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On the subject of Tracing by QTMelon
There seems to be another big hub bub about tracing and there is a bit of craziness on misinformation.
Tracing is actually an acceptable practice in the industry - HOWEVER, it depends on the circumstance and source material. If anyone remembers those great movie posters in the 80's and 90's by Drew Struzan he uses tracing to get them done. HOWEVER, the tracing was done through photos by the studios and was authorized to do so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fEMJp70tGU
Tracing is a valid way of doing work and learning. If you use your own photos or get stock you're legally able to use and public domain, there is no problem. It's a shortcut to meet deadlines in the industry, but those people can still draw.
http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/07/10-things-i-rememberabout-tracing.html
Keep in mind, I personally don't care much if a person has photos they are legally able to use (Not someone just getting something off a porn site or google) if they convert the work into something their vision, but I may comment on the quality of the result. If it looks too much like a photo reference the artist fails at what the point of photo reference is versus the legality of it.
I also feel that photographers should be respected for their craft if you have to reference it. If it's not yours and can commit copyright violation by using it, with the lighting and all then you probably shouldn't. It is ok to look at multiple photos for reference so you can work something of your own.
Just tired of the blanket statements from both parties of "tracing is ok!" "tracing is bad'
It completely depends on the circumstance and your use of materials.
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Comments
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Anatomy and figure studies would serve one much better than tracing.
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I agree that this is a great learning tool and as long as you're not using that traced work for profit I see no harm in it. Stating your sources is always the best route if you are unsure. I think tracing can really help build the muscle memory needed.
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This is a great learning tool too, you'll suck in the beginning but don't think about that. http://artists.pixelovely.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing/
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I'll have to try that one, I have another one that I found that does something similar, http://www.quickposes.com/ but I'll definatelly look into that. Thank you.
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It is a valid way to learn. Whatever works, but other studies help increase this too.
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I've been looking into life drawing, though after searching it might seem out of my reach, but I'll keep looking.
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Keep I'm mind life drawing is not the same as Figure Drawing. Life Drawing includes figure drawing but life drawing is extremely affordable.
You simply draw from life. Start with simple objects around the house and get an overhead lamp to produce a strong light source.
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Figure drawing is the one where you draw the model correct? If so then I was getting the two confused, I can do life drawing.
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Correct figure drawing is a part of life drawing. Life Drawing is just that. Drawing from life. And figure drawing can be done with clothed models or just going to places where people are.
After all unless you are just porn or cheesecake how often is it that characters just walk around nude. So drawing people naturally in various activities helps.
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yes its valid as any way to learn anatomy is a good way, but i can recommend against it, for the simple reason see something ywith your own eyes is far better then see from a photo.
reason is that cameras gimps the visuals allot, that means that cameras biggest probme is that its has no depth preception, therefore it sees things different form what we do.
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Sometimes you have to learn by trying a method to see why it is discouraged. But I also believe that life drawing needs to work with photos. Solely working from photos are definitely a problem if you don't know how photography works.
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from what I've seen this was over the commissions where someone draws over a photo of you, so this while thing is really really dumb.
things like tracing peoples artwork is why those rules existed in the first place i think sand this is none of that. so heads are up asses
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If the parties involved are ok with it and the guy got a model release, I see no issue.
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Tracing is fine if you admit to it, and use it to help you/getting an affect you want.
But denying you trace and saying it's all yours is the problem, obviously. If you admit that it's not yours, then fine, do whatever. -
Someone finally said it! Thank youuuuu
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I never literally trace! I sometimes take refs here and there, mostly to doodle attitudes, correct anatomy, musculature, or the important lines of an animal. Then, the drawing will take its own way when I finish it. That's mostly for training purpose, or when I need a ref to correct a detail.
For places like FA, it's still called tracing. But I'm way too much of an anarchist to care, I take photos I find on the net with Google or on Flickr for my puropse. Anyway, I don't care, I don't copyright my furry stuff. One wanna use it? Just get it! A lamer copyrights it? F! u, I'll still draw that char if I want to. There's a notice "Fuck copyright!" on the original drawing anyway.
And BTW, where I live, it's legal to take a photo from a magazine to make, let's say, a watercolor piece out of it. Already did.
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It may be legal where you are, but if you upload it to a US based website US copyright law applies.
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And how will USA pwn me ass when I live on the other side of the Atlantic and when it's OMG a stupid furreh doodle?
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Not that'll you be able to be sued, just that your art can be taken down off of any US based site.
Or any others that would uphold the wishes of the content creator.And there are things such as individuals (the artist/fans) getting pissed and going after you.
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A drawing taken off? Well, I won't probably care. Would laugh at it, still.
An artist getting pissed? I don't reference from other drawings, so nobody should be pissed off with my doodles.
And the ones being referenced? The drawings finally got different enough from the original photo at the end. And I make no money out of them.
Someone going after me? I wouldn't probably care.
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Saying "fuck copyright" (legally) means nothing. But if you don't like copyright on your images consider making them public domain or under the creative commons license.
That being said unless you trademarked the characters people could still draw them, though it's considered horribly rude to draw someone's personal characters without permission.
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definition fo trace is a extremely muddy, but i can explain ti as how some masters create art, and that is as isntace a portrait or a landscape or vericle (some in those routes) that has to be accurate of a improtant client they tock photos of em also did allot of sketches and colour doodles , non are really finished pieces but all in name fo refrence collecting (photo to se how ti loosk and scenery , coloru for accurate sett the colorus and sketch to get the depth) and find what makes the persons look unique to em and as they get to their studio they sue all the resources they aquierd and create the panting.
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Norman Rockwell used photos, but he also spent a lot of time learning how to draw. It is just a method that helps get the job done and fills in gaps where you probably wouldn't be able to remember. Very few have some kind of memory that can remember every anatomical detail, but you have to build a visual library to help. Most of the time when we draw, we have an idea, not something solid that's why we often dream about creating great art and the "Well it looked good in my mind, but I can't get it on paper" statement you hear from many.
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But then it's not tracing, it's referencing for details or to correct certain things. It's perfectly okay.
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It depends because a lot of artists used lucigraphs too, but trying to pass off plagiarism by worrying about the term "tracing" when you're violating copyright is silly.
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Oh, but I still use the old technique: looking at the photo, then at my doodle, then at the photo again, then correcting lines or simply doodling an attitude on my paper sheet, or the general shapes of an animal.
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I don't mind it when people use shortcuts for commercial work, especially if the industry is known to be low-paying in comparison to other fields. Though, it's mostly impressive to me merit-wise whenever I see people like Kim Jung-GI or Hiroyuki Okiura performing their skill without shortcuts.
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Actually I would like to note that Tracing is not only an accepted part of the industry... but an actively encouraged one. My last jobs I have taken as a freelancer has been specifically to copy images that existed as photographs, and make graphic artwork from them. Any attempt I made to deviate was chastised and redirected to source material that was out and out boring.
Link
Batroo
What about tracing in terms of say learning the body, or a specific pose, not so much as tracing it and the filling in details and viola! you're done, but tracing it over and over again till you learn what you're having problems with and then drawing it yourself without tracing?