Over the years I have had the privilege
of helping in the training of young artists. These people have had
obvious natural talent and were already producing work of fairly
good quality. For the most part, they were improving on their own
simply as a result of practise—the more they drew, the better
they became. However, sometimes I would notice that they were continually
making the same mistakes, drawing in the same way without expanding
their abilities, producing somewhat awkward drawings, getting into
ruts, etc. They would come to the limit of their own abilities and
really didn't know how to go any further.
At this point, or before, I would suggest for them to
broaden their horizons and learn from other artists by copying
their work. This is basically how I learned to draw. As a
kid, I would grab the Sunday paper and copy the cartoons that I liked—Peanuts,
Dennis the Menace, etc. Eventually, I developed my own style by incorporating
the things I learned from others into my own work. I learned how they
translated reality into two dimensional pictures with nothing but lines
and shapes.
As I got older, I was continually on the lookout for
new styles and techniques. When I found my work was getting boring
and routine, I would go check out the latest comic books and see what
was being done. It's a bit like working in teamwork. In teamworking,
many people contribute their ideas and talents to a project so that
the end result is much richer and better than that of a single individual.
Of course, you may wish to be the all-in-all and the sole originator
of what you produce, that's fine. But I am convinced that you can do
a much better job and will continue to grow and expand your abilities
if you are open to input from others.
In some ways, as an artist, I have
been frustrated that after drawing for so many years I have yet to
find "my style." It
seems that while other artists' work stays the same and is consistent
for years, my stuff is always changing. Maybe I'm just double-minded
or insecure about what I do, I don't know. Sometimes I just get plain
bored with my work and feel the need to break out and do something
different. Whatever the motivation, I have continued to try different
styles, techniques, media, etc., thoughout my career.
And I have continued to copy the work of other artists.
When my backgrounds are getting monotonous and dull and the same curtained
window and door frame are behind every character I draw, I pull out
my collection of Mickey Mouse comics and look for something new to
add. When I get bored with drawing cartoons the same style I have used
for a long time, I hunt around the internet to see what other people
are producing. What's new? What's the latest trend?
For
example, if you compare the Superman comics of today with the first
issues, you'll see that dear old Superman has come a long way! I don't
think that the original creators of Superman were not good artists,
but as they progressed, they learned from each other and continued
improving and learning from each other until they got where they're
at today. Just so, you can improve your work and skill by learning
from others' work.
Now don't feel that you have to continually
copy and trace and try to duplicate what others do without finding
your own artistic identity. That's not what I'm talking about. I usually
check out other people's work in spurts or as the need arises. There's
a balance. Just leave yourself open to learning from others and using
their work as reference and aids to asist you in your own creations.
It will help you to progress and learn and expand your own talents
until some day... people will be copying you!
