Iβm flattered! I do tell new artists that copying, even tracing, is good for learning. I have photos of me as a teenager with art on my wall that I copied from McFarlaneβs art and others. I proudly signed my name on each drawing.
I eventually got called out enough times where I started writing the artist I copied under my name, βafter McFarlaneβ etc.
I tried drawing my own art, but it never looked as good. I could do the detail and such fairly well, but something these comic artists were doing UNDER the final drawing was something I didnβt know. And that isβ¦ knowledge of anatomy, gesture and structure, and how to use those skills dynamically. So I stopped copying others. I actually ended up throwing away the art I copied since it really wasnβt mine.
I wanted to go to the next step. Learning anatomy myself, and creating my own drawings from my own imagination. Itβs the only way to become a professional, this was my dream job.
So while itβs helpful to copy other artists, eventually if you want this more than a hobby, you will go to the next step.
Todd McFarlane on a Battle Beast variant cover! Issue 7 of Battle Beast coming out March 18th. Me and Todd did a cover swap. Iβd do a cover for one of his books, and heβd do a cover for one of mine! Awesome trade! Thank you, Todd!