Reference Images for 3D Modeling: 10 Best Sites

The Blueprints is a mix between a free blueprint database and a market for paid vector drawings. Blueprints are formatted as image files that are non-modifiable. In contrast, the purchasable vector drawings are modifiable, and they come in many available file types, including EPS, AI, PDF, SVG, and more.

To navigate the site, choose either the “Free Blueprints” or “Vector Drawings” tabs from the top menu. For both, you’ll find many categories and subcategories that include lists of images available for download or, in the case of Vector Drawings, for purchase. Prices are shown in euros or US dollars, and you can purchase them directly or buy pre-paid credits. The latter start at $0.63 per credit. To avoid any kind of errors, free files can be found in a handy way through the “Free Blueprints” tab.

You’ll quickly notice that this site focuses mostly on technology, such as vehicles like ships, planes, cars, buses, and even designs from popular sci-fi films and series. In addition to vehicles, there are lots of technology options, including mobile phones, other devices, and construction equipment. It’s also possible to find images of humans, animals, and comic book characters.

• Price: Free and paid
• File formats: EPS, AI, PDF, SVG, and more
• Registration needed: For purchasable designs, as well as to download full-size images (instead of lower-resolution ones)

Wikimedia Commons is a free file repository for public domain pictures, sounds, and video clips. It’s maintained by volunteers, and anyone can use its contents. Additionally, the repository is available in many languages.

Finding an image is fairly simple: Just use the search bar to look for what you need. Every image has a title and description, so images that have the keywords in either the title or description will show up. It’s worth mentioning that only photos are available on Wikimedia’s site; there are no drawings, technical drawings, or blueprints unless it’s pictures of them.

All of the pictures are very good quality, and they’re also good for inspiration. Many people recommend Wikimedia because of the great variety of themes and the free rights to photos. It’s important to note, though, that some authors of the photos do ask for credit when their images are used.

• Price: Free
• File formats: JPG, PNG, SVG, STL, and more
• Registration needed: No

Photobash is a market of 2D packs and 3D kits, with different licensing options, but offering free files as samples of what they offer. Free files are easily found at the Free category on the top menu.

In regards to the 2D packs, many people recommend this site as a great source of reference images because the bundles include many photos of the same object or place from different angles. Being able to see an object from different vantage points is very useful when 3D modeling because you not only can get its proportions right, but also you can better capture details, shading, and lighting.

On this site, there are 2D packs for many things, mostly centered around nature, landscapes, and architecture. There are also a limited number of museum fossils and human poses. The site is popular among 3D artists, especially for reference images for backgrounds.

• Price: Paid, though there are a limited number of free reference images
• File formats: JPG, PNG
• Registration needed: Yes

Pexels is technically a photography site, but it’s very useful, especially when modeling animals. These are very challenging to model because each type requires specific knowledge and modeling techniques. Some animals are smooth, some are furry, some have a lot of fat, and some are very skinny, so you need to practice a lot to master the techniques and get your models right.

And to practice, you need good reference images to learn the proportions and textures.

As many photographers do studies of the same animal, you can find pictures of creatures in many different poses or angles. It’s a highly recommended site by 3D artists, who – you guessed it – model animals. Should you be working in Canva, it’ll be useful to know that files from Pexels can be opened imported directly.

• Price: Free
• File formats: JPG
• Registration needed: No

Drawing Database is a free database where you can find a wide variety of detailed blueprints with many views, numbered parts, and measurements, though the amount of information and number of views vary from drawing to drawing. The site is centered around transportation, so there are ships, cars, planes, tanks, you name it.

All the models are titled based on their make and model, so it’s extremely easy to find what you need. You can browse the featured drawings or scroll through the categories displayed on the top menu. Alternatively, you can search by the specific model you want or simply its brand.

This site isn’t that well known, but people who focus on modeling mechs use it a lot and highly recommend it.

• Price: Free
• File formats: JPG
• Registration needed: No

Freecads is, as its name indicates, a free database of CAD blocks for architects, engineers, and draftsmen. CAD blocks are pre-made components you can insert into your CAD designs, but they work very well as a base for 3D modeling. They usually have the top view of the objects, but for some collections they also have side views. This is useful because you get many perspectives for the same object, which makes it easier to get the proportions right.

You can browse or explore by categories, or you can search by keywords on the search bar. Dimensioned drawings for just about anything can be found on the site, including vending machines, barbecue grills, animals, vehicles, and more.

It’s worth keeping in mind that, due to the limited file formats available (PDF and DWG), if you want to model in Blender, for example, a bit of a workaround is warranted.

• Price: Free
• File formats: PDF, DWG
• Registration needed: No

3D.SK is an online marketplace of photo references intended for 3D artists and game developers. Needless to say, it’s the ideal place to get references for 3D work. As such, it’s one of the most popular sites for reference images and one of the top recommendations whenever one asks for suggestions.

Images are available in sets that can be downloaded as zip files. The sets include photos of the same subject from different angles or in different poses. You can find many reference images for the human body, including specific body parts like the eyes, expressions, costumes, and people in uniform. All free files are easily found at the Free category from the top menu.

• Price: Paid, though a limited number of free reference images
• File formats: PNG, JPG, OBJ
• Registration needed: Yes

Dimensions is a paid database of dimensioned drawings. They usually have two or three side views and a comparison to human size. This is useful because you get many perspectives for the same object, which makes it easier to get the proportions right. It’s a popular site for low-poly artists, too, because they can use the images in the background as they model.

You can browse or explore by tags or categories, or you can search by keywords on the search bar. Dimensioned drawings for just about anything can be found on the site, including vending machines, barbecue grills, lions, dinosaurs, fish, dogs, and more. Although it’s not as well known as others down this list and there are no free files, it’s very useful and highly recommended by those who know it.

• Price: Paid
• File formats: DWG, JPG, SVG, 3DM, OBJ, SKP
• Registration needed: Yes

Pixabay is a library of free royalty-free stock images, music, and videos. All the products are made, donated, and shared by the community of users. In the images section, you can find photographs, illustrations, and vectors. Even though one often thinks automatically of photos for reference, it’s also a good idea to use illustrations or vectors to inspire creative ideas.

You can browse by image type or the featured images on the site, or directly search for the category of images you want. In photography, you’ll find people in different poses, clothes, and from different ethnicities, as well as images of landscapes, plants, and urban scenes. There’s basically a huge variety of images to use for reference purposes and the resources can be worked on straight in Canva.

• Price: Free
• File formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, AI
• Registration needed: No

Pinterest is a popular social media platform that allows users to create digital corkboards with ideas, always in image format. As it’s a great source of inspiration, the site is popular among many kinds of artists, including those working in traditional or digital media as well as crafts.

You can search just about any topic, and the site will return related images. What’s more, you can collect images on different boards or you can find already created boards with a selection of images you want. Note that you need to be signed in for this.

It’s recognized by many people as a great source for reference images, especially on very specific themes such as medieval props, steampunk machines, sci-fi weapons, and things of the sort. Images can be saved to your boards or even directly onto your device, both options for free. Last but definitely not least, Pinterest is available via web or as a mobile app both for Android and iOS.

• Price: Free
• File formats: JPG, PNG
• Registration needed: Yes