Don't make Bambi cry! :C




Don't trace. Tracers make Bambi cry!


But seriously, I'm here to debunk a myth about tracing; Tracing is one of THE WORST ways to learn how to draw! To explain this I have a few not-so-fun facts about tracing;

1. When you trace, you inherit all the flaws of the previous artist. Each mistake they made is ingrained into your brain.

2. The only thing tracing teaches you is hand eye coordination. You actually learn MORE from filling out a pencil and paper maze, than you do from tracing.

3. If you trace something, and use that something to make money, you can be sued. Try explaining to mummy and daddy why you need 30 thousand dollars to settle a copyright dispute with Disney.

4. I am an art student. If I was to trace for a project, I would be EXPELLED and black listed from every art university and collage in my province.

I used to trace myself. I did. Then I realized it was wrong, and I wasn't learning anything from it.
If you think to yourself "I could never be a great artist. I need to trace!" then I'm in the process of proving you wrong.
I'd love if you could join me, and help prove yourself wrong as well! Smiling

trigger_mortis's picture

*Toasts* Hear hear!

*Toasts* Hear hear!
GingerNut's picture

*clapclap* Ah, lovely job

*clapclap*

Ah, lovely job done, dear. Lovely job. (even though, as a friggen writer, none of this concerns me much xD)

You still have my support~ *fist pump*
3's picture

*3 stamp of approval*

*3 stamp of approval*

III

Links & Info

Heck yes. >C /applauds as

Heck yes. >C

/applauds as well

I raise my glass to this and

I raise my glass to this and all that, wot wot *monocle*
Redkora's picture

The only place when tracing

The only place when tracing is acceptable is in making a craft based on what one sees in a Martha Stewart magazine or doing some other sort of crafty thing for your own enjoyment. Otherwise, it ain't art.

Did something pop up recently that spurred you to post this? Just curious.
[pixel deer by Aldebaran]

Trigger: *butters toast*

Trigger: *butters toast* Indeed!

Gingernut: I've always been curious how copyright works in the world of literature! At least with art its fairly easy.

3: Smiling

Fish: *shines monocle* pip-pip

Redkora: I agree on the Martha Steward style stuff, and there are plenty of royalty free stock images on the net that can be traced for crafty purposes! Smiling

and I would be lying if I said no, in regards to being spurred, but I'm against naming names. My wish is to enforce and remind the mass, not scare tactic one or two individuals.

Meh, I writes more than

Meh, I writes more than draw...and I always use my own things or my mums if i really need a good visual

<3So uppers to this post <33

Pegasicorn's picture

(No subject)

Apparanza's picture

^ Seconds Pega LOL

^ Seconds Pega LOL

By Leuvr

&hearts; Tracking this before

Tracking this before I leave 8D
eyestrain's picture

I'd never really thought

I'd never really thought about it but you're very right. I've never traced because I want to be able to produce from my own mind wherever I go.
Using reference is a great and important way to improve. But tracing is so inconvenient and a crutch. Ultimately it's best to use your own strength.

I don't strive to be the best, but instead I strive to do my best, and always give it my all every time.
-faunet
Alecsander's picture

I'm not even sure why someone

I'm not even sure why someone would be tracing TEF deer.
I mean it's not like we're some hardcore art critic community where you have to be OMGZZZ AMAZINGS!! to be able to post something.

Hell, I post crap doodles on the community all the time and no one makes a fuss.

Yes, admittedly, I don't know how a deer's leg is suppose to bend in certain poses so I'll stare at another artist's deer picture with a similar pose (i.e leaping in the air) or an actual photograph of a deer I have taken to try and figure out my own picture, but I can't see how just sitting down and tracing an image line for line would be beneficial in any way. You really can't learn anything from it.

Though to be completely honest half the time I go "SCREW CONVENTIONAL ANATOMY! WHEE!" and just draw something that might not even be possible because it's easier and more fun.

V See siggy durr below V

epic thumbs up

epic thumbs up
eyestrain's picture

I agree with and very much

I agree with and very much like what Alecsander had to say Smiling

I don't strive to be the best, but instead I strive to do my best, and always give it my all every time.
-faunet
Aegle's picture

Tera, thank you for posting

Tera, thank you for posting this!
Not only could I not agree with you more but I've noticed some tracing here as well as other sites.

IT'S WRONG.
iloveyousomuchforthis.
LittleWillow's picture

I never really traced, I used

I never really traced, I used other people art as references though. Is that still bad? ;-; I didn't copy it all I just used how they were standing or there feet & hands....
~LittleWillow

Referencing is a very large

Referencing is a very large step up from tracing, but is best done from stock images or if you ask an artist permission first. Don't feel bad Little Willow, it's not the point of this blog to make you sad, just to motivate! Smiling
Alecsander's picture

I feel really out of touch

I feel really out of touch with the site. xD I can't even look and pick out what is traced.
LittleWillow's picture

So I shouldn't do that

So I shouldn't do that eithier? Because I don't know how to draw deer legs so I did look up bambi to look at the legs. They all fat and funky lookin! Puzzled
~LittleWillow
eyestrain's picture

Using reference is a good

Using reference is a good thing, to learn how things look, how long they are, etc. It is like learning the logic and rules of what you draw.

Tracing doesn't teach you these things because you don't really learn the hows and whys of what you are drawing. So tracing is not very valuable, whereas drawing from life or photography ( observing and drawing, not tracing) can help you.

My strategy is usually to draw from photographs in sketches and studies in my sketchpad. Then, even when I am not looking at a photo, I can remember my studies and try to match the proportions and so on. So when I want to make an original image I have the memory of the logic and hows and whys of what I want to draw.

I don't strive to be the best, but instead I strive to do my best, and always give it my all every time.
-faunet
Serenai's picture

Oooh, brava! And thanks for

Oooh, brava! And thanks for the reasons too! It's one thing to here a polite comment against something, another for it to also be backed by solid reasoning. c:

Icon Art © Beloved
Graveyard's picture

Back when I was younger I did

Back when I was younger I did the exact same thing, then I realized like yourself how stupid I was with doing so. Now, the main thing I do is look at pictures for pose reference and that's about it. Slowly but surely we evolve through steps like this to help ourselves but as you said Tracing will not help a budding artist bloom out.

For me, I fail at anatomy in general. Which is why I look at references ^^;;;; of course, I am slowly pushing myself to actually do things without reference... despite my horrid knicks in anatomy XD

"Your efforts are insignificant! I carry you to your deaths!"

*thumbs up*

*thumbs up*
LittleWillow's picture

Ok now im happy to know I'm

Ok now im happy to know I'm not the only one! ^-^
~LittleWillow
Iaurdagnire's picture

I got accused of tracing once

I got accused of tracing once because I could replicate movie scenes so well. Probably can't now, but back in '06 I used to pause dvd's and sketch what I saw, scan and replicate it in photoshop to make it look real for funzies (it's a good way to learn how to make things look like a cell, I thought). I posted them along with the sketches because I was proud of them, but...
MISTAAAAAKE~
Haha. Was even talked about on artist beware once because of it, which was a barrel of laughs.

But yes, tracing isn't good, and I guess boring as well because... it's not exactly challenging.
Snowsauria's picture

(Y)

(Y)

ahaha xD Dag that's amazing!

ahaha xD Dag that's amazing!
Mordecai's picture

^ This. I've heard people say

^ This. I've heard people say that tracing can help you learn before, but it just doesn't :/