front+back views, any scars, things that are not optional to draw, clothing, colour pallete and expressions!
I keep on having this problem, and I thought I fixed it a while ago but it’s back again after trying to draw my humanoid characters- And every time I try to find a video explaining what makes a good reference they all just tell me how to design a character {it’s useful but not what I need a}
Does anyone know what specific things should be in a reference sheet?
I always put info about them like age name gender etc, I also like to give any accessories a separate view!
aside from the super helpful notes other people have given-
i always try and highlight what makes one character different from my other characters in their reference! what specific facial features does one person have that makes them stand out when put next to all my other characters? what about their posture, their body type, et cetera? pointing that out in your ref will make any artist drawing ur character have a far easier time! it helps other ppl pick up on the little character nuances that you might be well aware of, but other people may not notice at first glance. also gives them more to work with when bringing out personality/stylizing certain features- and preventing sameface is great!
just gonna drop 2 of my own facial refs so hopefully what i mean is a bit clearer-
it also helps to use the same angles across multiple characters so the differences are even more clear side-by-side!
personally, something along these lines is far more helpful to me than a perfectly clean and manicured base with nicely selected colors + multiple fullbody angles (of course, having all of the above is the MOST useful), but something i don't see on too many refs!
and yet again, seconding everything else that's been said so far, especially the reply right above me!
Front/side/back views, espression headshots (ideally from different angles and with different body language each). If you're gonna add notes about a particular trait add them right next to that thing on the sheet (so if you have a note about eye shape put it right next to the eyes). I also recommend keeping notes to a minimum, whenever possible the art should speak for itself, and having a lot of text kinda clutters the ref. Height and and age (actual or apparent) are always good info to add imo.
Note: haven't read all the other replies so sorry if I'm just repeating what's already been said.
Since ref sheets are especially used when letting other artists draw a character I'd say to keep in mind what the intricacies of your character are that go beyond art style. You can go into details like specific facial features or hair structure etc. but chances are that not all artist can or want to draw these fine details when it's not compatible with their style or skill level. More important are things every artist can portray in some way in their own style, like specific accessories, scars, tattoos, etc.. It's hard to adopt a specific head or eye shape in your own style but having, for example, a heart shaped pupil is easy to adopt. So I think emphasizing these details, that can be applied universally, is most important. Other than that I think everything has been said, like front or back view to see every inch of their body, no matter what pose they're drawn in.
Last but not least; it's important to include and emphasize what you personally think is especially important about the characters design. Some draw them in an outfit that they don't much care about and that can be switched out easily, others see it as a key element of the design. Some slap some scars on a character not caring much about the position or type (just has to show that the character had a lot of injuries in the past), others have a specific event in mind and therefore care about a specific shape and placement. Emphasize your personal priorities!
I am personally pretty bad at drawing great references, mine are basic. So this is just what I have seen, and find very useful when I am drawing others characters.
Like others say, a front, back, maybe even a small side view. Highlighters of what is a must to draw, on the design and cannot be forgotten. (Like horns, scars, or even important accessories the character always wears). If the character is naked or have a specific outfit on, and it has other options for clothes, that info is great imo. (Like “This outfit is optional, look at his closet” or “This is his winter outfit”).
Adding a color palette is a huge win for me, specially if the person who is looking for art of the character writes “Use the specific colors”, it helps a lot with a color palette. That way people can’t go completely wrong in town heh.