Frostbite Studios

In Depth Drawing Tutorial - pt. 2A

Added 2025-11-23 04:51:18 +0000 UTC

Hey there Cerulean Patrons!

Here’s Part 2A of my in-depth drawing tutorial video. (Had to split it into two posts since Patreon wouldn’t upload the 11 minute version) This second part goes over gathering reference, sketching anatomy, inking, flat colors, and color pallets.

Honestly, your biggest takeaway from this part might be: “Wow, Frostbite… you use a LOT of reference.”

And honestly? Fair.

When I was a young artist, I was told— incorrectly— that using reference was “cheating,” that real skill meant drawing everything from your head. Do you know where that mindset got me? Terrible anatomy. Slowed improvement. Years of drawing without actually getting better. Reference isn’t a crutch, it’s a tool. Using it builds the visual library you rely on when you draw without it. But if you never use reference, you never build that foundation in the first place. So if anything, I hope this part encourages you not to shy away from reference but embrace it!

Had to keep a lot of my talking points fairly short here for time-sake, but hopefully it all makes sense and is helpful. If you have any questions, comment and I’ll do my best to clarify!