Is it cheating to trace the outline of subject from the photograph? - WetCanvas: Online Living for Artists (2024)

bhavani.krishnan

Is it cheating to trace the outline of subject from the photograph? I havent done a potrait yet but just wondering out of curiosity.

Yorky Administrator Ormskirk

Absolutely not, though the nuances of a face will mean it is only of value for major proportions.

Doug

We must leave our mark on this world

AndyMcC

It’s really a subjective thing, I’ve seen many working artists that trace work and many that don’t. The artists that trace work tend to be realists as they want complete accuracy, it’s understandable that they would trace a portrait or still life as they need proportions to be perfect and if the drawing is spot on they can focus on painting.
Myself I feel that the basis of painting is good drawing, I’ve produced many bad paintings and drawings over the years but it’s part of learning, it can be massively annoying though when you can’t capture someone’s likeness but as Monet said “you mustn’t be afraid to paint bad pictures”.
Tracing for me is a dead end as you’ll never improve your drawing if you rely solely on it, plus you’re limited to working from photos as if someone wants to sit for you but you can only trace them what do you do? Working from life improves everything, drawing, colour perception etc. it’s not a quick process but it does pay off in the end
In the end you do what feels right for you, if you’re happy tracing then do it, no one needs to know that you traced anything anyway.
“One judges by the result” – Machiavelli

Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it - Dali
Do not fear mistakes - there are none - Miles Davis

mnsrc

I agree with Andy. I would say it is cheating, but only cheating yourself. This is because tracing impedes the development of your ability to see and place everything correctly relative to everything else, which is an essential skill that only comes to most people by doing many many drawings. Even using a grid is better than tracing, because you can learn from it. It provides you with a visual aid to correctly evaluate shape and alignment yourself. The only tracing I do is when I am having a problem with a particular line, e.g., a jawline. I will trace the contour of that line from the reference photo and hold it side by side with my line, and make corrections from there.

tommie

Maybe you could draw the face first to understand it, do a color study, and then trace the final portrait for accuracy.

kentiessen

Good drawing skills are an absolutely essential foundation for artwork of any kind, especially the human figure and head. Tracing will replicate an image but there can be many pitfalls. Traced work can look stilted or stiff, as if the sacred lines inhibit the actual life of the work. An artist who draws well and has studied the subject a great deal can clarify critical areas even if tracing, and will also manage the other elements of the work much better. So draw, draw, then draw a little bit longer!

Greggo

I found it helpful to use a grid system to help me keep accuracy, but it is only a general guide. Eventually one learns to draw without it, although gridding is a good skill to master

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Yorky Administrator Ormskirk

As I said, if you are having trouble sketching the face by all means trace the main outlines but it won’t help much with getting a likeness.

Doug

We must leave our mark on this world

renaissancemedici

I don’t think it’s cheating, after all some old masters apparently traced from camera obscura. But it stops you from developing your skills, which is not good. I don’t think there is cheating in art.

ATR

“Drawing is the true test of art”-Ingres,1783-1859.
At the risk of opening up a can of worms,I believe it is the artistic expression which matters the most and not the method.Surely art is more than just the ability to draw well?
Andy.

lovin art

I would Not agree there is , it is the foundation of all art really … think about it !! where do you think art as a subject comes from … its all about learning to draw and to see and to learn to see properly one must draw and paint from life in order to achieve this really…

so yeah you are really just cheating yourself of the chance to really see , as your not using any fundamentals to teach yourself with … other than tracing , and yes some big artists like Rockwell etc did do this –but ‘ even they started with the fundamentals Know the rules before you can break them , dont jump hurdles till your ready too … its hard to have to go back and dam frustrating too at times but nothing more rewarding in my mere thoughts

mnsrc

”Drawing is the true test of art”-Ingres,1783-1859.
At the risk of opening up a can of worms,I believe it is the artistic expression which matters the most and not the method.Surely art is more than just the ability to draw well?
Andy.

Art definitely is more than the ability to draw well. I’m currently reading “Rodin on Art” and he sums it up perfectly for me:

“Craft [technical drawing skill] is only a means. But the artist who neglects it will never attain his end, which is the interpretation of feeling, of ideas. Such an artist would be like a horseman who forgot to give oats to his horse.”

“It is only too evident that if drawing is lacking, if color is false, the most powerful emotion cannot find expression. Incorrect anatomy would raise a laugh when the artist wished to be most touching.”

“In short, no sudden inspiration can replace the the long toil which is indispensable to give the eye a true knowledge of form and proportion and to render the hand obedient to the commands of feeling.”

kevinwueste

Awesome quote Martin! I feel the word “cheating” is a bit fraught with so many potential emotional triggers. All I can attest to is myself, I really love drawing- the act of it is a joy to pursue and develop. Mostly, if you draw and paint from live models, there is NO OPTION.. What can you “trace” in that situation? Nothing of course- you must rely on the skil, you have developed.

Kevin

i draw, paint and teach | my voice is hoarse | my shoulder hurts.
Talent is really a capacity for a certain type of learning of knowledge and a consuming interest in the facts that contribute to that knowledge~ Andrew Loomis
http://www.kevinwuesteart.blogspot.com
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ATR

Is it cheating to trace the outline of subject from the photograph? I havent done a potrait yet but just wondering out of curiosity.

By all means trace the outline.It is a means to an end and that is the important thing.
“Art cannot result from sophisticated,frivolous or superficial effects”–Hans Hofmann.
A contradiction?
Dont tell anyone in the digital art section about this.They might get upset.;)

Wassie

I used to think drawing the outline was cheating but years of drawing and painting have taught me it is not. You still have to accomplish the likeness with your tonal changes. You could trace a photo exactly and still not have a likeness without the proper tonal values.