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Diikae — Tracing vs. Referencing
Published: 2011-05-07 06:35:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 25595; Favourites: 117; Downloads: 78
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:// Tracing vs. Copying vs. Referencing
:// Warning: If you are tracing/copying someone else's artwork without permission, this is considered plagiarism and you can be sued. Just something to keep in mind.
:// Unless the stock creator explicitly speaks against it, tracing stock is not an issue whatsoever and can be a helpful tool to learn anatomy. When doing this, you need to be honest with yourself and the community about when your talent ends and the tracing begins, however.
I've seen some dispute about these things on dA and I would like to clear some things up as I see them. I hope most will agree, though I know some will not. I will keep comments open for now because I'd love suggestions or questions. This is here as a resource for the community. Comments will become closed if people start harassing me.
But in the end...
Referencing is always okay, of course, if it's not tracing or copying. There is a distinct difference.
I used, with permission, ~Druid-Ulises 's Erin Image .
Also, some further reading courtesy of dA, on using other people's images, and copy/tracing policy:
FAQ #304: Do you remove copies and trace-over art?
FAQ #257: What sort of permission do I need to use someone else's work?
FAQ #157: Can I use things created by other people in my submissions?
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Comments: 86
I was just curious 
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aahh I dont know anymore > < it was so long ago but more people said that
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looking back at the photo and tracing the photo are two very different things. While I have no beef with people tracing from stock (as I have also done so in a few of my pieces), to sit there and say that's not what you are doing is pretty.. hmm what's the word? Laughable!
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Wait what? Are you mocking me? D:
Tracing is drawing over the original picture.. and you two say that I'm doing that but xD I don't get it? where do you see me tracing over the reference in the video? the only thing I did was, drew a stick figure thing from the photo, and while I was sketching the horse I looked back at the reference picture sometimes, how is that wrong? > <
but wow I didn't intend to make a problem outoff this o - o geez
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I watched your video again, and I think the video seems a bit deceiving. When I first watched it it looked as though you were dropping the opacity to see the photo in order to trace it. Upon closer inspection apparently that isn't the case.
I will retract my previous statement and apologize for it, since you are right that you were just looking back at the photo and not actually tracing.
I do however think the skeleton part is tracing though.. but again, it's not something I have a problem with people doing. Your video just really looked as though you were plain tracing.
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No I always lower the opacity of the reference, just because you can see the lines you're drawing beter. but I know what you mean with the skelleton part though.. its an older video and I really had problems with anatomy(stil have),esspecially the belly and neck part for some reasom, I intend to make the skelleton more expansive > <" but dang! didn't intend to make this such a problem! -facepalm-
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But you do the same thing as Boribaby? I don't see the difference, sorry. :/ It seemed like you were going over it pretty perfectly to me, and overlaying (out of curiosity) it's pretty close. But yes, you aren't tracing it like some people do, blatantly. However, tracing a little bit is tracing, period. There isn't a halfway point. -shrug- You just have to ask yourself if it would be so perfect without doing it, and be honest with yourself and the people who look at your art.
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and I think you're a bit over reacting with the "tracing pretty perfectly" part 
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I don't really know what you expected me to say. |D and yeah, that's a good point, you don't have it on when you're drawing but it's still different then having your reference material off to the side. I guess it's the same idea as using a grid. In either case, you're going to do what you're going to do and as long as it's photographs and you feel good about it then more power to you. 8D
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No lol I just don't get where you got the tracing part from xD just wanna know how it is tracing when I'm drawing, thats all ~
So, it only makes it tracing :I cuz I have the reference not on the side..
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I don't really understand why you posted it if you are certain it's not tracing, except to start an argument. :/ I really don't see any benefit in continuing this conversation since we're not going to come to an agreement on it, and it doesn't really concern me further.
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Hehe I'm sorry for stating an argument with you, never intended to 
Agree with me on that or not, whatever suits you ~
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I guess I was wrong. You did trace the sketch, as you said, enough that the anatomy is proper. But the rest is referenced, albeit an unconventional way. I'd still be honest that the underlying anatomy isn't due to latent skill.
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Yep, well I think you mean by tracing the sketch you mean drawing the lineart 
And I don't think I fully understand the last part you're saying cuz my english isn't that good
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Yes, that's all I'm saying. Well, you traced your 'stick-figure' directly to get the anatomy, that's what I'm saying.
