Is it OK for an Artist to Trace?

The most controversial topic ever discussed: Can I draw by tracing existing images? And if so, what are the repercussions?
ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED -- THE DEBATE IS OVER.

You might be surprised to learn that even professionals rely on tracing during production work. Some Disney sequences (mostly just the dance scenes) were all traced frame by frame with the rotoscoping technique. Even the scenes that weren't traced were still acted out to provide extensive reference to the animators.

Don't be fooled into thinking you can't trace every now and then. So long as you're not trying to PRACTICE drawing, you can use whatever tools you have available to get the results you want. Don't worry about losing style points -- speaking of which, you should also shoot freethrows granny style.

If you disagree with anything in this video (which is very unlikely) please leave a comment. I will argue all day if necessary.

Thank you for watching!

[STIMULUSVIDEO]

These are divisive times -- it seems like we're more politically polarized than ever before. And, the only thing more controversial than gun control, healthcare, and immigration is... tracing.
Hopefully I can shed some light on the topic.

[semiprotita]

i think tracing is okay, especially when doing portraits for commissions. it's not the outline that will define your skill as an artist, it's the rendering process (detailing, shading, layering, color blend, highlight, etc.). but of course, if you're confident with your freehand skills, it's much better.

[rspoofy]

I trace real actual people from Pinterest, I usually do aesthetic mininalist digital art. But tracing REALLY improves your art.

[philochristos]

I free handed all my art from the age of seven until I was nearly 30. But now that I'm 46, I don't care anymore. I trace photos so I can get to the fun part of drawing--the shading and texture and stuff. Free-handing proportions and positions is really difficult, and all I'm trying to do is enjoy myself. So I got a light box, and now I trace, and I'm having a lot more fun and producing better pictures. You just have to swallow that pride so you can enjoy your life.

[cyjnoir]

I do portraits and post em on Twitter and 90% of the base sketch is traced from the photo reference. Because it takes too much time to try a 100 times to do the sketch freehand to look like the picture when I can just do the outline by tracing and do the shading, highlights, and details by hand myself, I don’t need to prove to people that I can draw, if it looks like the reference it’s fine. You don’t have to do everything freehand.

[VinWeiLee]

I trace all the time. And people still pays me good money. Here are my $.02. No one really cares when method you use, if they can get the product they want, anything goes, client’s don’t care about artists’ actual skill, only their perceived skill.

As for Kim jung ji, he remembers a lot of item details to help him dress up mistakes, and real life sketches are full with complexities you can get away with a lot of imperfections. This doesn’t mean mistakes don’t exist, just viewers can’t see them at first glance.

On top of that, tracing do require some drawing skill, if the line work isn’t good, even you trace, the result will look shitty.

So using tracing as a measurement to test how good an artist’s craftsmanship is flawed. I think a better way to test (there are countless ways) is to freehand a eclipse in perspective.

[StaraptorEagle]

I trace my art because I want it to look good. I also trace as a way to help me get the lines correctly, then I draw freehand.

[phil]

it's good for practicing. that's how i learned to draw when i was young.

[Neceros]

Tracing is fine. Anyone saying otherwise is using their ego as a shield.

[kenrzq]

Tracing is actually good for learning. If anyone ever said "tracing won't make you good at drawing / tracing is cheating, you will never be good at drawing if you copy! " You can tell them that they actually copy to learn too, they copied the alphabet so they can read and speak!

[TheAsylumchild]

I use tracing to teach myself muscle memory to be able to draw better free hand. It trains your eyes to see the shapes and lines in everyday things. I even made my own art video about it.

[MusicLoveDD]

Remember guys that are free to use Photo references online I study graphic design in College and I was encouraged to use a projector to copy a picture and get the proportions right cuz we were doing a realistic portrait.Also we were encouraged to take photos and use them as a references, tracing can been use as a tool if you use it properly.

[mikea.p]

Isn't art just tracing without tracing paper!?

[Zickeyo]

is it okay to trace real photos, like a random photo of a car?

[린-fr]

"The creator traced a photo that he didn't own the rights to and sued-"
Me : sweating nervously as I remember that I traced some photoshoot pictures for a fanart

[jasongomez]

I think tracing is not cheating it actually helps you in a way remember when you learned cursive in school and they had you trace first for the first few times of the letter. Well that's the same thing if I just started today for the first time not knowing nothing about art I would trace as much as I needed too and as long as needed to. The one thing I can't do is say I did it on all on my own cause the tracing is just there to help me learn and it would really be just for me. Not to say there is something wrong with the people who do cause I'm not them. Same as the tracing cursive it helps you get a feeling for how things are supposed to feel and move then eventually I wouldn't even need to trace because tracing taught me how my pencil was supposed to move and get the feel for something I didn't understand. But that's what I would do if I was just learning how to draw. I've never traced before or even when I started at the age of 6 because I didn't know about tracing till I was in my teens. Even then for my art tracing was a no no. But I wouldn't tell someone there sry and B**** for doing that cause it's mean to do that to someone that is learning or teaching them selves something and so I say to each is own.

[s.c.p.foundation]

I think tracing is good to learn stuff. Remmeber there always will be toxic people. Stay away from the toxic people and be safe.

[gotohellaaron]

I used to trace and people would say I was cheating. I found after tracing something a lot it can help you draw it freehand eventually.

[gullablebread]

I went to school for graphic design and I think tracing is one of the best tools artist have. Especially if you get frustrated.

[LinekeLijn]

You made an excellent point Garrett!! ^^
All the love - Lineke