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Reference Photos for Artists – Copyright-Free Drawing & Painting Ideas

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Download FREE to Use Reference Photos

Looking for high-quality reference photos for your next drawing or painting? This collection was created by traditional artists specifically for artists who need beautiful, unique images without copyright restrictions. You can use all the images from this website for free, for comercial and non-comercial purposes, with no atribution or credit reqired.

Join us and find over 100+ of the best free reference images.


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red apple photograph for artists to use as reference fro drawing painting
reference photo for painting snow leopard beautiful snowy landscape hills forest

What You Get with Your Membership

  • Access to a continually growing collection
  • 3 new reference images added EVERY day
  • Wide range of themes and subjects
  • Unlimited use of all downloaded images
  • Copyright-free usage
  • Use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes
  • Sell your artwork freely — no restrictions
  • No need to credit or attribute us
  • Images are yours forever
  • You’re free to create whatever you want, however you want


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New Reference Photos Every Day!

Stay inspired with fresh reference photos added daily. Every day you get new images to draw, paint, or design from — including portraits, animals, landscapes, still life, and creative subjects. Our collection keeps growing, so you'll never run out of ideas.


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colorful butterfly reference photo for drawing

Free Image Color Palette Generator

Upload your image and get instant color inspiration! This tool extracts dominant colors from your photo and displays them as clickable swatches - perfect for artists, designers, and creators. Tap any color to copy its hex code. It runs completely in your browser - no login, no subscription, and no data tracking.

Download Free Reference Photos for Artists – Full Collection

Here you can browse our growing collection of curated reference photos — updated daily. From animals and people to anatomy, landscapes, and creative subjects, we cover everything an artist might need. Just click on a thumbnail to open its page and download the image. All images are copyright-free and can be used for both commercial and non-commercial artwork.

Browse All Categories

People portraits facial anatomy hair hands reference photos for artists People & Anatomy
Animal animal photo references including lion, flamingo, and kingfisher for drawing Animals
Objects and still life reference photos glass, cake slice, and coffee cup Objects & Still Life
Landscape plants nature reference photos Landscapes & Plants
Textures and backgrounds reference photos Textures & Backgrounds
Abstract and creative photos Abstract & Creative

People & Anatomy

portrait face closeup reference photos female male Portraits
eye reference photos human closeup iris eyeball Eyes
hair reference photos human head back view hairstyle Hair
hands feet reference photos fingers toes poses anatomy Hands & Feet
mouth reference photos lips smile teeth closeup Mouth
nose reference photos human face side front view Noses

Portraits

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portrait asian boy smiling front view
portrait girl face front view natural light
laughing boy front view reference photo
black boy smiling front view
white boy happy smiling front view
boy looking in distance low light photo
Happy boy smiling tilt head photo
white boy looking up low light photo
young woman dimmed light photo long hair
black young woman studio light
portrait woman dappled light blind shadow face reference
portrait black woman face front view natural light
young woman looking away photo
asian woman hand on face low light photo looking softly
beautiful young woman looking left
woman cleopatra egyptian style
woman cleopatra egyptian
smiling woman cleopatra egyptian style
photo of a black young woman with soft expression
portrait photo young woman shiny glowing make up
asian young woman smiling holding her face with hands
young woman striped shadow light over her face
photo young woman lifte chin looking desire
spotted light illuminated face young white woman head
Black Woman Portrait Side view
Woman Portrait Side View
Black Laughing Woman Portrait
White Woman Laughing
Woman Freckles Face Curly Hair
Woman Laughing Make Up
Woman Laughing Side View
Woman Laughing Front View
Woman Portrait Make Up Long Hair
Woman Portrait Model
Woman Portrait No Makeup
Older Man Portrait
Older Woman Front View
Older Woman Portrait
warm looking young man head front view
Asian man photo head laughing smiling face
black man striped light over face
Black Man laughing happy
Happy White man laughing
black man photo portrait serious face
white man serious face
Asian man laughing
white man portrait half face shadowed
white man looking away portrait
black man face torso laughing muscles bodybuilder
black man face front view
Bearded Man Laughing
Man front view portrait photo
Asian man portrait photo front view
Happy Young Girl
Girl freckles face
Girl Ponitail Smiling Face
Little Girl Smiling Face
Brown-Eyed Girl Smiling Face
Young Girl Front View
Young Girl Smiling Front View
Young Girl Dark Ambient
Young Asian Girl Front View
Young Girl Freckles Face

Eyes

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Eye crying
Eyes Dark Skin Dipping Honey
Light Skin Eye Dipping Honey
close-up photo of an Asian man's eye
detailed photo of baby eye
close-up eye of a Black person
woman with brown eye close-up
close-up of young girl eye
young girl eye
hazel-colored human eye photo
hazel beautiful eye
close-up photo of a child eye
close-up of a kid blue eye
detailed photo of a man eye
close-up of elderly man eye
eye of older woman, natural close-up
close-up of elderly woman eye
eye photo of a pale-skinned person
close-up of a woman eye
eye of a woman with makeup applied
glossy makeup close-up on woman eye
eye of young girl with blue iris
photo of a young woman eye
Eye Young Person
Young Adult Eye
Young Woman with Glossy Makeup

