The first you should learn before starting to work on HOPA game is how to quickly find a good reference set for whatever you have in mind, starting from an old key and ending with a surreal abandoned underground.
Taking into account the volume of content you're going to produce it's essential even for pre-production purpose, not taking into account the final artwork and animations production.
Keep in mind that you never have extra time or extra resources or extra funds and that's why you shold always aim to the quickest ways to get final artwork while minimizing time and costs. This means that if you've got good 3d model - use it, if you've got a nice suitable photo - use it, once it's something that may result in good final artwork with not too time-consuming editing.
So, first think over if you need a single or multiple views of the same object. In some cases a single view is ok, in some you'll get issues if having got a single view of a complicated object and then having a need to get other views. Sometimes you can find several views of the same object available as free or stock photos and they may work fine for you. Just try to imagine all the object-related artwork you need and check if the resource you've got is enough to produce that.
Second, remember forever
such keywords that will be used in any of your search as: old, antique, vintage, aged, distressed, abandoned, victorian, gothic that will accompany most of the nouns that basically mean the object you're looking for.
If looking for 3d models - obviously look first for free ones, i.e. if you need a bench 3d model - look for "bench 3d model free"
When using google for search use the "Image Size" options, I usually look for big or medium images
Examples of google search results for a chair:
Keyword "chair"
"antique chair"
As you can see - "antique chair" search result is much more suitable for casual artwork compared to the first one
Remember that often you may find more views of the object if you go to the site where the image is placed, not just open the image for full-size:
Make a collection of sites with good, preferably - free - 2d and 3d resources. Besides of google I often use such as:
Use "image search" google function to look for more image sizes of your reference or find other references for it. I usually pay attention to the name of the object and use keyword search basing on it too. Say, I've been looking for some "fishing accessories box"
Examples:
1. suppose I need a casket, opened and closed, to be used in such artwork as:
- zoom-in view where I detach it from a table
- item+ artwork where I basically open it
- inventory icon of item+
- paint it in general background view (closed only as it's tied with some rope to the table).
In this case the primary reference I need is an opened casket. I select the best reference basing on what's going to be placed inside. If it's a ring - I'll select a small casket, if a diary - I'll use a larger one.
