Tracing isn't the end of the world, artists. In fact, it could actually be the beginning.
I was petrified of sucking. Of failing. Of being terrible at it. But guess what happens when you’re doing something for the first time? YOU 👏 WILL 👏 SUCK 👏 AT 👏 IT 👏.
This was me around a year ago, when I got an iPad and started drawing digitally for the first time. While I was extremely excited, I was also petrified of being bad. Excelling at everything had been instilled in me almost since birth, so the idea of being bad at something was almost unfathomable. Especially when I’m supposed to be the “artistic” one in the family.
But like with anything in life, whenever you’re trying something new (or getting back on something you haven’t done for years), you aren’t gonna be great.
Losing the fear of failure
My initial approach to “not sucking”, as I like to call it, was to take courses. Become a motherfrickin’ sponge and get all the information I possibly could on digital drawing techniques. I bought more books than are strictly necessary (cough, cough, twenty…) and signed up for all the online courses that struck my fancy.
One of the first courses I ran into was Freya Art’s Procreate Masterclass, where not only did she promise I would learn how to use the tool properly, but I would also end the course being able to draw beautiful, realistic paintings.
Yeah, right, was my initial thought. However, she was actually right.
See this apple right here? I DREW THIS. During the FIRST LESSON.
Her secret? Tracing and basic observation. Now, I know what you’re thinking. But, really, tracing isn’t as bad as you think.
Why tracing isn’t the end of the artistic world
If you’re a beginner, getting discouraged can keep you from trudging on with a new hobby. If I had tried to draw this apple from scratch, without the knowledge I have today, I probably would have failed miserably and called it quits.
I never would have picked up my iPad again (except, you know, to like play games and stuff). But the point is, I never would have had the courage to keep going.
Thanks to Freya, I didn’t quit or give up. I was actually PROUD of something I drew with my own two hands! I showed it to absolutely everyone - my boyfriend, my sister, and even my dog. Look at this! Look at my apple! I made it! I even went as far as to create an art account on Instagram. That’s how confident I felt. And if you scroll down on my IG account, you’ll actually find that my shiny little apple is the first thing I posted there.
So, no. Tracing isn’t as bad as you think, especially if you’re a beginner. It’s also not the end of the artistic world, as many so-called artists believe. Ease up, drama queens.
Tracing helps you understand form, define light and shadow, and get you started on your artistic journey with a much needed extra smidge of confidence. That apple is what drove me to keep going, to keep exploring, and to keep getting better.
From fruit to flowers, or how Freya helped me gain confidence
During the following weeks, I continued to create realistic fruit and flowers that weren’t only visually pretty, but actually looked like the real thing. I was proud beyond belief.
And yes, these are traced. But they’re also what gave me the confidence to take the leap and start challenging myself to draw without tracing, to create from scratch. See, Freya’s course helped me understand that I could draw, so I wasn’t afraid of failing anymore. In fact, I was eager to keep on learning and take every single fail and mistake as a learning opportunity.
Becoming passionate about your hobby
One of the key things you need to find when you’re trying out a new hobby isn’t inspiration. It’s love. You won’t always feel inspired by what you create. But if you find love for doing the thing itself, then you’ve found something you can do for life. Freya’s courses helped me do this for myself, allowing me to feel confident enough in what I could accomplish to keep going. Since then, I haven’t looked back. I know I can create beautiful things because I got the basis right. And above all, because I found love and passion in it.
Because let’s be honest - if you want to get better at anything, you need to practice every day. And even if you love what you’re doing, practicing every single day is HARD. And if you don’t love what you’re doing? You’re simply gonna quit.
This applies to everything: drawing, photography, languages, sports, and any other hobby you can imagine. You need to find love for what you decide to do, because you’re gonna have to do it pretty much every single day if you want to get better at it over time.
The other thing you need to do? Lose the fear of failure. Because you ARE going to fail, even miserably. But if you keep grinding, you’re going to get better.
If you’re tracing because you’re trying to learn how to improve your art, DO IT! Who the hell cares, as long as you’re learning. Eventually you’ll become confident enough in yourself to go at it solo. And yes, you might suck at the beginning - but you’ll know what you’re capable of. You’ve done it before. If you don’t believe me, this is a drawing I made six months after that I drew that gorgeous apple.
No tracing needed.
So fail. Fail hard. Fail again and again. And keep going. Find enough love in your learning process to keep going. You’ve got this.