Free Photos for Artists

Reference photos for artists to paint or draw

"Are you looking for free reference photos or images to paint?"

Our photos are completely free. No subscriptions, memberships or hidden fees. Just go to the free galleries, click on the images to download and you can start painting in seconds . . .

"Do you paint from reference photos?"

If not, is it because you feel that true artists don't use photos or is it because you can't find suitable photos to use? Browsing through our free galleries will solve the lack of photos for you.

"Jack Vettriano paints from photos"

Initially he kept this a secret because 'certain people in the art world frown upon the use of photos'.

Now though, he doesn't care who knows. Why should he? And why should anyone else?

If you have spent fruitless hours searching for suitable reference photo to paint and you find time looking, rather than painting . . . well, frustrating, wouldn't galleries of photos published specifically for artists whet your appetite?

Photos4artists offers a wide variety of high quality, mega pixel and copyright free photos for artists of all abilities to use as reference for their art.

Whether you are world renowned or just beginning, a quick search of our free galleries will uncover dynamic photos that can be painted with little or no adjustment to the composition. You will also find plenty of subject photos to add interest or life to existing backgrounds.

Mega pixel isn't just a throw away phrase. We believe high resolution to be useful as it gives you the ability to zoom in for detail that many other photos on the Internet just do not provide.

Our photos are all taken in-house to ensure that all conform to the same philosophy. If you haven't already discovered, the fact is that not every quaint or pictorial photo makes good reference material. We also give you good sized thumbnails, which allows you to quickly and clearly see whether or not the image is one you wish to enlarge.

Feel free to contact us with suggestions for future subjects; we even welcome criticisms should you feel the need.

"What is Photos4artists all about?"

Simple. To provide royalty free, stock photos for artists to use as reference for their paintings or drawings.

Why is photos4artists different from many other stock photo resources on the Internet? Again the answer is simple. For a start, the photos on this site completely free. They are aimed solely at artists; to be used by artists as reference for their paintings. Being pleasing on the eye is a bonus, not a raison d'etre.

Take a look inside the free galleries and you will find photos of landscapes, seascapes, boats, tractors, bridges, canals and all manner of similar subjects, taken from a variety of angles, all of which will enhance the design of your picture.

Street scenes follow the classic design and single buildings are mostly shot from a dynamic angle; though this depends on the intended use. Some buildings make an attractive painting when viewed head on, though this very much depends on the individual appeal of the building.

Where a photo is intended to be used as a picture in its own right a winding river or a road will usually lead the eye to the centre of interest. Alternative lead ins such as country lanes with tyre or wheel tracks are also utilized where possible. Where this cannot be achieved the design needs to realize the same effect. This is where the classic Z design can play a part.

Of course, not every painting follows this ideal. Many artists paint trees and woodland in a loose style. Again we have photos to help, though still with a good eye on design. We can't paint for you and you wouldn't want us to, but we can provide the photo template.

While most of the photos on this site are intended to be used as reference photos for an entire picture, we also have many which are published for the purpose of adding additional interest to another picture. Examples might be telephone boxes or gates, brick walls or even figures.

Boats are an age old favourite and of these we have plenty. From a selection of narrow boats moored on a slow flowing canal to sea going trawlers and much more in between. We can't show you every photo here, but click on the links to the galleries and you can view every photo at your leisure.

The issue of copyright seems to concern many people. Our photos are royalty free to the extent that you may use our photos as reference for original artwork. In this respect there are no copyright restrictions. In fact, the site is intended for exactly that purpose.

Please read our Terms and Conditions for full details and the restrictions that apply to the use of the digital image.

Please also read details of our privacy policy.



All Photos Copyright © Photos4artists 2010