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So, someone mentioned "tracing other pictures and adding funny things to them" as a style of art. I'm not saying anything on that person, I just though I'd go into the concept of tracing more in a seperate topic.
So, here goes... some things to get the ball rolling.
Would you concider tracing as a style of art?
When(if at all) is tracing okay?
Do you/have you ever traced something?
How do you feel about your own or someone elses traced artwork?
If you do, do you concider it nothing, or just practice? Do you take credit or pride in something you've traced?
How do you feel about copying a picture exactly by just looking at it for reference, as opposed to tracing?

Theres many different aspects of tracing. Tracing something like this is completely different than tracing something like this. Do you agree?

Discuss tracing.

A few years ago, when I first discovered manga-style drawing, I tried tracing a few pictures just to get used to the shapes used...but it didn't really help me. I gave it up and went back to just eye-ing (eying?) the style and changing it into what I wanted to learn to draw. If tracing helps you get better at drawing, go for it. But don't call it an original work. It's not. Tracing is not communicating something you feel, it's just a shortcut to getting the lines in someone else's communication right. That's practice, not art.

Sketching (or tracing by looking at something) is a little different. If you're sketching a drawing or photograph, it's still basically practice. If you're sketching something in the world around you, I can call that original art because you're always going to translate something of yourself in how you capture a moving, living world.

There definitely is a difference in what's right and wrong.
I think that it's okay if you need to trace some things like maybe a hand to get it down on a drawing and have that to reference to for yourself as long as you didn't post it and not leave credit. But tracing shouldn't be used as a crutch.
Also, I use tracing still on my own drawings like when I need to get the eyes looking more symmetrical. So there's more than one purpose to it.

Well, yes, I'd definentely say tracing your own work it fine. I'd never really thought abot that either rofl
Digitally, I can just copy/pasta my eye and flip it if I need to xD

But yeah, in your brothers situation, I probably would have done the same exact thing, lmao. I'm not one for tedious things like that. D:

the only time i trace a drawing is when i do it 2 my own when i mess up or the pencil markings wont erase

but no i dont consider it a art

I Got Soul...

Personally, the only way I'd consider tracing okay is for someone's own private practice, such as practicing anatomy and poses and whatsnot or if you're transferring mediums (For example, in the art school I go to, when you do pastels, you first draw on tracing paper, then trace over it in pastels, before transferring it to paper). Otherwise, I don't think tracing's okay in any form. You're just short-cutting your way and taking other's hard work.
I had an experience a few years ago when a classmate asked me to draw something for her and I did, only to find her tracing it a few minutes later and claiming it as her own. <.<;

If one is a seriously so beginner, I don't mind them tracing. It may help them get the feel of how one can make lines in different lengths and what not, but after some time I loose respect for those who trace. It shows lack of originality. I especially hate it if people trace and claim it as their own.

So it's a kind of 50/50 thing with me.