Choosing a reference photo might sound like the easiest part of starting a coloured pencil drawing.

If you’re working on a commission, it can be fairly straightforward. Your client may send you a handful of photographs, have a favourite already, or one image might naturally stand out because it has the best composition.

But what happens when you’re drawing for yourself?

How do you choose a reference photo that excites you, suits your skills and still feels enjoyable several hours – or even several weeks – later?

The right reference photo can make your coloured pencil drawing feel far less overwhelming. Here are the things I think about before beginning a new piece.

Choose a Subject That Excites You

This is my biggest piece of advice.

Don’t choose something because you think you should draw it or because it might impress somebody else.

Choose the photograph that makes you desperate to pick up your pencils.

The one you keep returning to.

The one you can’t stop thinking about.

Coloured pencil is a slow, layered medium, so if you’re going to spend hours creating realistic fur, feathers or eyes, it really helps to love your subject.

Stop Searching for the Perfect Photo

If you use Pinterest, Pexels or Unsplash, you’ll know how easy it is to lose an hour scrolling.

You convince yourself the perfect reference photo must be just one more click away, and before long, you’ve looked at hundreds of images without starting your drawing.

Honestly, I’d say 99% of the time, you’ve already found the right photograph within the first few minutes.

Instead of endlessly searching, decide what you want before you begin.

Create a Simple Reference Photo Wish List

Have a quick think about the type of drawing you’d like to create.

You might look for:

• Dramatic or soft lighting
• Bright or subtle colours
• A dog, cat, horse, wildlife subject or portrait
• A background – or no background at all
• Everything in focus
• A softly blurred foreground
• Particular colours you’d enjoy using

You don’t need to tick every box. Having a rough idea of what you definitely do and don’t want simply makes it easier to create a shortlist.

Think About the Experience You Want

Ask yourself:

Do I want this drawing to challenge me, or do I want to relax and enjoy the process?

Personally, I love choosing subjects that really push my skills.

You might prefer something familiar and calming.

Neither is right or wrong. The important thing is choosing a drawing that matches the experience you want.

Build Confidence Without Learning Everything at Once

It’s easy to accidentally make a drawing much harder than it needs to be.

You choose a subject you’ve never drawn before, on a surface you’ve never used, with pencils you’re still getting to know – then add dramatic lighting and complicated fur!

Instead, introduce just one or two new challenges at a time.

Perhaps you’ve already drawn a Labrador and now want to try a fox because the fur direction feels familiar. Or maybe you’ve learned how to create smooth fur and want to move towards something slightly fluffier.

Little steps build confidence far more quickly than trying to master everything in one drawing.

Reuse Techniques and Colours You Already Know

You’re never really starting from scratch.

If you’ve completed a tutorial using warm chestnut colours, choose another subject with a similar colour palette.

If you’ve learned how to draw soft fur, look for another animal that allows you to practise the same techniques. Building on what you already know makes your next coloured pencil drawing feel much more manageable.

Use Tutorials as Stepping Stones

One approach that works brilliantly for many of my students is choosing a reference photo that’s similar to a tutorial they’ve already completed.

Play the tutorial while you work, but apply the techniques and thought process to your own photograph.

It gives you guidance without making every decision for you.

Before long, you’ll realise you’re choosing colours, adapting techniques and solving problems much more independently.

That’s exactly how artistic confidence grows.

Choose a Drawing That Fits Your Time

Be realistic about the time you have available.

Not every drawing needs to be a huge masterpiece.

For a quicker coloured pencil project, you might choose:

• A smaller subject
• No background
• Simpler fur
• A close-up study rather than a full portrait

A spaniel ear is always going to take longer than a Labrador ear!

Sometimes completing a smaller drawing gives you far more confidence than leaving an enormous one half finished.

Draw What You Love. Love What You Draw.

Above everything else, choose a photograph that fills you with excitement.

The one you can’t wait to sit down and draw.

The one you’re still thinking about after you’ve closed your laptop.

Because when you genuinely love your subject, picking up your coloured pencils stops feeling like another task on your list…

…and becomes the best part of your day.

Trust your instincts.

Stop scrolling.

Start drawing.