dajo42

no yeah ive been putting liquefied autism into the water supply of a small town. yeah mhm. no it doesnt pay its. yeah kind of a voluntary position more just a hobby. yeah exactly. yeah they all drink the autism

anomalous-skink

text reading: canonkiller's simplified ref sheet tipsALT
a simple drawing of a cat with the text "KITTY" written in larger font and "house cat, adult" written in smaller font next to it. the caption reads: 1. clear distinctions between name and other information (font size, color, etc)ALT
the same cat, now colored white and orange on a contrasting blue background. the caption reads: 2. background that contrasts the character's colors, for easy readabilityALT
the same cat, now with two added details: a cat's paw in a speech bubble shape pointing to the front legs, and a cat's eye in a speech bubble shape pointing towards the face. the caption reads: 3. details (written or visual) placed close to their relevant locations - harder to miss!ALT
the same cat, now with a color palette next to it shaped like a cat's paw. the caption reads: 4. clear unblended color palette using simple, large shapes (easier to color pick)ALT

simple little ref sheet guide with some tips relevant for any amount of detail! With Art Fight season around the corner they're some good things to keep in mind :)

other miscellaneous tips

  • if your character has detailed markings that need to be accurate (like tattoos), place the reference for it on a rectangular transparent section so it can be selected easily for copy/paste!
  • if your reference is for art purposes, try to keep it relevant to art! lore can help, but a lot of backstory text can make it difficult to tell what's important when drawing them
  • important things to include as written details are heights, weights / body types, pointing out any intentionally unusual proportions, and other things that may be interpreted as an art style (or that your reference may not accurately convey)!
  • if you can't draw something the way you want others to draw it, you can just insert other photos / screencaps for others to reference!
  • always have a SFW version. not one with censor blocks over the bits, I mean one that doesn't have the bits out at all. put some underwear on that beast. it's common courtesy.
  • ADD ALT TEXT. write a description of your character! bullet point lists of succinct traits are clearest for artists to work with when commissioned. having both a written and visual reference makes it possible to verify things

image

addition because I know matching color vibes or having detailed pattern backgrounds is all the rage with furries rn: if you can't tell where the character is when you blur the pic, it is not a readable reference