Photobashing isn’t just for hyperreal concept artists, it's an incredible tool for illustrators and graphic designers who want to build fast, flexible references.
In this tutorial, you'll learn how to take a weird idea, gather visual assets, and turn the chaos into a structured sketch ready for inking and color.
Before you grab a single photo, thumbnail your idea. These should be quick, rough sketches focused on composition, shapes, and vibes (not anatomy or details).
Think of it as visual brainstorming. Thumbnails will keep your photobash focused and save you time later when choosing assets.
Make a list of the visual elements you need, then go hunting. Use public domain sources, your own photos, or licensed stock.
Don’t worry about finding the perfect image. Look for usable pieces. Once you’ve got a batch, dump them into Procreate, each on its own layer.
Using your thumbnail as a guide, start placing your images. Trim backgrounds quickly (don’t worry about perfection), scale and rotate elements, and begin to block in your composition.
This is a messy collage stage, accuracy over beauty. Focus on getting your reference into the general shape of your sketch.
If you plan to draw directly over the photobash, it helps to clean it up. Tighten up your selections, adjust hues and saturation so everything feels cohesive, and make any last tweaks to your composition.
This step isn’t essential, but it makes your final drawing stage much easier.
Lower the opacity of your bash and start a new sketch layer. Use this to trace over the major shapes, locking in perspective and structure.
Once that’s down, do a clean sketch pass. This is where your art starts to feel like your own. When ready, ink with your favorite pen brush and move into color.
Photobashing is a powerful way to bring your wildest ideas to life fast.
By combining loose sketches, smart asset gathering, and a bit of digital collage chaos, you can create rock-solid references that guide your final art without boxing in your creativity.
Whether you're illustrating a comic panel or designing a poster, this process helps you stay focused and produce work that’s both imaginative and accurate.
