Tracing to learn - fast

[Mark Branscum]

Hello, Steven.

Respectfully, I disagree. Also what we have here is a play of words. Familiarity, what is meant in other words would be so even if one is knowledgeable of the thing - be it anatomy or otherwise.

Knowledge itself of a form (anatomy for example) does not make one an artist. Understanding the choreography of line it is exactly what I am talking about. This form of practice teaches you to be familiar or to become, to a certain degree, knowledgeable of anatomy, in a limited way.

Yes, one might recall from repeated tracing attempts the curve of a line, the placement of landmarks even, shape of a feature and so on. This will help, and I agree it will help. But it will not teach the fundamentals of drawing. Tracing will not teach this, but drawing will or painting will.

You mentioned the piano; I have been playing the piano for 30 years and have taught as well. I have had those that have strong ability or training even in the reading of music, who, however, couldn't play at all. They would say they always wanted to, and even tried, but wish they had someone to teach them. Did they learn faster? Yes, in some cases they did; because they were familiar, I could go right to teaching them the fundamentals without having to teach them to read the notes in front of them. However, amazingly, they had to start just like all the rest, and learn where those notes were on the piano, and the scales, and so on. They had to go home and practice the same things the others did and were graded in the same and so on.

Also, for many years I was a Karate instructor, and have trained children, adults and even law enforcement. I used to love it when many of the teens I taught would come in thinking they already knew so much. I mean, they saw someone, or watched TV, or read a book, or saw a training video, or even had various Martial Arts magazines with step by steps in it. From this they felt they had learned so much. TRUE, they were familiar but when it came down to execution they had no concept. Point being, they had to be taught just as anyone else did and in most cases even unlearn improper techniques.

From my experience, I don't see it as a benefit, but as I said before it is my opinion - take it for what it's worth.

Mark

[Carolyn Ortiz]

I'm not usually one to get involved in debates but I couldn't resist this one!

My mom used to put papers, pens, pencils, markers, etc. in front of my older brothers and me when we were all very young, and have us draw while she caught up on her own artwork. At first, I would draw huge heads on top of tiny bodies, and all sorts of inaccurate subjects. Luckily she had many books about drawing, 'How to Draw the Head and Hands' and other books of that nature and I began to trace the drawings from the books. My brothers tormented me for it! They even tattled on me, telling my mom I was never going to learn if I just traced. I traced and retraced heads, hands, cartoons, trees, animals, National Geographic pictures until I got them right.

By no means am I perfect at drawing today, and I am certain I never will be, but I sure did excel at it very quickly. I learned a great deal from tracing! The proportions of the face, shading, line quality, etc. By the time I was in 2nd or 3rd grade I stopped tracing and just started drawing what I could see, which was a whole new world after all that tracing and training of the eyes. My abilities had increased so much and so fast that I began creating designs for a silkscreen company at age 11. Which of course quieted the teasing of my brothers and made me very happy! At 16 I had my first portrait commission for a couple's 50th wedding anniversary (talk about pressure! I cried the entire time!). But I really don't believe I would have been at that point so young if it weren't for the tracing. I still have a long way to go and a whole lot to learn, but I think what I learned from tracing gave me a strong foundation to build on.

Thanks for listening, I'll step off my soap box now.

[Anthony Emmolo]

In the past I've made the naive mistake of tracing a drawing with the intention of changing certain aspects of it to suit my aim for the finished product. As soon as I stopped tracing and began my attempt at drawing, I was staring reality in the face. I didn't have a clue at to what to do next. So, I began to learn to draw. (With a bit more humility due to the lesson.)

[Steven Sweeney]

Mark,

I don't know that there's really any item of disagreement. It's just an exercise. Not everyone will try it, not all who do try it will benefit from it. Something else will work for them.

I first picked up a guitar nearly 40 years ago and to this day I still warm up with a series of silent fretboard exercises that stretch out and limber up the hand, so that when I go to the music and read, say, D sharp, I "remember" from those "tracing" exercises what it feels like to extend the correct finger to the correct string and fret. That's all. It's no big deal. The exercises aren't music, and aren't supposed to be.

For the discipline, I also spent too much time in a dojo, and in retrospect I think all those endless hours of kata were a "tracing" exercise as well. People kept punching and kicking me, though, so I transferred to gentler arts.

[Mark Branscum]

You know, Steven, I know why sometimes I don

[Michael Fournier]

I am sure tracing is a useful exercise for some. We all learn things in our own way. And no one way should be forced on anyone. In the end if you can draw I suppose the road you took to get there does not matter.

But I still feel that some people are just born with a talent for things and art is no exception. Playing the piano was mentioned and Mark said

I have had those that have strong ability or training even in the reading of music, who, however, couldn't play at all.

I will take that one step further how about those with no formal training at all that can hear a song once then sit down and play it. Or have composed their own music but have no formal training? We say they are gifted.

I do not consider myself to be a prodigy or the next Michelangelo by any means. But I truly feel that without at least some gifted talent for art no amount of exercises, training or instruction will make you a great artist.

Just as anyone might learn to play piano, anyone can learn to draw or paint at a basic level. But just as not everyone can become a great composer, not everyone can become a great artist.

I myself often question if I will ever become the artist I hope to be, and maybe I never will. I do know that compared to some, drawing did come easy to me. But compared to those who I consider to be great artists, I still fall short. Is it because of a lack of talent I fall short? Or maybe it is because I did not trace enough

Yes, the more we draw and paint the better we get and a lot of greatness comes from hard work. So talent alone is not enough. But I feel that innate talent is key to being able to grasp the skills it takes to even start down that road of hard work towards greatness. And maybe that is the gift - not an ability but some intangible quality that drives one towards perfection to get past that hard work, to when it becomes second nature. I don't know. But I just do not feel that there is a short cut to learning anything.

Now I am not the best artist I know of, but I have been asked how I got as good as I am. And to tell the truth although I have practiced, I have to say I really can't attribute my ability to draw to any thing except, to steal from Nike "I just do it". I see it and I draw it I see it and I paint it. And those better then me do the same. They are just better at it then I. I am not ready to throw in the paint rag yet, because I feel that there is room in the field of art for artists of all levels, but maybe it is time that we face the truth. Artists like Nelson Shanks (you may replace this with any artist you consider great here) were just born with a gift we do not have. We could work the rest of our lives and never be as good. Tracing or no tracing.

[Mark Branscum]

Gifts from God,

I for one believe in gifts from God, as a Pastor, as my Father before me, I was raised believing God gives us gifts or talents as some might say.

I know He gave me the talents I have, but he also made me responsible for them. Was the gift in itself absolute? I mean when my Mother had me, did I come into this world with paintbrush in hand, so to speak, or pencil and pad?

Pardon the exaggeration but just a point, that I look at what I did then (yuck) compared to what I do now. The gift was certainly there absolutely, but so was the responsibility of what to do with it; would I do nothing, then I would still draw at the level I first did. But because I acted from that moment till now I have trained to learn what I do. If I had not practiced, not sought out knowledge, I would have wasted the very talent I was blessed with.

I think respectively, I have restated enough about tracing. Let me add one thought, though: I am not against it. Tracing may have things to teach you, but it's not the end-all or easy way as has been stated, and the dangers around it in place of fundamental training are enough I fear to direct someone on a wrong path.

Oh, and as far as forcing someone in learning a certain way I wouldn't even attempt it; it was never my intent nor my point at all. No one needs me or anyone else to force them to have to practice the basic fundamentals of drawing..
In the end, all who trace will realize that when they wish to proceed further, they will have to learn like all the rest.

Mark