Hair

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Curly Red Hair
Long Blonde Wavy Hair
Dark Wavy Hair
Medium Brown Straight Hair
Side Profile Light Brown Hair
Side Profile Blonde Hair
Blunt Bangs Haircut
Short Bob with Full Fringe
Long Loose Hair Curl
Golden Wavy Curl
Soft S Curl Shape
Orange Wavy Curl
Teal Dyed Wavy Hair
Straight Brown Side Hair
White Blonde Bob
Short Brown Male Hair
Golden Blonde Male Hair
Tight Red Curly Hair
Short Afro Black Hair
Low Red Bun
Blonde Ponytail Back View
Short Side View Male Hair
Dark Loose Curls
Short White Curly Hair
Short Ginger Afro
Wavy Long Blonde Hair
Short Black Male Hair Side
Long Straight Blonde Back
Dense Black Afro
Buzz Cut Man Eyes Closed

Hands & Feets

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Flexed Muscular Arm
Bent Arm Pose
Two Feet Toes Pointed Up
Two Feet Side View Raised Heels
Side View Foot Lifted
Foot Mid Step Pose
Toes Bent Forward Pose
Side Foot Forward Motion
Foot Side Pose Darker Skin
Two Hands Relaxed Pose
Open Palm Upward
Fist Front View
Hand Pointing Gesture
Elegant Finger Curl Pose
Hand Curl Side View
Two Hands Touching Tips
Open Hand Front View
Tight Fist Darker Skin
Extended Arm and Hand
Graceful Hand Twist Darker Skin

Mouth

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Open Mouth Expression
Smiling Mouth Side View
Natural Closed Lips
Puckered Lips Light Skin
Soft Closed Lips Expression
Cheerful Smile Expression
Smile with Dimples
Neutral Lips Brown Skin
Kissy Lips Brown Skin
Wide Open Laugh Expression
Relaxed Mouth Darker Skin
Bright Smile Darker Skin

Noses

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Front View Nose Soft Curve
Front View Flared Nostrils
Side View Nose Light Shadow
Profile Nose Slight Hook
Side View Short Nose
Front View Wide Nose Dark Skin
Angled Nose Prominent Bridge
Front Nostrils Flared Dark Skin

Animals

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Wild animals reference Wild Animals
Pets reference photos Pets
Insects reference photos Insects & Reptiles
Insects reference photos Birds
Insects reference photos Marine life
Insects reference photos Prehistoric Creatures

Wild Animals

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Big Cats

Choose Your Membership Plan

$19 USD / Week

  • Access to all reference photos.
  • Unlimited downloads — no extra fees per image.
  • Ideal for those who prefer flexibility.
  • Pay on a week-to-week basis.

$49 USD / Month

  • Access to all reference photos.
  • Unlimited downloads — no extra fees per image.
  • Access to the Color Palette Extractor (upload your own images).
  • Perfect for consistent creators.
  • Save compared to weekly pricing.

$199 USD / Year

  • Access to all reference photos.
  • Unlimited downloads — no extra fees per image.
  • Access to the Color Palette Extractor (upload your own images).
  • Best value for long-term artists.
  • Pay once for unlimited access all year.

Cancel any time. Prices are in USD. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Have a question? Contact us

Q&A Colored Pencil: Frequently Asked Questions

Are these images really free for use?
Yes, the reference images are free to use for creating artwork - including for commercial purposes. You may sell, print, or publish any artwork you make using these photos. However, the photos themselves may not be resold, redistributed, or uploaded to other platforms. As a member, you don't have to purchase images — the only thing you pay is a subscription fee for this website, starting at $3 per week, and you can download as many images as you want and use them freely.
Can I sell artwork I create using your reference photos?
Yes, you can sell any artwork you create using our reference photos. You fully own the rights to your original artwork.
Do I have to credit or give attribution?
No, you don’t have to credit or give attribution for any of the photos you download from this site as a member. If you'd like to share our photos with others, we simply ask that you link back to our website. Attribution is always appreciated, but never required.
How do I give Reference Photos for Artists credit?
If you want to give credit, simply link to our website or mention "Reference Photos for Artists" referencephotosforartists.com as your source.
Who selects the reference images for this site?
All images are carefully selected by our admins and moderators, who are real traditional artists. They draw, paint, and understand exactly which reference photos will look good as drawings or paintings. We choose the best images based on strong lighting, vibrant colors, and inspiring subjects.
What should I draw or paint next? Looking for ideas and inspiration?
Join us and you’ll get a daily dose of inspiration and motivation! We add new reference photos and creative ideas every day to help you decide what to draw or paint next.
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