Hi all, until recently I’ve been mostly painting florals, all of my work either comes straight from my imagination or from my own or family members photographs, plus the odd one I’ve been lucky enough to have permission to use from some of my Instagram followers.
Recently though I’ve got the charcoal bug and have been wanting to draw faces, human and animal, some the portraits from my head others mostly horses from my head or from my own reference images, now, I’m really stuck where to get reference images from going forward, I’ve been in touch with a few animal charities to ask if I can reference their images and am waiting for replies and I’ve asked friends for photos too, my daughter is a brilliant greyhound source of photos so, just where do all my fellow artists get their reference images from? I am happy to pay for good photos I just don’t know where to start.
Also if anyone would be happy for me to use their own photos of themselves, or their pets (preferably dogs or horses ) I’ll be sure to credit you if I do use them and post on SM
Here’s one I made earlier (ref my daughters greyhound) I’m sharing just because
I paint mostly landscapes from my own en plein sketches and my own photographs.
For animals/ people, Pixabay carry a lot of royalty free images that you are free to use as a reference. Sometimes the photographer asks that you reference them (but not always).
The site also has links to licensed photos that you can stumble upon by accident, so be careful.
Hi Lynne, I’d be more than happy for you use photos of my dog Koko if you’d be interested. She’s a Newfoundland cross Alaskan Malamute.
Here’s a couple of photos
Thank you Chris, I’ve just our a post on Fb asking my horsey friends for photos, I’ve got about a million already 
I’ve looked at the free photo sites but to be honest it makes me nervous as you say some of them are not free and I’d hate to be accused of stealing images.
Aww she’s adorable, thank you Hilary,I’ll let you know if I douse any x
I only paint from my imagination as I worry a lot about copyright…so no one can accuse me of copying anything…although I do love to look at other people’s work for inspiration, but that is how we learn.x
This is such a lovely sensitive drawing! I’m sure if you want to do them you would have no shortage of requests for commissions.
I know exactly what you mean Brenda, use my imagination a lot for exactly the same reason. I was inspired to try charcoal following a day out to Derby museum to see the exhibition by Alison Lambert, I think it does us good to enjoy other artists work and yes we can learn so much from it can’t we.
Thank you Helen, I used to do commissions for pet portraits but while I loved doing them I worried so much about them being right I had to stop.
I love that portrait of your daughter’s hound Lynne @PaintedHorseArt
My own couch potato is glad you’ve got greyhounds covered as that means she hasn’t got to get up and strike a pose!
Lou (and Sadie) xx
She’s gorgeous, I grew up with Newfoundlands, obviously parents as well but the dogs were great to be around as a kid x
Thank you. We had a pure bred Newfoundland and a Leonberger before we got Koko, we like our big dogs!, and they are so lovely with children and you were lucky to grow up with them.
Very lucky, we had Bengy, then Barney and Bobby, who was a Landseer (another artist reference), together. Then my mum and dad rescued Rosey and she was my massive inheritance 
As a kid I always had to check my school blazer shoulders for dog drool before getting on the bus!
Oh gosh yes I don’t miss the drool, it got everywhere . As Koko is a cross we don’t get that problem, what we do have is a very large friendly dog that likes to run after things so can’t be let off lead unless she’s in a secure field!
Hi I am very happy for you to use pictures of our jack Russell Kipper x he is so loving but a little devil !
I’ve got lots of photos of my dog on my instagram grid you would be most welcome to use, if you want to draw hairy terrier types!
There’s a fab website called “Wildlife Reference Photos” - you have to pay for them, but you can get 5 images for £14 and despite the name there are domestic animals on there too. The photos are usually very good quality, I try and take my own reference photos where I can (I mostly draw animals) but I do use this website if I want to draw a specific animal I haven’t got a photo of!
Aww she’s beautiful, they’re such wonderful dogs aren’t they.
He’s adorable, thank you 