What's your opinion on photo/model tracing?

[DarkeAOU]

Since I actually learned how to draw by tracing, I tend to view it as a stepping stone. Not something I would post online, but it would occupy space in my sketchbook. (Though I think all of those pictures are destroyed by now--it's been years.)

I do keep a reference folder for stock images on my computer, but I don't typically use those pictures for tracing. They're mostly to give me an idea of how people would interact with a specific environment (though I have another folder for clothes ideas). Usually the only thing I do trace are the fingers and hands, and that's typically only to give me an idea of how they fit together (to scale). Mostly because it's not always feasible to resize hands, particularly if the fingers aren't set at the exact same angle.

Even then, tracing's a last resort. I do what I can with my own skills, and if it doesn't look right no matter what, I'll try the photo. Sometimes all I need to do is replace one line for it to work out. Other times, one misplaced finger means that I have to redraw the whole hand. (And of course, tracing never provides the final lines, only a rough guide.)

[MoonByte]

I regulary trace complicated poses or perspective images to learn how the body changes with that (though I usually always got with a life model, if possible).
The very few cases where I am tight on time and actually use the traced image, I only make a basic sketch based on it (like a stick figure) to have the proportions and posture and fill in the rest myself. I have found that most fully traced images look somewhat weird, mostly because people that trace like that are still having trouble with drawing and end up with a picture that has perfect anatomy and otherwise is lacking in basic understanding of volume and so on.

I have a TOTALLY different opinion about 3D tracing though.
Especially for backgrounds, I find it incredibly helpful. If I want to have a building from a very specific perspective, then I make a rough 3D model, position a camera, make a screenshot and draw over that.
It's usually more difficult with a character, so I stick to photos, life models and drawing marionettes, if I need some help.

[charliesan763]

I had use photo reference for characters and poses since I can remember I think is a good way to get your poses fast and right. Tracing can help you in the beginning but if you want to start doing your own games characters you have to stop using (or use it the least you can) the tracing method just my opinion.

[Alhia]

Tracing to learn is obviously okay even though I don't think of it as a good way to do that (it's too easy to just trace without thinking about the whys). It must depend on the people though, I guess tracing helps some of us to focus on what's happening, but I know that absolutely doesn't work for me Using photo (even better, live) references at least forces my brain to think about the way things are built. The more active you are in the process, the more you learn.

Tracing to get graphic assets in a fast way would be completely okay for me as long as I own the original material I'm tracing, be it a photography or a 3d model. It's just your creative process. Gantz, Isio Asano come to mind. Way closer from us, Kinmoku used the rotoscopy animation technique with One Night Stand ! But then it takes time to create your own ressources so it needs to be taken into account as well.

(I guess Public Domain or Creative Commons (without non-commercial or paternity or sharealike or noderivative licenses) pictures would be okay too, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with that on a personal level. But that's just me I guess.)

And yes as others have said it really depends on your goals. Sometimes it's worth losing time to gain some more later. Sometimes tracing become part of your creative process. Sometimes you really don't want a project to take X months/years of your life and for that some choices must be made.