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Huh o - o I don't understand you.. In the video, I never had the picture on and draw at the same time..
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I never do that. I use my head for pose and stuff but if i am having a hard time i look up a ref but my pics never look like the ref :3
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I don't see the problem using a reference if someone uses them right. Sometimes I use references but generally I try to make them look pretty different.
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Ahh. Same here. I try to stay away from them
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I really wish photo-tracing would stop too. I am guilty of it, but I eventually realized (and admitted) to myself how wrong it was. It's just a cheap way to get a realistic conformation without putting in the effort. Some equine artists are FILLED with traced photos and crude colour-jobs. I think it's ashame that some artists are so unconfident in their pieces that they feel the need to rip-off others.
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I'm okay with tracing photos as long as the person credits that they traced, not drew. Of course, I'm only okay with tracing PHOTOS not other people's art. But yeah, there are some galleries that are all 'miracle' drawings that the person just traced line for line. -sigh-
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I wish DA would remove screenshot traces.
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Oh god, me too. ._. That is so irritating, and clearly not the person's artwork. It should at least be under photomanips or something rather than straight digital art.
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first time seeing one of these, and i have to say, about time. i openly admit i fave multiple photos for the sole pourpose of using them as references. my proportion skills are next to non-existent and my anatomy is mediocre at best, so i use each of them in an attempt to aid me. and whenever i do decide to use one or more of said pictures as a reference in a major project, which i have yet to do, i will say as such in the artist comments section. i do hope who'sever art i reference from doesn't mind that i used them, though depending on their current DA fame, i'm never sure whether they'd get my note anyway... =/
thank you for making this, though. 
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I'm glad that you enjoyed it. There is another one out there, but it's satirical and facetious, making it hard for people to actually relate to it and say 'hey, well...i do some of that', when they're being openly mocked.
As long as you're using photos, especially of the stock variety, there should be no issue in you using them whatsoever, and it's good that you are taking a bunch of them and getting an idea, instead of taking one specifically (I'm guilty of that. |D).
Interesting tips, and very correct. I guess when I was making this I was thinking more along the lines of the digital variety, and that can be easily proven with overlays. You can generally tell because something looks a little too good to be true. A little TOO realistic in comparison with the rest of their art.
Thanks for your comment!
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ew... what an asshole. -_-
the majority of the photos i fave are from models, though, so i'm kinda leery to begin with. there's one project i'm working on that after hunting for a good day or so, i finally found a pic that would help, but i had to cut the limbs and readjust them to help. plus the body type of my female character is a bit more plump. is it still classified and referencing? or is it worse?
haha ^^ yea, or you can use a lightbox if you've got one, or a window on a sunny day.
i found one pic the other day where the artist said the character was theirs, but i know that the same drawing is in the anthro section of a "How to Draw Shonen" book. they had just copied, or sloppily traced, it and colored it differently.
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Yeah, I don't know. Being a jerk to people isn't really going to encourage them to change their habits or become respectful artists.
Ah, I see. I have to admit that I don't see much of a difference between photography and stock photography for drawing from. The human body is the human body is the human body. No one has a copyright on a pose, to my knowledge, but. -shrugs-
In any case, I think that you're still just referencing, possibly even doing better since you are morphing her pose and her body type. It will clearly not be the same woman.
Haha, that's irritating. I hate it when people pull that stuff.
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no doubt.
okay, that's good. i feel better.
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Yes, definitely. It's always better to be safe than sorry for crediting. xD You don't want the rabid dogs of dA after you.
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That is great Ange :3
I've always been confused as to why people feel it's necesary to copy someone else's work. It's just so easy to look at it, say "Yeah, that's inspired me!" and go off and create something that is completely your own. You can tell it was inspired by someone's art but if you put the two together they look nothing alike!
IT'S EASY DAMMIT!
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Thank you. |3
Yeah, there is a lot of confusion. I think that some people never learned better, or just never got caught I guess and then learn the hard way. Most of this was spurred by the difference between copying and referencing. I don't see a problem with using stock photographs at all, but tracing them is a bit much, unless blatantly stated.
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I understand tracing stock. I mean, in some situations it can get a bit prickly such as not crediting or making a profit, but otherwise it's fine by me
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