Is Tracing In Art Allowed?

I will plant my flag early on here and tell you that there is nothing wrong with using a trace in art. Tracing has long been used as a method of transfer for artists across centuries.

Okay… I agree technology today allows for artists to trace a LOT that before was never done within pencil drawings. In some cases the entire work of art can be duplicated.

Tools such as a Light Box have changed the game in how drawings can be made. It is a far cry from the days of using wax or transfer paper.

Why Does An Artist Need To Trace?

I need to trace… a LOT. Why? Within wood art it is a requirement. The trace acts as the initial lines that allow for wood carving to begin.

Without a trace the wood grain can impact how you see the design in your mind proportionally. In short, the carving you begin can be stretched or squished proportionally simply by optical illusion.

After some carving has been done there can be additional tracing which needs to take place. This allows for multiple layers of carving to be achieved.

Painters as well use tracing for similar reasons. It is an easy way to define boundaries early on within their artwork. The technical element being defined is the use of space in art.

This allows for the mind to gain the necessary proportions, aspect, and image balance they may require.

As you can see there are very real reasons why tracing is done that have practical uses. So why do pencil artists lose their minds when they see someone tracing?

To understand this we need to look at what some of these offending tracers do and the tool they use.

Pencil Artists That Trace With A Light Box

What is a light box? Think of a very large tablet, but its just a really bright light. You lay a drawing onto the tablet and fix it into place.

After this you lay a blank sheet of paper over the drawing and simply trace the artwork. This is at least a simple definition of how it works.

The interesting part is that present common use of the light box is not what it was originally intended for. Today many use it for tracing.

The problem many who draw working with pencil, charcoal, ink art or similar media, is the level of detail that some artists duplicate.

In essence the person using the light box is said to be a human copying machine. So how much tracing is too much tracing? Well this depends on what you are tracing…

Photo Realism Vs Stylized Anime Tracing And Reproduction

For starters no amateur artist is going to be able to trace a photo portrait to 100% accuracy in reproduction. There simply are issues that a photograph creates when drawing which requires experience.

Aspects in lighting and anatomical proportions alone make tracing perfectly near impossible. In this case using a light box to trace is almost a must for artists who are not professionals.

The best of the young artist might be able to achieve some wow factor from untrained eyes, but others who know their craft will pick out the problems with ease.

In this case a light box is not cheating. The human anatomy is rather complicated to draw. This is especially true with features like hands.

Where you begin to see more artists spin the, “you are cheating if you trace” line, is as you move into stylized art. Typically it is more common to see these accusations rise in fan art or similar caricatures.

The anime style drawings do not require the same degree of skill as they are no where near as complex. By the very nature of that art it is common for proportions to be exaggerated. Lines are used more for general shaping rather than creating definition in detail.

It is here that I can begin to understand the argument that tracing is cheating. Still it does depend on how much the light box is used.

Professional Artist Vs Amateur Tracing In Art

Generally speaking a professional artist will use a light box to trace outlines when creating reproductions of things like photos. If they are professionals, why do they use a light box?

The purpose of the light box is less about tracing and more about speed. The trace merely divides the canvas or paper into its proper boundaries. This eliminates the need for measurements on defining starting points to the objects and presented subject in art.

If someone is an amateur they will often take the degree of tracing further. Specific points within the objects will also be traced as additional points of reference.

These points could be things like a nose or the eyes. It allows for references to be made in reproducing how elements such as light impact the moment across the subject and obtaining proportion.

Still, I would not say they are cheating if a professional went this far. The point of where the line is crossed into cheating is where so much is reproduced that it becomes more like paint by number.

Yet this paint by number mentality applies more to stylized representational art than the photographic realism of professional creations. My take on how much you should trace is as follows…

How Much Tracing Should Be Done With A Light Box?

The artist should trace all that they need, but not more. A light box is a tool that is used in two ways. First it is a tool for speed and creating reference points in accuracy. Secondly it is for learning.

The price of your artwork will and should relate to your time involved and your skill level. If that price is in line with where you are as an artist, there is nothing wrong with it.

Having said this, use the light box with confidence but do not treat it as a crutch. Use it as a tool to make you a better artist.

The only real danger I see in using a light box is becoming dependent upon it to do more with it. Rather you should become better because of its use.

Drawing art programs can offer some functionality in the same way as a light box with other added effects. Be sure to not become dependent on technology while still utilizing its strengths to help you.

Tracing In Wood Art Is Prolific And Often Required

I wish to add this portion in defense of artist who use a light box. Allow me to share a few tricks wood artists use.

When we want a design placed onto wood quickly, if it is a small piece of wood, we use our ink jet printers. No… we do not put the wood into the paper tray.

We use wax sheets that we print the image on. Once this is complete you can rub the image onto the wood. I have found an iron works wonders for this process using light heat.

Is this cheating? We say absolutely not. Why? We still have to carve the image! We have not yet started our real art.

Cheating for us is very different than for those who draw. In the world of wood art, cheating is measured by how much numeric control with machinery is used to automatically carve the art.

In this way our cnc mill’s act much like the pencil artists light box. For us the question becomes, how much did your mill do as compared to being carved or made by hand?

I wished to relate this to any artists that may find this article to prove a point. Each and every art will face similar questions. At what point does art become a product?

In wood art, some claim that using others designs is also cheating. This is like claiming the professional artist is cheating by drawing to paper a photo someone has given them.

Everyone seems to have their own boundaries.

My Personal Beliefs On Cheating In Art

To me the answer is clear and simple. If you are mass producing your work based on a repetitive design and process then it is no longer art. You have a product. With this do not call yourself an artist.

If you are being paid by commission to do the artwork in a specified way, such as total freehand drawing or carving, then make sure to create as requested. If you use other tools you are cheating.

If you sell non commissioned artwork as being totally freehand drawn or carved, but you did not do the work in this way, you are cheating. The price should reflect the work put into it.

Outside of these boundaries it is your time, life, and skill to do with it as you wish. The key is to not present yourself as something you are not. Using tools to make yourself or your work better is not the problem.

How Do I Approach This In My Wood Art?

If you look at my online gallery you will see wood art that has had a blend of methods used. Each of them have had both by hand, and machined processes used. The price reflects this.

If someone thinks that those pieces are expensive, I dare them to ask me how much it would cost to totally hand carve one. We are talking about thousands of dollars, not a few hundred.

So… unless you are willing to pay… I don’t want to hear any complaints in that regard.

This really is the mentality you need to have as an artist. It is not being stuck up or having a chip on your shoulder. Rather it is understanding the value of something.

If you want to sell your work it needs to be at prices more people can afford, yet it also still be your artwork. If every work of art you have created is thousands of dollars, how many would you sell? Not many.

You need to present your work affordably so it does not turn into your personal private collection. Allow others to enjoy it by refining a process that brings a balance to the overall design.

If you wish, have those special pieces that are done to the extreme and price that hand drawn or crafted work accordingly.