SANJIESAN CREATOR / Reference exercises
Do not stretch a reference to make the board tidy
A board of equal rectangles can look organised while the objects inside them have been stretched into different proportions. Decide whether the reference is there for shape, material or atmosphere before fitting it into the layout. A tidy board should not quietly change the evidence it presents.
Write the purpose beside each reference
For a fictional environment study, label one image for a door shape, another for surface wear and another for a lighting mood. These are different uses of the source. Keep enough surrounding context to understand what you are studying. A tight crop may be suitable for a texture note but misleading for the proportions of a whole object. Preserve the source record separately; putting an image on a board does not establish permission to reproduce it in a final product.
Preserve shape while arranging the layout
Krita’s Reference Images Tool documents an option to keep aspect ratio. Check the relevant controls in the version you use, and compare the placed reference with its source before accepting the arrangement. Leave an uneven border or extra space if that avoids a distorted object. If a crop is deliberate, label it. Do not make the board imply that the cropped fragment is a complete view or that a stylised interpretation is a measured technical reference.
Read the board without the collector’s explanation
Give a collaborator the board and ask which visual question each image answers. If the same fragment is being read as both shape and scale evidence, clarify the label or replace it with a more suitable source. Retain the accepted board version with the scene draft. The goal is a usable conversation about design choices, not the greatest number of images. A smaller board with clear purposes can be more practical than a larger collection nobody knows how to apply.