My art teacher in college called my AI-assisted piece 'soulless tracing' during a critique.

He said it in front of the whole class in Pittsburgh, and it made me realize he saw the tool, not the creative direction I gave it. Has anyone else had a mentor dismiss their process entirely?

4 comments

4 Comments

phoenix_lewis2mo ago

Soulless tracing" used to be my take too, honestly.

charles6401mo ago

Nodding along with you on this one. I used to think tracing was basically cheating too, until I actually tried it myself for learning anatomy. @jamieb80 hit the nail on the head though. Seeing how pros use it as a rough blueprint, then add their own colors, shading, and little details, that totally changed my mind. There's a ton of skill in turning a traced base into something that actually has life and feeling. Now I use traced references all the time for tricky poses, and my art is way better for it.

jamieb802mo ago

Tracing can be a real skill and a learning tool, not just copying. It helps artists understand line work and build muscle memory. @phoenix_lewis, the old view misses how many pros use it as a step in their own process. The final piece still needs color, style, and creative choices that a machine can't do. Calling it soulless ignores the work that happens after the lines are down, doesn't it?

leowells2mo ago

Wow, seeing the artist's process totally flipped my view on that!