Quote
NounNoun: Tracing; Plural noun: TracingsA copy of a drawing, map, or design made by tracing it.
- Tracing over a photograph
- Tracing over an artwork
- Tracing a photograph/drawing and then altering it by adding some details
- Tracing part of a photograph/drawing and incorporating it into your own
For Example:
This would be tracing Megan Fox.
This would be tracing an artwork made by Wlop (original art):
What is artwork from scratch?
QuoteFrom the beginning, without using anything that already exists
from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/from-scratch
Artwork from scratch is something that is entirely made by you without any use of tracing or bases. The character/concept you've created is original.
- The initial sketch/blocking is done by you
- In no part of your drawing did you use anyone else's work or photograph in your work to aid in it's creation
Using references does not make your artwork unauthentic, however please note that there's a difference between using references to help you create your artwork and between heavy referencing.
For more information on heavy referencing: Click Here
An Example of artwork from scratch:
How can you tell if something is traced?
- Traced artwork generally looks very stiff
- "Plastic" looking colouring
- The anatomy is very good however the colouring looks strange and lower quality
- Messy lines but good anatomy
- Rough edges on the artwork
- Randomly blurred sections
To find out more on how to avoid getting scammed: Click Here
Is tracing artwork or a copyrighted image illegal?
The answer to that question is irrefutably yes.
QuoteThe circumstantial evidence test for copyright infringement by unauthorized copying has three parts:
1. Did the accused infringer have ‘access’ to the work that is said to have been infringed so that copying was possible?
2. Is the defendant actually guilty of ‘copying’ part of the plaintiff’s protectable expression from the plaintiff’s work?
3. Is the accused work ‘substantially similar’ to the work the plaintiff says was copied.”
from: " Lee Wilson’s The Advertising Law Guide, chapter “Copyright Infringement and How to Avoid It"
In plainer terms, you have taken another person's property and used it without their permission. This is illegal and viable to prosecution by law.