I honestly don't have any issue with them.

If there is a flat color AND shaded, than totally kosher. Shaded however can be really bad to get the color just right (This does depend on how it's shaded as well.)

Some people(artists) look at the shading sometimes as actual colors.

Alright, thanks for your input! I'll make sure that if I do shaded things from now on that I have a flat color version available as well ;v;

I think it's fine if you do shaded ref sheets, as long as you provide the flat colors somewhere and label what part of the body it is.

Alright! This seems like it makes the most sense, the best of both worlds. I find that people are more attracted to detailed, shaded ref sheets rather than plain, flat ones, and that's why I offered them like that at first. I neglected to think through how other artists using these ref sheets after the fact would fare with them, though.

It's not a problem if there's a color swatch. Don't feel guilty, maybe just add ( if you're not already ), an area where you put the exact colors used for each marking and such. It will completely remove the problem, and you're still left with happy customers.

I do include color swatches in my ref sheets, yeah. This is my most recent reference sheet that I had done, does this read well to you, even with the shading included? http://www.furaffinity.net/view/22998250/

Absolutely! I think you're fine there. Artists mostly have issues with shaded refs because we can't eyedrop the right color correctly and sometimes customers are very picky with their correct colors, right down to the hex code. I wouldn't feel guilty about this at all, having a color swatch like that is perfect and completely negates the problem with shaded refs.

Alright, thank you so much for taking a look! That's what my commissioned ones look like, though there is still one specific adoptable that I sold that I feel especially guilty about in regards to this whole situation, and it's this one: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/22427410/

I'm actually going to just go back and make a specific flat colored version for the person who bought this. Since it was painted, there is no flat color layer. I feel so bad about it now, since this will be months after the fact...

Generally the issue is with intense lighting/soft shading on refs :) its easy to tell where cell shading ends and the true character color begins. Not to mention you include swatches also! Your sheets are no problem~

Okay, thanks for letting me know! ;^;

I agree! With the color swatches, you should be perfectly fine with your refs.

Alright, thank you so much for taking a look and letting me know! ;o; <3

As a VERY firm don't shade reference sheets kind of person, this is completely acceptable to me. As an example of not accepted (this is not a bash towards another artist or the character, this is just as a reference of a point) would be along the lines of this https://www.furaffinity.net/view/15811651/ NSFW

It's good to hear from people who strongly oppose shaded refs chiming in. Thanks for taking a look and letting me know your thoughts!

Pretty sure it's fine as long as there are unshaded color swatches somewhere in the reference sheet.
Unless maybe if the colors are so similar it's hard to know which goes where.

I don't really draw though so maybe I'm wrong :o

Well even if you don't draw, your thoughts are important. A lot of the work I do is for people who may or may not draw, so I have to keep in mind what a customer or watcher would like to see just as much as what a person who will be using the reference as a tool would like to see. It wouldn't matter what kinds of refs I offer if no one wants to buy them, haha. Thanks for your thoughts ;v;

Looking at your shaded sheets, I really don't feel like you need to worry about it. The two tone stuff like you do isn't the problem, the problem is when it's hard to tell what the local color is versus the shaded color, like in sheets that have very soft shading or a lot of different lights or are just very low contrast in general. If people like the shading you should just keep going with it.

Ah okay, thanks for letting me know! Aside from my shaded ref sheets, I still have this painted adoptable that I sold a while back that has been making me feel guilty, and it's this one: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/22427410/

I'm going to go back and make a flat version for the person who bought this, even though I know it's really late for me to be doing it... I just feel so bad right now;;

If you're going to go all out with the light, using a few different colors like that, just make sure you have a swatch in there but honestly I'd recommend against it in general. One of those images being painted is an awesome way to really give the character some feeling and deliver something more interesting than the typical sheet, but all of them being painted doesn't give the buyer (or more importantly, other artists) enough information. There's nothing to feel bad about either way, even if you kept doing it. It'll just make other artists life a little bit easier, but it doesn't ruin my day if I run into a shaded reference.

Okay. ;-;

I really got a different impression over twitter, that's why I panicked. I've been seeing a whole lot of snarky or just plain angry comments basically yelling at people to not shade ref sheets, and a whole lot of others chiming in to agree. There's a lot of this kind of atmosphere over there, and once it applies to you, it doesn't feel good.

