`Marker-Guru

Lightning Potato

Formerly guruubii

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What do you think of tracing in final work (not for practice or learning, but actually integrated in final work). Whats your thoughts? (I DONT mean using a light box to transfer a sketch to a new sheet of paper. i mean TRACING photos. )

36%

30 deviants said I think its ONLY a learning tool. You need to evolve out of it.

13%

11 deviants said I don't think its even a useful learning tool, and people should never do it.

12%

10 deviants said Indifferent.

11%

9 deviants said It's cheating. I'm not fond of the idea

10%

8 deviants said I do it and I have no problem with it.

7 deviants said Its despicable! Learn to draw!

3 deviants said I don't mind it, but I might lose respect for someone if I learned that the stuff I admired was traced

3 deviants said Other?

2 deviants said I do it. and I want to stop

Devious Comments

`TouchedVenus Oct 6, 2009 Hobbyist Digital Artist

I've never been a tracer, but in the past I have referenced to get a general idea of how things fall for poses, clothing, hair etc. I've also gotten ideas for poses and what not. But directly tracing something I'm against. I can see how in the very beginning one might be able to learn from it, but you've got to drop those training wheels at some point and learn how to go it on your own. As for doing it as a finished piece? Nope... that's not yours.

`Marker-Guru Oct 6, 2009 Professional Traditional Artist

There is a massive difference between reference and tracing and i think thats missed.
What kinda spurred my question was not only a couple conversations at work, but also the whole "art theft" rantypants going on here on dA it actually amazes me where people will draw the line on copyright violation... really

~jezebe11e Oct 6, 2009

I can't draw. At all. However, I think there's very little to be learned from tracing an image. Instead, it becomes a crutch that will hinder your growth as an artist. I've tried it, but it just didn't do anything for me. When I was done, I still couldn't draw and all I had was a half-assed copy of someone else's art.

*JaimeGervais Oct 5, 2009 Professional Digital Artist

I think tracing photos is fine. Even if you don't want to learn. I don't think that tracing photos and not giving credit due for your tracing exploits is cool. Buck up, and admit you can't draw without tracing for Christ sakes. lolz. I used to trace She-Ra and that's how I was able to finally figure out how to draw her bloody headdress that I had a bitch of a time drawing. I eventually put the image away and wanted to learn for myself.

To me, if all one does is trace - then they are just a Xerox machine.

`zeruch Oct 5, 2009 Professional General Artist

I use a lightbox regularly as it speeds up certain mundane tasks and actually is useful for some of the mixing of digital and analog stuff that I do. It should not be a replacement for actual craft, but should be part of a toolset suitable towards getting an original result.

It is a standard technique for professional illustrators, animators and comic artists, and it has its place.

`Marker-Guru Oct 5, 2009 Professional Traditional Artist

I have a light box too, i use it to ink sketches on mew sheets of paper. I'm not really talking about tracing as a tool, or as a technique to carry out the artistic proccess, more just tracing photos because someone cant or wont draw.

I just don't see the drawing aspect as mundane. i think every minute spent on the art work is integrated.

`zeruch Oct 5, 2009 Professional General Artist

just tracing photos because someone cant or wont draw.

That is an entirely different game altogether.

I just don't see the drawing aspect as mundane.

Neither do I, but sometimes for the sake of not spending hours on getting basic proportions, it works as a guide (i.e. where you work large with a projector or with photos and architects tracing papers like Norman Rockwell did and blocked out basic spatial relationships) where you then spend the bulk of your time focusing and fixating on stylistic detail.

i think every minute spent on the art work is integrated.

Not everyone shares that view, myself included. The experience of creating something may be integrated as a singular experience, but there is a separation between the creative impulse and the technical craft of design/drafting/printmaking (and it goes both ways; you might be a great technician and have very derivative art or have rudimentary technical skills yet have very vibrant original ideas).

This is not just in the visual arts but in any creative endeavor; think of famous session musicians like Omar Hakim, who makes big bucks playing for Sting and Madonna as a sideman paid to play the parts well (i.e. like a graphic designer doing a job functionally well), yet is one of the better technical drummers of the last 30 years and is an alumni of great jazz bands like Weather Report (where he got to be more creatively true to his muse).

Different sides to the coin, but all of it currency of value.