Copying practice

[JustAnotherMe]

I'm sooo agree with Deji! It's not about we 'copy' to make ourself a copycat, but it's to make us understand what things that make sth beautiful and then we can apply it to our own style. I think it's not to copy but to learn. A big difference here. But remember though: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Wtv u interpret it

[Anthy]

I have no examples to share, but I do it all the time. Every time I see a good drawing of hands or a difficult pose, I try to copy it.
And I do photo -> drawing copies as well (if it can be called that). Scouring through fashion magazines and drawing the ads (I really like bridal magazines for this lol, the dresses and composition are usually much prettier) really helps to get a feel for how fabric drapes... for scenery also.

The only problem when copying is when you go around posting it publicly, and especially if you slap your name on it or don't link to the original.

[Camille]

Not an artist or anything, but I read this article today and the whole "steal like an artist" thing reminded me of this post. Very useful advice!

[DaFool]

Do you guys ever do this? If you do, would you mind sharing it?
If you don't, I think it's a fun thing to try every now and then (:

As a Producer more than an Artist, it's actually quite liberating for me to be able to search for specific styles that would suite a particular work. If I had mastered 'my own style', I would be limited to making works that fit that style. Right now, I'm even free to pursue a specific non-anime style if I want to.

So the solution I came up with is to commission concept art from artists who have the style I want to use for a particular work, then leave the production to myself where I go about tracing their images. It still feels like a gray area but since I commissioned the designs and they were my characters to begin with, they're technically mine to do as I please. It's similar to an animation studio with no design experience (but plenty of experience in cranking out output) asking a pre-production studio to come up with the base templates which they will then follow.

This gives the artist the freedom to explore their style as they see fit and not be constrained to making X poses and Y CGs, which is a thankless job (no wonder many artists abandon a free or even paid project after some time after the 'best part' / conceptualizing is over.

Cranking out art is a gruelling job that doesn't really require proper art training (many animators actually suck at drawing but excel at tracing), but as long as the source designs are made by a properly trained artist the inspiration will still filter through to the end user.

[Auro-Cyanide]

Internally I am a bit conflicted with copying. I do see the value in it for learning, but on the other hand is has been drummed into me pretty hard that it is bad to copy other people and it is much better to take bits and pieces and create something yourself :s It is one of the reasons I barely copy stuff anymore, that I barely have time for my own stuff.

"Good artists borrow, great artists steal".

Copying is a good habit and a good learning tool. We copy from life and reference all the time, right? Copying from other artists to learn their methods and techniques is no different from carpenters, architects, or engineers copying from one another. Why re-invent the wheel?

I have a whole bunch of irrational little artist voices in my head, and the copying is only one of them. I also feel bad about referencing sometimes and not drawing hands.
"You're not drawing the hands"
"I know, it's fine, it's natural for it to be like that"
"Suuuuuure. You're just being lazy"
"Am not! I don't have to draw hands all the time"
"Laaaaaazy"
"Am not"
"Are too"

I should stop listening to them.

[Voight-Kampff]

<pats Auro on the head> Yes, that's right. You just don't pay any attention to those voices...Quick, someone go get me some Abilify while she's distracted...

*ahem* Anyway...

As they say: copying from one person is plagiarism. Copying from multiple people is research.