Okay, thanks for your input! It really seems like a "best of both worlds" approach would be the best solution here then, where if I do still choose to do elaborately illustrated designs, that there should be a flat colored version in there somewhere, even if it has to be a second version of the same pic. Illustrated to catch eyes, flat colors so it can be a useable tool of reference. ;v;

I can see an issue if it's very detailed and/or soft shading, but I honestly don't think cell shading causes any issues, even without color swatches. To me personally I rather have my refs unshaded for ease of use, sure, but I guess I can see why some commissioners prefer it shaded and I don't think it's a problem in all cases.

I think it's more of an issue with dramatic shading, or lots of shading with markings on characters. I can't find a good example in a quick search, but I have been given references of characters with complex markings and couldn't tell what color went where. It's also a bigger problem with gradual/soft shading than cel, but I've also had the same marking issue with cel.
Here's an example I've found with the dramatic soft shading I'm talking about: http://d.facdn.net/art/chasington/1....._fa_sheath.png
You could also provide an unshaded version with the shaded. That way, when the reference sheet owner commissions someone who doesn't accept shaded reference, they have something on hand. Just a thought. I think the cel-shaded (mouse) one your linked is a good example, but the wild dog would probably be an issue because it's unclear what the local colors are.

Edit: In addition, I agree with Flour's first comment. I don't see the purpose of having a shaded reference because it's a model sheet, not an illustration. If you look up references for most cartoons/movies, the characters lack shading. If people want a lot of shading, they should get an illustration.

Yeah, you make a lot of good points. This is why I was starting to feel guilty about it, because for someone who mostly designs characters I should KNOW what a good reference sheet looks like. I got too absorbed in trying to stand out to get sales, and it resulted in me trying to spice up my reference sheets to be more eye catching. I neglected to think about the people that would need to use the reference sheets, or the customers who are really picky about colors being exact on everything they commission;;

I don't mind being given a shaded ref, but only if there is also a flat color pallet somewhere on the sheet.

But in the end its all on the taste of the commissioner so to hell with what other people think :)

Shaded ref sheets aren't usually a problem if a color pallete is provided

To add: shading can be important on some characters because it allows definition of shapes and curves that another artist may miss otherwise.

Beyond that you also get a feel for the characters skin. This has less to do with furry characters specifically but: is the skin wet like a toads? Plastic? Steel? Perhaps a grainy and rough series of scales.

Ref sheets are used to get commissions yes. But they are also a way for the commissioner to showcase their character to others.

Oh, now that I think about it, you're right! I think with my "best of both worlds" approach that I'm thinking about, this can be implemented as well. I forgot about textures. Actually now that I think about it, when I cel shade I think I make my designs too all-encompassingly shiny too often, like they're laminated. I gotta make sure I don't go overboard with highlights in places where it doesn't make sense. X'D

The other thing to keep in mind is some people get a ref sheet without the soul intent of getting commissions of the character. I myself have ordered a ref sheet because I had a one time idea for a character I wanted to use in a dungeons and dragons game. I wanted a nice shaded ref of a character because I could not get a character designed in an illustration as most artists will not do this (or those who will want a large premium for character design on top of the expensive illustration fees) I only used the character for that game and never got a commission of them.

i always request a color swatch for the chance the artist may want to shade the ref sheet "to pretty it up" kinda thing. :)

not one to shit on the choice for tinting and shading pieces, but a color swatch is always the fastest workaround for those, IMO.

I think the best is to provide a flat color with the order because even with color switches if you have two very similar colors the shading can make that small difference disappear and you could pick the wrong one when you assume. *shrug* just my 2 cents

I personally dislike shaded reference sheets because it makes it harder to pick a colours.
But the positive about them is that it makes the drawing stand out more and look more neat.

I can stand a minimum amount of shading, but not like blurred and all over the place. Only some nice cell-shading in areas I won't be looking for markings.
Sometimes the shading can make it seem like there is a marking where there isn't.
I hate when people get my characters wrong, or when I get others wrong because they have a shaded reference.

However, maybe you could provide a shaded AND flat version of the ref?
I would def commission a flat one, since I have no desire for shading on a reference sheet.

Depends on the type of shading, but i'd much rather work with an unshaded ref, if there are more than 3 colors in the design.

The problem is at least from a commissioner's perspective that we want the characters we own to look as pretty as possible, but the issue is most of us are ignorant that ref sheets are made to give the best color and representation for future art pieces. The idea is good to give both shaded and flat when doing it, but remind the commissioner that you gave them the flats because more artists prefer it and highly encourage them to show that version to the artist for any future comissions :]