COPYCAT! You copied the style of "so-and-so"

[purplelightpika]

I don't get this.

I've seen a lot of my friends (mostly anime artists) have been got into this problem. Like people were bashing how they copy some professional artists especially in the way how they coloured. I understand that copying is bad, but to copy an art style... is it bad? Isn't that the value, perspective, composition, anatomy etc are much more important to be taken note? Like, if you do your own picture but maybe your work looks like painted by Renoir, you are considered a thief?

[Anti-Ling]

Copying is not bad
It's actually one of the best things you can do
Of course you should make it a collective thing/not just copy one guy
That's when people come out to hunt

Nothing is entirely original
I'm sure that was said in a thread just like this one a few weeks-years ago lol

[Little-Missy-Moo]

I think your friends need to understand that being inspired by an artist should be acceptable if the original artist is credited. Creating an image within the boundaries of a certain style seems like an appreciative gesture. This action is in contrast to knowingly copying an artist and claiming the style to be your own.

[IronSpike]

It's not as simple as "copying is good" or "copying is bad."

Mimicking another artist can be good for an art student's education. Many major museums and schools offer copyist programs for developing artists, and traditional European painting schools still require students to copy the works of the Renaissance masters as part of the curriculum. The intent is to teach the students the technical aspects of working with color and paint, particularly oils. By copying a masterwork, you're forced to pay attention to minutiae such as the way the brushstrokes help to establish form, the fact that colors aren't flat fields but mixes of several shades, and the way the artist establishes focus in the piece by increasing or omitting detail. If done correctly, copying masterwork teaches universally useful lessons that can be applied to original work later, the way all art education does.

However.

The majority of the time I hear about "copying" on the internet, it's not a technically intense dissection of a masterwork. It's someone deciding to solve a very specific issue with their work... "How do I draw something cute? How do I draw noses? How do I draw robots?" etc.... by simply imitating the work of another artist.

That's not good.

An artist with the correct attitude towards copying would'nt attempt to remedy deficits in their work by imitating another artist.

A sufficiently skilled artist, if they've been educated (or have educated themselves) correctly, is able to draw anything. They have the basic tool set... perspective, light and shadow, color theory, anatomy, drapery... that can be applied to any task. They can draw you a kitten, or a V-8 engine, or what they think a Martian would look like; it may not be the best kitten, engine, or Martian you've ever seen, but they could manage it, because they would know where to start.

When you're not copying as an educational exercise, but because that's how you solve problems and patch the cracks in your competence, you're cheating yourself and stunting your own growth as an artist.

Have you ever seen a picture that seemed oddly schizophrenic? A beautifully-drawn human figure, sitting in a poorly-rendered bedroom with terrible perspective? or an amazingly-well-drawn car, but the human figure leaning on it looks like a child drew it? That's where stubborn copying gets you. You never learn the basics, you just learn the surface.

[Fansub]

IronSpike

It's not as simple as "copying is good" or "copying is bad."

Mimicking another artist can be good for an art student's education. Many major museums and schools offer copyist programs for developing artists, and traditional European painting schools still require students to copy the works of the Renaissance masters as part of the curriculum. The intent is to teach the students the technical aspects of working with color and paint, particularly oils. By copying a masterwork, you're forced to pay attention to minutiae such as the way the brushstrokes help to establish form, the fact that colors aren't flat fields but mixes of several shades, and the way the artist establishes focus in the piece by increasing or omitting detail. If done correctly, copying masterwork teaches universally useful lessons that can be applied to original work later, the way all art education does.

However.

The majority of the time I hear about "copying" on the internet, it's not a technically intense dissection of a masterwork. It's someone deciding to solve a very specific issue with their work... "How do I draw something cute? How do I draw noses? How do I draw robots?" etc.... by simply imitating the work of another artist.

That's not good.

An artist with the correct attitude towards copying would'nt attempt to remedy deficits in their work by imitating another artist.

A sufficiently skilled artist, if they've been educated (or have educated themselves) correctly, is able to draw anything. They have the basic tool set... perspective, light and shadow, color theory, anatomy, drapery... that can be applied to any task. They can draw you a kitten, or a V-8 engine, or what they think a Martian would look like; it may not be the best kitten, engine, or Martian you've ever seen, but they could manage it, because they would know where to start.

When you're not copying as an educational exercise, but because that's how you solve problems and patch the cracks in your competence, you're cheating yourself and stunting your own growth as an artist.

