I know I say that I'm kinda nuts for doing the amount of visual research I do, but at the same time: Specificity is SO much more compelling and real feeling, and imo not getting references often makes things look more amateur.
Eg. drawing a sofa- my mental image of a sofa is something like this:
Like. Its a sofa. It works. But it's not very convincing, the pillows are kinda wrong at the back, and it's not really giving any information about the owner. Even if you want a basic sofa... What kind of basic.
comfy and cheap?
kinda rigid?
inherited? ------
who does this comfy cheap ikea sofa belong to anyway?
guy living alone?
teenage girl?
Grandma?
Anyway I'll get off my soapbox but specificity is sexy and fun and it can do your storytelling for you!
I accidentally learnt a lot about sofas via drawing fantasy / historical comics and I feel like it made my art and my life better.
Like in one project I'm working on (set in early 1800s England) most sofas had a similar shape, but I tried to learn a bit extra so they still felt distinct!
It's also pre-mass production when most people couldn't actually AFFORD much clutter or variety, but I think there are still ways to show differences!
And not to be an insufferable nerd, but I do now sometimes notice BEAUTIFUL detailed fantasy art of eg. a rough, battered medieval tavern that also has the most luxuriously polished mahogany Victorian furniture of all time...
I too love a button-backed sofa, but is it always the MOMENT for one?
Is exact accuracy a huge deal or more important than storytelling? NO!!!! But usually you don't need to know anything about furniture to see the vibe is a little off, and a little visual research can add a lot to a drawing, and just be INTERESTING.
No, suitcases weren't a thing in 1800, yes I put them in anyway to give a VIBE
IMO in fantasy, being more specific and conscious of what realworld things you might be drawing from can help avoid 2nd-hand-fantasy orientalist, generic 'Eastern' settings, and gives you a chance to go look up cool craft and fabric art from around the world.
And honestly, looking up real historical settings taught me just how much European fashion, architecture and design has been deeply, inseparably intertwined with trade and colonialism in other parts of the world for thousands of years. (Persian rugs, mahogany furniture, so much wallpaper and almost all block and textile printing, dyes, colours, silk dresses, cotton anything. Anyone who tries to tell you traditional british culture means white culture is lying to you on more levels than you think.)
I just feel these are valuable things to be more conscious of in general, and made me more thoughtful about how everyday stuff gets designed and made.
But IF you do care about accuracy, specificity can also help you avoid accidentally drawing the default ikea chair of the mind into your space future / ancient China / 1400s Bohemia yaoi



















