graphic design, freelancing, illustration, advertising, web design

If you are a budding artists, character designer or illustrator there are bound to be times when you need human figure reference. I was recently looking for some books to help with figure drawing and showed different poses but in the process of searching came across a website that could really help.

Characterdesigns.com is a website which provides resources and information for artists, illustrators and designers, one of these resources being figure reference photos of people in different poses. There are several sets of photo poses which you can chose from a drop down menu. The figures include action, facial expression, nudes and figures in costume. Although some are a little rigid/posed they are a good starting point for getting proportions etc right.

Also on the site are photos of events such as fashion shows and anime expos, all again which can act as good reference for drawing the human figure. There is also a section where artists and illustrators can display there work and a forum too. As this site grows I think it could become an excellent resource for artists and designers alike.

I stumbled on squidoo about six months ago but to be honest never really took to much notice of it. Squidoo is a platform where you share your experience of subjects you feel you have a good knowledge of and like I say I hadn’t really thought any more about it until I stumbled across a lens (post) by Gannon Beck - an illustrator called Learn to be an Illustrator. This post is fairly indepth and while the illustrator does not provide his own tutorials he splits his lens/post into sections which work you through the stages of improving your drawing skills via:

• the first books you should read
• Youtube videos explaining perspective
• Drawing supplies
• The next books to read
• More drawing instruction - sketching and figure drawing

He then moves on to his recommendations for learning to paint and draw cartoons.

If you are looking at improving your drawing skills as a designer or illustrator, or a student just starting out this site may be worth a look.

While you are on the Squidoo try a few more graphic design related searches, I am surprised at the amount of information on there and think I may have dismissed the site too quickly.

I came across a site called Imagekind which allows artists, designers and illustrators to sell prints of their designs online with no initial outlay. I know cafepress and similar sites offer the ability to customise a lot of different items but this site seems to specialise in prints and offers buyers the opportunity to have the prints framed for which the artist also receives a commission.

Designers can have a free account which allows them to upload a maximum of 24 images (you can pay to upload more). You then choose how much you want to mark up your print price (your commission). You then market your site - perhaps with a link from your design blog, images can also be found through a search on Imagekind itself.

I haven’t tried the service but would love to hear from anyone that has.