The reference photo is the most important part of commissioning anyone to do a portrait for you, at the end of the day the final drawing will only ever be as detailed as the original reference image(s) that you supply.

For fan art or celebrity portraits, good references should be easy to find. I would also search for some myself and choose a reference both you and myself are happy with.

For personal images such as pets or family portraits, a suitable image has visible detail, good lighting and is not blurry. I am happy to look through images and discuss what does and doesn't work until we are both happy with the final choice.

Here are some examples of references I have used for previous customers