The relationship of the illustrator to their reference material is often private. Illustrators accumulate and analyse hundreds of images in their practices to visually understand their subjects.

This paper proposes a discussion of a culture of greater visibility and responsibility when dealing with this material, in education and in personal practice. How can illustration education empower future illustrators to question the meanings and provenance of the source material that they use to create their work? Can reference material really be substituted for lived experience?

With a focus on the use of reference material that relates to the depiction of the black body, this paper will explore the ethical parameters and power structures inherent in the process, and push for discussion of how to be respectful when it comes to dealing with images that we use but do not own.