25 Free Image Reference Sites for Creatives

Whether you're a beginner artist or an up-and-coming professional, using reference images and practicing your creative skills is a must! We've gathered 25 free image references sites so you can practice poses, faces, and even the dreaded... hands. As always, be sure to check if images require permission or credit if using them in your work. Once you're finished, share your work on Unvale so we can check it out!

1. Unsplash (https://unsplash.com) - It's popular and well-known for a reason! There are plenty of high-resolution photos for references and studies.
2. Pexels (https://www.pexels.com) - This is one of my go-to sites! It's great for environment and portrait photos especially.
3. Free Images (https://www.freeimages.com) - This one was suggested by our Community Manager, StarKorg! Easy to remember URL, too.
4. Pixabay (https://pixabay.com) - This one has MILLIONS of photos you can use for references!
5. Rawpixel (https://rawpixel.com) - In addition to free photos, this site also has videos, templates, and even art!
6. Burst by Shopify (https://www.shopify.com/stock-photos) - Shopify did a great job of categorizing these photos into unique collections, like resources from female photographers!
7. Kaboompics (https://kaboompics.com/) - One thing I really like about this site is that you can browse photos by photoshoot, so you can see a subject from multiple angles and choose your favorite!
8. Life of Pix (https://www.lifeofpix.com/) - This site chooses a photographer of the week to highlight; it's a great way to quickly pop-in and find a curated selection of unique photos!
9. Picjumbo (https://picjumbo.com/) - Picjumbo's new sorting shows you exactly how long ago the latest free photo was uploaded, so it's easy to stay up-to-date with resources!
10. ISO Republic (https://isorepublic.com/) - I appreciate this site's landscape photos, but there's plenty more to browse here!
11. AdorkaStock (https://www.adorkastock.com/) - This site has been around for almost two decades, and there's a ton of safe, helpful poses!
12. Animal Diversity (https://animaldiversity.org/) - Looking for some animal references? This website put together largely by college students is incredibly helpful!
13. Birds of the World from CornellLab (https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home) - Looking to perfect wings or birds in flight? There are over 11,000 species of birds recorded here for reference!
14. NOAA Photo Library (https://www.noaa.gov/digital-collections/photo-library) - There are over 70,000 public domain images on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website!
15. Flickr, Creative Commons (https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons) - Some Flickr users choose to upload their work under a Creative Commons license, meaning you can use them for references!
16. Smithsonian Open Access (https://www.si.edu/openaccess) - Access more than 5 million digital items from Smithsonian's collection.
17. The Getty Open Content Program (https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/search?open_content=true) - Whether it's art, photography, pottery, sculpture, or any other creative medium, this resource likely has it!
18. The Cleaveland Museum of Art, Open Access (https://www.clevelandart.org/art/collection/search?cc0=1) - From Van Gogh to Monet, there are some amazing references here to draw inspiration or study!
19. Library of Congress Digital Collections (https://www.loc.gov/collections/?fa=original-format:photo,+print,+drawing) - Browsing by collection makes finding the exact type of reference you're looking for easy.
20. The New York Public Library, Digital Collections (https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/) - Be sure to check the "Search only public domain" box when looking for references here!
21. Poly Haven (https://polyhaven.com/all) - Looking to practice your lighting? There are some great models here!
22. CGBookcase (https://www.cgbookcase.com/) - Want a resource specifically for textures? Try this site, it's 100% free!
23. NASA Image Library (https://images.nasa.gov/) - Looking for something a bit more out of this world? NASA is a great resource for spacecraft, planets, and other celestial bodies.
24. Insect Images Database (https://www.insectimages.org/) - Bugs! Be sure to check the license on this site to ensure you have permission to use the photos as a reference or in your artwork.
25. Smithsonian Botany Collection (https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/botany/) - Sure, I mentioned the Smithsonian before, but their Botany collection has over 115,000 speciman types with images!

That's all for now! If you have a reference site that you'd like added to this list, let us know on social media!