirt! sometimes i also take my own pictures when i’m having trouble figuring out how the fabric will hang from/wrap around a certain body part in a certain position. for example, the tunic in the latest painting was referenced from a real shirt that my roommate owns! i modified the garment in my picture (it’s a different color irl and is a button-up shirt and not a tunic with voluminous sleeves and a wide sash) but taking and studying that reference photo was immensely helpful. so ye! references everybody