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                     Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:18 pm
		     
             
             
             
                    
                        
                            
                                                                    
        
        
        
			            I've been working on drawing architecture from the Caribbean, but since I don't have any way to see it in real life I have been basically eyeballing photographs to practice.  In any other aspect of drawing I see this as a bad thing because I personally do not believe that being a photocopier is the same thing as producing art.
  How would y'all reconcile the inability to personally experience something you want to draw with the belief that copying a photograph directly, rather than just referencing it, is wrong?
  I hope that makes sense.  Basically, how do you learn to draw an environment/background when you can't draw from your own personal experience?  I guess this also applies to creating backgrounds for fantasy art.         
        
        
		        
		         
     
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                     Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:39 pm
		     
             
             
             
                    
                        
                            
                                                                    
        
        
        
			            Eyeball lots for practice, then do something different when you do an artwork that will actually be displayed. 
  Alternatively, if you're reasonably good at drawing architecture of other kinds, you can probably use some photo references without totally eyeballing them. So if you don't feel confident enough about your general architecture drawing skills, you can practice drawing architecture around you first.         
        
        
		        
		         
     
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                     Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:04 pm
		     
             
             
             
                    
                        
                            
                                                                    
        
        
        
			            I don't know what you mean by Caribbean architecture but all new forms of architecture encompass ideas from old ones. It should be fairly simple to combine these ideas together. If it is a highly technically piece then everyone would have to reference at some point, unless they invented it. I don't really have any problems with referencing though, so I guess I can't answer your question.
  Another way to look at this is by what you want in your drawing. Say you want a magical faerie village in a flower kingdom. You could split it in to the different elements.  Tree Flower Grass Kingdom   Castle   Wall   Brick   Road   Gate   Shack
  You may have never seen a magical faerie village in a flower kingdom but you have seen everything in one. It is probably only because I wanted to be an landscape designer when I was little, but I find that listing everything makes it easier.         
        
        
		        
		         
     
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                     Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:06 am
		     
             
             
             
                    
                        
                            
                                                                
    
    
    
        
        
                You could also take a look at some  photographs like you have, and make one drawing using different characteristics from each picture, this way, making a new  one withouh truly copying exactly from one pic. Another thing could be visiting websites for vacation spots in the Caribbean and looking for architecture there. Good luck!      
    
    
        
         
 
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                     Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:35 am
		     
             
             
             
                    
                        
                            
                                                                    
        
        
        
			            I agree with lalamariana. Break down the architecture you are working on to understand what makes it then you should be able to create your own and make it look like something from the same area. This should keep you from copy, but makes great use of your reference.         
        
        
		        
		         
     
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                     Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:47 pm
		     
             
             
             
                    
                        
                            
                                                                    
        
        
        
			            In architecture, learning why and how things are built can be really helpful. If you understand why buildings are built the way they are, it makes your work more believable and gives you more room to move. Then once you have a proper knowledge of the definitive aspects of the style you're creating, you should be able to create that style yourself.  It's important to know why for instance, a building is built on stilts, or a building has a roof that has a really sharp peak. Without knowing it can be easy to use them, in fantasy illustration especially, in the wrong context which makes it loose believability.         
        
        
		        
		         
     
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