Is this a good idea to get back into drawing?

[Name_Killer]

I haven't drawn a lot since high school and my form is quite weak these days so i asked an artist friend of mine and he told me to find a bunch of art by my favorite artists and trace their art 3 to 5 times a day and my muscle reflex would kick in and it would make it easier to draw certain lines and shapes. I've never tried so could that be true?

[deanlegion]

I think that method would be helpful for finishing/detailing, but for form, you should really copy real life figures. I mean, if you're drawing superheroes, you could copy bodybuilders or whatever, but a firm basis in good anatomy will take you much further than kewl cross hatching or whatever.

[LewMoxinsghost]

It's better than nothing, but you should work on practicing quick gestural figures instead in my opinion. Instead of tracing outlines, draw lines through the form. There's tons of good exercises available in just about any art instruction book. A good one is The Natural Way to Draw.

[howyadoin]

I'm gonna go against the grain and say this is stupendously bad advice. Copying someone's art to learn their technique is one thing; tracing is something else altogether.

(Don't get me wrong; you could go far with it. Look at Greg Land's career, for example. On the other hand, do you want to be known as the next Greg Land?)

No, the way to get into the swing is by drawing. Not tracing. Practice, not cheating.

[Name_Killer]

My art has always been on the stylized side so artists like Mike Bachalo, Bruce Timm, Humberto Ramos and Ed McGuinness really appeal to me, im not trying to learn their style(although it will probably be similar) but get my hand used to holding a pencil and drawing again. Most artists styles take cues from artists they grew up admiring, plus i figured it couldn't hurt until i order my art books.

[howyadoin]

My art has always been on the stylized side so artists like Mike Bachalo, Bruce Timm, Humberto Ramos and Ed McGuinness really appeal to me, im not trying to learn their style(although it will probably be similar) but get my hand used to holding a pencil and drawing again. Most artists styles take cues from artists they grew up admiring, plus i figured it couldn't hurt until i order my art books.

I do see what you're getting at, but there's still no substitute for drawing from real life. Especially drawing things you don't necessarily want to draw.

P.S. Do you have any examples of your earlier stuff online?

[Pro]

I agree with Howy. Tracing teaches you to trace well, drawing teaches you to draw well. There is no substitute. Find a local group to study models, sit in the bus and draw quick sketches of people, sit in the street and draw it in perspective.

Most artists styles take cues from artists they grew up admiring

That's different though than tracing. Everyone picks up cues along the way, it's inevitable.
But you won't develop your own style if you just trace, you'll copy a style.

[LewMoxinsghost]

My art has always been on the stylized side so artists like Mike Bachalo, Bruce Timm, Humberto Ramos and Ed McGuinness really appeal to me, im not trying to learn their style(although it will probably be similar) but get my hand used to holding a pencil and drawing again. Most artists styles take cues from artists they grew up admiring, plus i figured it couldn't hurt until i order my art books.

Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist might be a good book for you. It is by Christopher Hart and shows how to manage the styles you like. If you pay for postage, I'll send you my copy.

[Name_Killer]

I do see what you're getting at, but there's still no substitute for drawing from real life. Especially drawing things you don't necessarily want to draw.

P.S. Do you have any examples of your earlier stuff online?

Yeah i've been looking over my art books from high school and i really need to post them online.

I just figured the tracing thing could help my muscle memory in my hands, im not trying to make a career out of tracing other people's art.

LewMoxinsghost thanks man i'll think about it.