Years ago I made ref a passive part of my day by following interesting accounts on sites like this. Having history, art, science and just interesting things part YouTube suggestions. Watching documentaries and world cinema and just being open to any media just to see what sticks.
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Reading more about something when I find out about it with the likes of wiki and museum and gallery online collections that often lead to a wider spectrum of similar stuff. And reading and learning about the intresting thing so it’s more than an image but has context.
Feb 1, 2026 21:07And then just taking photos of the world around me everyday when I see something interesting even if I don’t need it in the moment. Having all that in the back of your mind is how my ref plays out now more than needing it for a specific moment and then searching.
The best advice I think for any and all artists is don’t get tunnel vision with only what lines up with your own art. You get stale end up just in a loop. Just be willing to try any thing new things even just once. Dont ignore something simply cos its not what your interested in at the moment.
The world is tens of thousands of years of history, art and stories. It’s impossible to know it all but also so much of it is ignored when making art especially games. Reading about an obscure esoteric subject maybe what leads to something new to so many when you put it in your art.
