To copy or not to copy...that is the....

Copying
 
Thoughts on copying

Most of us, a one time or another, have been admonished not to copy.  In its pejorative sense, the word copy implies plagiarism, or, putting forward something done by someone else and implying it is our own.  That is not the kind of copying I advocate, rather, you should use copying (which I sometimes term Close Scrutiny) to learn.  As anyone who has made copies of their favorite comic book character, or fantasy superhero will attest, you can learn how to draw your own fantasy figures by copying some examples.  You are, in effect, building the conventional  mental constructs (how to draw spiky hair, what Viking swords look like, the subtleties of dragon teeth) of these objects that you can then reproduce from memory.  Some people are satisfied to learn only in a relatively narrow spectrum, building their mental constructs from fairly limited material.  In this instance and I see it occasionally in my students, the drawings produced, though highly finished and capable of producing ooohs and aahhs from the untrained masses do little to further the artistic development of those in question.  The point being, the process is sound; it is up to the individual to use it as a constructive learning tool that furthers their knowledge base.   But this  kind of narrow adherence to a particular style or technique brings up a common issue.
There is an old chestnut in which an art teacher claims, “if I teach you how to draw (or anyone teaches you, for that matter including copying) you will end up drawing like me (or them) and your personal artistic growth will have been stunted”.  In the best case I think this is a misguided but heartfelt concern for the student, in the worst case I think it is a rationalization for the inadequate skill levels possessed by the teacher.  If a student does not intend to become an artist but rather wants to develop personal skills of visual expression, then skill with any style is better than no skill at all! 
If a student aspires to becoming an artist, whether in the applied or fine arts my experience has been that beyond developing professional skill they always want to also develop a personal style, after all self-expression is the initial impetus for becoming an artist in the first place!  So a student that picks up on the personal quirks and approaches used by a teacher is just pausing to amass information on a much broader and longer journey of discovery in which they will copy many styles and try many approaches before homing in on their personal expressive idiom.  A great percentage of that journey will happen, not in a classroom, but, will come from personal study and will take the form of copying from references, whether they be photographic, from life or from the works of other artists from whom they wish to learn.  The artist’s own style will emerge as an amalgamation of all he or she have studied in the classroom, plus, in far greater measure, their own personal input  which will rely heavily upon the learning approach of copying the work of others.  .  
If you have ten or twenty years along with the resources to attend drawing classes, you can improve incrementally and will probably eventually gain competence without ever having to make copies of other materials to aid in the process.  But the reality of doing this is that you are relying to a substantial degree on observing your fellow students and on the finite knowledge capabilities of your instructors and this limited approach is going to take you a while.  I don’t mean to denigrate the skills of your instructors, after all, I’m one of them! but missing the chance to actually see how masters of the craft did things will speed up your learning curve immeasurably.  And, beyond that, it is unrealistic to suppose that you will be taking endless drawing courses – you must learn on your own, and copying is a major component of that process! 



Carl Jackson, 2008

So you want to be an Animator or make 3D Games...

High  school students who want to be animators

Animators, whether 2D or 3D need strong drawing skills.  If they are really serious about a career in the Animation Industry and not just interested because they like Anime or enjoy playing video games, then they need to really get serious about developing realistic (by Western standards) drawing skills including learning a lot about human anatomy.  Copying the work  (drawings) of highly skilled artists to learn as much as possible; not only the anatomy but the nuance of line quality and shading technique is by far the quickest way to begin to develop personal skills.

If a person has gotten good at fantasy drawing or Anime they have probably done a lot of copying to internalize the various stylistic elements common to each of these areas, and this is a good thing.  The only problem I have noticed at the post secondary level is that some individuals who have developed these skills want to continue to utilize only what they have already learned rather than ADDING TO their knowledge and skill set. 

Imaginative Range (all the ideas, images, memories, experiences) that an individual possess can only come as he or she experiences the world.  And this takes time.  But, High school students can jump start the process (especially in the visual realm) by drawing and copying things that are outside their comfort zone.  That is, not just being satisfied to copy and draw their favorite characters and in their favorite genres, but branching out and learning about new, unfamiliar things.  Everything new and previously unexplored that we delve into will expand our imaginative range and increase our basis for creative output.

So, My advice for those who seriously want to be animators is to work on their realistic drawing skills, move on from already established competencies, and explore ideas outside their favorites or comfort zone.

Carl Jackson, Instructor, Seattle Art Institute