Have you ever seen a picture that seemed oddly schizophrenic? A beautifully-drawn human figure, sitting in a poorly-rendered bedroom with terrible perspective? or an amazingly-well-drawn car, but the human figure leaning on it looks like a child drew it? That's where stubborn copying gets you. You never learn the basics, you just learn the surface.

^ This.

[8D_SUGAR_8D]

As a matter of fact, 99.99% of artist learn from memory if you think about it.
How do you learn to draw easy anime? You observe and copy. Sure, it's not just as good but with much more observation and understanding you can copy it exact.
One of my favourite artists in Anime is Hyung-Tae Kim HIS AMAZING ART LINK . A lot of people cannot copy him exact and to be honest I don't even try, but if I knew I was good enough to attempt it and get similar or exact results, I would do it. However, I prefer more realistic anime. Which still isn't as detailed and awesome as his work.

[ancient hobo secret]

IronSpike

Have you ever seen a picture that seemed oddly schizophrenic? A beautifully-drawn human figure, sitting in a poorly-rendered bedroom with terrible perspective? or an amazingly-well-drawn car, but the human figure leaning on it looks like a child drew it? That's where stubborn copying gets you. You never learn the basics, you just learn the surface.

Very well said. A big part of growing as an artist is learning how to use the inspiration you get from other artists effectively. If you blindly mimic them, you'll never learn.

[ayah712]

I think it's fine to copy a piece of art work I mean my friends and I do it for practice since also it's takes practice to be able to draw things that come up from the top of your head

[Vorovka]

When you're starting, it's natural that you get inspired by other artists. You develop your own as you progress.

[The Tentacle Lover]

I think we all copycat sometimes. It's not necessarily a bad thing, because we learn from other artist's styles while developing our own. I used to draw in the style of Jamie Hewlett a lot, but grew tired of it and moved on. I occasionally take a stab at another artist's style(my signature being proof of this), but for the most part my style is what I lean on.

In short, what we learn is an amalgamation of what we have seen and what we are taught. So copycatting occurs naturally, even in art.

[Aleksandros]

I want to add, from a professional perspective, there is actually some use in being able to emulate someone else's style to an extent. Call it being a sell-out or whatever, but it's pragmatic. A client wants Frank Miller but can't afford Frank Miller? Hire someone who can get the general Miller-feel.

Stagnation is the real crime tho. Whether you copy someone else's style or come up with your own as uninfluencedly as possible, do not become content and stop trying to improve.

[Rachael Aryn]

Aleksandros

I want to add, from a professional perspective, there is actually some use in being able to emulate someone else's style to an extent. Call it being a sell-out or whatever, but it's pragmatic. A client wants Frank Miller but can't afford Frank Miller? Hire someone who can get the general Miller-feel.

Stagnation is the real crime tho. Whether you copy someone else's style or come up with your own as uninfluencedly as possible, do not become content and stop trying to improve.

That's after you already have basics down though right?

When you have the basics down, as I'm sure you know, you'll be able to draw anything anyway and in any style to suit your clients needs.

Its a great thing to have professionally, but for learning. Meh.

[inanagi]

Technically if you "copy" an artist's style. It's called "homaging" or "homage"; granted you should give proper credit if you are inspired by someones work and attempt to use it in your own. but eventually when you get the basics of a style down, you'll tweak it and make it your own.
It takes a lot of time to come up with your own style, but you have to start somewhere.

[x_Silver_Starlight_x]

ayah712

I think it's fine to copy a piece of art work I mean my friends and I do it for practice since also it's takes practice to be able to draw things that come up from the top of your head

You're talking about copying, not copying a style. That's an entirely different discussion...

[Aleksandros]

Ms Spook

Aleksandros

I want to add, from a professional perspective, there is actually some use in being able to emulate someone else's style to an extent. Call it being a sell-out or whatever, but it's pragmatic. A client wants Frank Miller but can't afford Frank Miller? Hire someone who can get the general Miller-feel.

Stagnation is the real crime tho. Whether you copy someone else's style or come up with your own as uninfluencedly as possible, do not become content and stop trying to improve.

That's after you already have basics down though right?

When you have the basics down, as I'm sure you know, you'll be able to draw anything anyway and in any style to suit your clients needs.

Its a great thing to have professionally, but for learning. Meh.

LOL indeed, sorry, I was commenting under the premise that you had at least be knowledgeable in all the basics to be a working professional. xDDD