🧵 Tracing
Anonymous at Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:08:10 UTC No. 773118
Is it okay to trace if you're just starting out and trying to learn?
I'm a writer by trade and don't intend to get more involved with art than with writing, but I just bought a Kindle Scribe and have been having a lot of fun sketching and was wanting to use the doodles to supplement some poetry, Rupi Kaur-style.
Anonymous at Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:12:39 UTC No. 773119
There is a better board for this
>>>/ic/
Now go there and educate yourself. Beware the crabs that run rampant there.
Anonymous at Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:13:56 UTC No. 773120
>>773119
Okay, thank you, I was checking them out too, but somehow this board felt more appropriate.
Anonymous at Mon, 12 Feb 2024 18:49:40 UTC No. 773134
>>773118
its a very good way to learn just try not to rely on it too much, its good for understanding forms and building muscle memory along with becoming able to break the body down into separate parts but usually comes out kind of ugly looking. trace until you feel used to it and then start drawing without tracing to see what you can apply while referencing the image
Anonymous at Mon, 12 Feb 2024 19:08:09 UTC No. 773136
>>773134
>but usually comes out kind of ugly looking
Yeah, no kidding, the first trace I tried, when I took the photo away, I recoiled in disgust. I was impressed with how the one in my OP turned out, though, as well as a couple of others.
I don't see myself as having art worthy of being the focus of a book, but as a supplement, maybe. I've been focusing too on making images out of only a few shapes, i.e., the most distinctive parts I take away from a scene. Like pic related; I made a really sloppy freehand sketch of a model but I liked certain parts of it and simplified it and just practiced drawing those shapes perfectly. I think it came out alright.
Anonymous at Mon, 12 Feb 2024 19:24:19 UTC No. 773138
>>773136
as long as you stick with it and dont set your bar too high (fatal flaw of too many beginners, dont expect too much out of yourself early on because you'll just burn out and feel like shit) you'll improve. you're already making up your own techniques and practicing shapes which is way more than most beginners are willing to stomach so you're on the right track. It definitely takes some time though, so just be patient with yourself and keep practicing
https://quickposes.com/en good resource for figures and gesture practice
Anonymous at Mon, 12 Feb 2024 19:29:12 UTC No. 773140
>>773138
Thanks, fren. I have the Love Life tutorials bookmarked from /ic as well.
>you're already making up your own techniques and practicing shapes which is way more than most beginners are willing to stomach
That's good to know. I think I have enough of a vision with that, I initially thought the book would be nothing but those simple little symbols, but I'm getting interested in trying something with more detail. I shall practice.
Anonymous at Fri, 16 Feb 2024 03:53:47 UTC No. 773536
>>773460
I like the look of the girl on the top right
Anonymous at Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:13:22 UTC No. 773541
>>773536
Thanks, funny, I was just now attempting to re-draw her and re-create that same look, 'cause she almost looks like she could be a comic strip character, but I'm not skilled enough to replicate it. Happy enough I managed to make it once.
Anonymous at Sat, 17 Feb 2024 20:48:13 UTC No. 773690
>>773684
Thanks! Is that your work? Is that your interpretation of that girl? (her boobs are set the same way, lol)
Anonymous at Sat, 17 Feb 2024 21:19:41 UTC No. 773691
>>773690
yep
Anonymous at Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:02:14 UTC No. 773709
>>773691
Nice, I'm flattered.
Anonymous at Mon, 19 Feb 2024 05:34:40 UTC No. 773863
>>773118
If you want to learn, tracing is the worst thing you can do. Not because it's immoral or anything, because it's completely ineffective.
Anonymous at Mon, 19 Feb 2024 05:35:51 UTC No. 773864
>>773460
No. Symbol drawing is bad.
Anonymous at Mon, 19 Feb 2024 06:43:16 UTC No. 773874
>>773864
Explain.
Anonymous at Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:37:04 UTC No. 773879
>>773874
NTA, but symbol drawing is different from construction/simplification of form through recognizing shapes.
Symbol drawing is drawing what something represents- ie, anime. Drawing what you feel when you think of an eye rather than recognizing that an eye is a literal thing.
Symbolism naturally comes out in style, but going out of your way to do it slowly removes yourself from the subject matter you are trying to represent because it has less of a hold on reality.
Not sure how to explain it better, art is symbolism, and this doesn't mean you go for perfect realism. Hope you get what I mean though.
In this post >>773136 it's fine to recognize the outline, but it's more important to think of the shapes/form that allow the outline to actually make sense. Otherwise your drawings look pasted to the page.
Anonymous at Mon, 19 Feb 2024 14:59:30 UTC No. 773895
>>773879
Nah that makes sense, thanks for clarifying. Luckily I think I'm already going away from that direction. I've been doing a lot of sketches in the past few days. Some of them I do rework and simplify in as few shapes as possible, like the top-left here >>773460 where I guess I misspoke by saying "symbols."