Articles
Workflows for collecting and studying reference material, plus sourced app comparisons.
Reference board apps for artists, compared by workflow
Compare nine tools for keeping a project together, studying its references, managing a desktop asset library, or moving between devices.-
ArtDeck and VizRef, compared for iPad
Compare the familiar VizRef canvas with ArtDeck across mixed media, motion study, study tools, and Apple devices. -
ArtDeck and PureRef, compared for iPad and Mac
PureRef is desktop only. Compare its window controls with ArtDeck's iPad support, video reference, and image study, plus how an existing board moves across. -
Apple Freeform vs ArtDeck for reference boards
Compare Freeform's free collaborative canvas with ArtDeck's per-board sync and built-in tools for value, color, composition, and motion. -
Build a reference board without leaving the drawing
Keep your references next to an iPad drawing or animation app, with setup notes for Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, Fresco, Procreate Dreams, and ToonSquid. -
Keep your references next to Procreate
Arrange your images in ArtDeck, share the screen with Procreate, and open the study tools whenever you want a closer look. -
Read timing and spacing from video reference
Slow a clip down, count the frames between key poses, and read spacing with onion skinning before you animate. -
Study a reference without copying it
Choose one visual question, make a small study, check it against the source, then redraw the idea from memory or use it in a new image. -
Keep large reference boards in local iPad storage
Keep an ArtDeck board editable on one iPad, then remove ArtDeck's cloud data only after every local copy and original file is checked. -
Get a video file back out of a reference board
Copy one video, GIF, image, link, or note from an ArtDeck board without flattening the useful content into a picture of the canvas. -
Turn Pinterest art references into a board you can work from
Choose the Pins that answer a question in the current piece, then keep each image with its original source on a smaller working board.