Drawing with Intention: A Professional Approach to Working from Photographs

A guide for coloured pencil artists seeking to move beyond the reference image

For many artists—especially those at the beginning of their journey—using a photo as a reference can feel like a lifeline. It provides structure, clarity, and a ready-made subject. But there's a quiet trap hidden in that comfort: the tendency to copy a photo exactly, without question. Every petal, wrinkle, and shadow is rendered as it appears, and the assumption is that this kind of accuracy makes a stronger piece of art.

But realism is not replication. Drawing is not photocopying. It’s about making choices, interpreting light, shaping focus, and infusing meaning. Your photograph is not the final word—it’s simply a prompt.

This shift in mindset is something I bring to every single drawing I create. My process is deeply intentional. I use loose lines and no solvents, although it looks controlled and smooth from a distance—I intentionally want the paper to speak through the work, to remain present as texture, as breath, and the tooth on the paper often dictates textures on the skin of my subjects. I don’t see the photo reference as the result I must strive for but simply a tool towards the act of creating. I rearrange compositions constantly: adding, removing, shifting elements to better align with the message I’m trying to convey. Authenticity is essential. It’s not about copying an image—it’s about transforming it.

To demonstrate this idea more clearly, I’ll walk through how I would approach drawing a lotus flower and bud based on a reference photo I found on Pixabay. I’ll also add in a few portrait pieces and photo references to demonstrate this on a more complicated scale. I often use simple reference images to help illustrate an idea, and this floral can do just that. The image serves as a useful starting point, but without thoughtful changes, it wouldn’t have led to a successful drawing that speaks to the aesthetics I work towards in my art. I’ll break this process into five core steps—each rooted in making intentional decisions.

---

Beautiful Lotus and Bud used a starting point for my inspiration

1. Begin with Purpose, Not Perfection

Before you begin, ask yourself: What do I want to convey in this drawing? Also, ask yourself about the reference image you’re using: “What draws me to this image?”

For me, it was the elegance of the lotus shape, the symbolism of the flower, and the contrast between the bud and the open bloom. But the photo also had elements I didn’t care for—a bland background, poor spatial balance, and a lighting scenario that felt flat.

Start with a few essential questions:

• What specifically appeals to me in this reference?

• What can be removed or changed to strengthen the final drawing?

• Am I responding to the subject itself, or the mood and atmosphere it suggests?

• How can I reframe this image to match my artistic voice?

A photograph is not a rulebook—it’s a tool. Use it selectively and you’ll begin to see your drawing as a creative reinterpretation, not a facsimile.

---

Tip for your own work: Circle or isolate the key element that draws you in. Ask yourself what role the rest of the image plait doesn’t support your focal point, consider removing it.

2. Rebuild the Composition with Purpose

Rather than sticking to the original framing, I draw thumbnail sketches to explore better options. In the original image, the flower was dead center. It gave the image a static, overly formal feeling. By shifting the lotus slightly off to the left and adding more negative space to the right, I created a sense of quiet movement and breath.

In the thumbnails, I also tried cropping in closer to the bloom, zooming out to include more stem, and rotating the flower. This experimentation led me to a stronger arrangement where the bloom and bud formed a subtle diagonal—leading the eye throughout the page. You can also see in my portrait drawing sketch I did the same thing. I intentionally reframed the elements that the subject brought to the table, and I combined two different photos: one of her hands holding the sweetgrass and one with the blanket over her shoulder. This made much more sense to me in terms of layout and elements I wanted to display/talk about in this image.

---

---

• I began with a drawing app on my iPad and my Apple Pencil, crafting six thumbnails to visualize my ideas. Thumbnails should only take a few seconds to draw.

• In each thumbnail, I applied the rule of thirds, to ensure a balanced and engaging composition.

• Before diving in, I thoughtfully determined which elements to integrate and which to exclude, striving for a simple yet open contemporary aesthetic.

• My vision was to evoke a sense of dynamic movement, drawing the viewer's eye throughout the piece. What is your vision?

• At the heart of my design, I aimed for a strong focal point that would captivate and hold attention.

---

Tip: Thumbnail sketches (2"–3" quick versions of your composition) help you rearrange elements without committing to your final surface. Don’t be afraid to move, rotate, or crop what’s in the original photo.

---

3. Focus on Values Before Colour

When drawing with colour the media is important—but value is what builds structure and realism. The lotus photo had decent contrast, but I wanted it to be more pronounced. The bloom and background were both midtones, which flattened the image. I also knew I was going to eliminate the background so i was more focused on the main subject and added elements in contrast to the stark white and the feel I attempt to get in all my floral works.

---

---

I converted the image to black and white and immediately saw the problem: the darkest darks were nowhere near the flower, and the shadows between the petals were too soft to suggest depth.

To correct this, I deepened the values in the petal overlaps and under the bloom’s cup, giving the drawing more visual weight.

---

---

Tip: Use grayscale versions of your reference to map light and shadow. Create a value scale, then decide where your drawing’s darkest dark and lightest light will fall—ideally at or near your focal point.

---

4. Use Colour to Enhance the Mood

The photo’s colours were pleasant but uninspired: a flat pink bloom, green leaves, and a grayish background. Instead of matching these colours exactly, I chose to shift the palette to create a more emotional tone.

The petals became a mix of pink and violet, layered with cooler undertones in the shadows. I warmed up the highlights on the petals to give them a soft glow, enhancing the sense of light coming from above.

---

---

Tip: Ask yourself what mood you want your drawing to convey. Don’t feel bound to the reference colours—adjust hue, saturation, and temperature to build atmosphere.

---

5. Infuse Meaning Through Subtle Changes

What elevates a drawing beyond technical skill is the story it tells. By making small but deliberate edits to the original photo, I was able to shift the meaning of the image.

In the drawing, I added a second, less prominent bud, tucked into the negative space to the left. This created a subtle dialogue between the two forms—a conversation about growth, cycles, and potential.

In its final form, the drawing no longer resembled a product photo—it became a meditative study of beauty in transition.

---

---

Tip: Think beyond likeness. Consider what idea or emotion you want to express and how you can use space, form, and symbolism to support that.

---

Final Thoughts: Draw What You See—But More Importantly, What You Feel

I use this approach in every drawing I make. I never copy a photo blindly. Instead, I reshape, rearrange, and refine until the composition aligns with the message I want to convey. My lines remain loose and layered—I never use solvents—because I want the paper to breathe through the drawing. The texture and presence of the surface matter to me. They’re part of the story. You'll also notice that the bud and flower are not a transfer, they are from observation and I encourage you to draw in this way at all times.

Authenticity in my work doesn’t come from technical perfection. It comes from intention. From choosing what to draw, how to draw it, and why it matters.

So the next time you sit down with a photo reference, pause. Ask not how do I copy this? but what do I want this to become?That’s where the art begins. That’s where your voice lives.

---

If you want to see me in action drawing this flower check out my YouTube video on drawing this lotus here:

---

—Jeannette SiroisColoured Pencil Artist | Educator | Visual Storyteller

Learn more about my approach, view in-progress works, and access resources for coloured pencil artists at www.jeannettesirois.com, or connect with me on Instagram @jeannettesirois.