There’s something incredibly satisfying about painting from a photo you’ve taken yourself. It turns the creative process into something richer and more personal. Instead of scrolling Pinterest for hours (though I still love doing that sometimes!), I’ve found that using my own reference photos to create my paintings, has become an extension of my artistic outlet.
It starts with observation.
🤍Noticing the way light hits my breakfast table.
🤍Noticing a quiet moment with my dog, Alys.
🤍 Setting up my camera on a timer to capture a snippet of my yoga practice.
These photos hold memories, feelings, and context that stock images can’t. When I sit down to paint from my own references, I’m not just copying an image, I’m reliving a moment.
Some of my favourite artworks have come from my own photos:
🧘🏽♀️ Yoga self-portraits – for my ‘home body’ collection, I photograph myself in different asana, capturing the shape and energy of a specific moment in my yoga practice. You can read more about this collection here.
👴🏽 My grandad’s portrait – I took this photo after a long walk up some castle steps with my grandad. It’s a moment with him that I truely treasure. You can read more about the painting here.
🐶 Alys and my partner in a kayak – a photo I snapped on a peaceful day out kayaking on a lake, later turned into a soft watercolour painting. I chose this reference by scrolling my camera roll one day, when I wasn’t sure what to paint.
Of course, I still sometimes combine Pinterest images for inspiration, especially when studying lighting, colour palettes, or anatomy. But I always find it more satisfying when the core reference is something I’ve captured myself. It feels authentic. It feels more like my own.
Every time I use my own reference photo, I feel:
🫶🏽 more connected to my subject
🎨 more invested in the creative process
📷 more mindful of everyday beauty
🌻 more satisfied with the final painting
It turns the act of painting into a full-circle experience – from seeing, to capturing, to creating.
From a psychological perspective, using your own references enhances creative engagement and intrinsic motivation. According to research, we’re more likely to enter a state of creative flow when working with personally meaningful material (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996).
Additionally, self-referential imagery activates areas of the brain linked to memory, emotion, and identity (Andrews-Hanna et al., 2014). This means that painting from your own photos can create a stronger emotional connection to your work, making the process more rewarding and even therapeutic.
Using your own references also promotes mindful observation—the act of truly seeing what’s around you, which in itself can reduce stress and enhance wellbeing (van der Vennet & Serice, 2012).
When choosing a reference photo, it’s important to consider copyright and usage rights. This is especially true if you plan to sell your artwork or share it publicly. Most images found on Pinterest or Google are protected by copyright, even if they appear widely online. Using these images without permission can lead to legal and ethical concerns (Australian Copyright Council, 2019).
By using your own reference photos, you eliminate this worry entirely.
🤍 You own the rights to the image.
🤍 You know exactly where it came from.
🤍 You’re building a body of original, personal work.
If I do use external references, I make sure they are free to use (e.g., from Wikimedia Commons or royalty-free image libraries) and properly attributed if required. If I use Pinterest, I make sure I modify and/or combine references to ensure the final artwork is transformative and reflective of my own creative process.
But truthfully, nothing feels better than painting from a moment I captured myself. It’s safe, authentic, and deeply rewarding.
Moving forward, I plan to take even more of my own reference photos. Whether it’s snapping moments in nature, photographing my yoga practice, or setting up simple still lifes in my studio, I hope to keep growing this part of my creative process.
If you’re an artist, I encourage you to give it a try. Start with your camera roll. Look for photos that hold a little meaning for you and see how they feel to paint. You might be surprised by how much more connected you feel to your work.
If you’re in the mood to read more, you can browse through all my other articles to find something that interests you 👩🏽🎨🌻🤍
☼ Andrews-Hanna, J. R., Smallwood, J., & Spreng, R. N. (2014). The default network and self-generated thought: Component processes, dynamic control, and clinical relevance. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1316(1), 29–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12360
☼ Australian Copyright Council. (2019). Artists & copyright (Information Sheet G033v10). https://www.copyright.org.au
☼ Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. Harper Perennial.
☼ van der Vennet, R., & Serice, S. (2012). Can coloring mandalas reduce anxiety? A replication study. Art Therapy, 29(2), 87-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2012.680047
☼ Wong, L. (2013). Copyright and the visual arts. Journal of Visual Art Practice, 12(2), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1386/jvap.12.2.109_1
☼ Why do I prefer using my own reference photos for painting?
☼ How does taking your own photos enhance the creative process?
☼ What are the psychological benefits of using personal references in art?
☼ How do self-sourced reference photos support mindfulness and satisfaction?
☼ What are the copyright considerations when using Pinterest or online images as references?
☼ How does using your own photos eliminate copyright concerns for artists?
☼ Can combining multiple references still be a safe and creative option?
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hi, i’m sarah, an australian artist head-over-heels for watercolour & creative practice- it truely is good for your soul.
& this ↑, is my girl alys.
i am completely self-taught in all the mediums i use & i am here to share everything i know with you!
i write about all things creativity, watercolour, gouache, hand-made ceramics, collecting art, & my own artistic process. I have degrees in human psychology & veterinary medicine- so you might find some sporadic related facts in my writing.
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