Memory Is Fine, But....

I did a small impromptu experiment today. Usually when I take notes during meetings it is in sketch form. It gives me practice visualizing imagery to go with words and keeps me interested. After the meeting I still had some space on the page so I drew Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. Since I was working solely on memory I could tell it was off. (See the sketch marked 'memory').

My uncontrollable urge to get things right led me to find an image of "Doof" online and copy it down (see the drawing marked 'reference'). 

Evaluating the two images made me realize how important reference really is in creating a convincing illustration. With the "memory" Doof, I got the general shape of his chin and nose but I had only a vague idea of his hair and mouth. 

"Reference" Doof captures his likeness and all the nuances that make it a convincing representation of our favorite member of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N.

This is a demonstration of how important it is to have clear reference when creating final art. Knowing what something looks like is not the same as having the object in front of you so you can capture nuances. Of course, knowing the general shape of something is vital for getting a quick representation for a preliminary sketch when accuracy is not as necessary. 

Both a working memory and good reference are important in the construction process of great illustrations.