Updated on by Rita Moreira
One of the most common questions I hear from my students is a simple one: should you look for ready-made pictures to copy, or should you invent your own compositions from scratch? Both paths build real skill, and the honest answer depends on where you are in your journey with realistic drawing.
Below I will walk you through when copying earns its keep, when creating your own work matters more, and how to make sure the hours you put in actually move you forward.
Does copying art help you improve, or is it a waste of time?
Yes: copying art helps you improve when you do it as deliberate study rather than as a shortcut. Reproducing a photo or a master drawing trains your eye for proportion, value and edges, the very skills you need for original work. The line to watch is intent: copy to learn, not to pass the result off as your own.
Copying is not a modern cheat. It is how the trade has been taught for centuries. Painters learned by reproducing the collection at institutions like The National Gallery in London long before online tutorials existed. When you copy with a purpose, you are not skipping the work, you are doing the work.
What changes everything is what you do next. Studying a drawing to understand how the artist handled a soft edge is practice. Tracing that same drawing and posting it as your own is a different story, and one I unpack in my guide on whether tracing counts as cheating.
Should you draw existing pictures or create your own?
In realistic drawing, the choice between copying references and building your own compositions comes down to your stage. Beginners gain the most from references; intermediates split their time; advanced artists mostly create, using copies only for the odd technical study. There is no hierarchy here. Each path teaches something the other cannot, and both are respected in professional work.
Realistic drawing is, at its core, the faithful reproduction of a visual reference. That means copying is baked into the discipline itself. What varies is the source: your own photograph, a stock image, a commissioned portrait, a picture that simply moves you, or another artist’s drawing used as a technical study.
| Stage | Mostly copy or create | What it builds |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Copy photos and drawings | Proportion, value, reading a reference |
| Intermediate | Half copy, half create | Technique plus your own voice |
| Advanced | Mostly create | Composition, lighting, personal identity |
No stage is the wrong one to be in. If you are still copying happily after two years, that is fine. If you are itching to invent, follow that too. The worst move is forcing yourself into a stage that does not match where you actually are.
Why copying a photo is never mechanical
Copying a photograph can look like tracing with extra steps, but it is not. A well-made copy demands refined perception, controlled pressure, sensible material choices and a precise reading of light and shadow. Every one of those is a technical exercise that hardwires skill.
There is also the human layer. Two people copying the same photo produce visibly different drawings, each carrying its own touch, weight and choices. The drawing gives back something the photo alone never does: interpretation. Learning to see that way is exactly what my article on drawing what you actually see is about.
Whichever route you take, pick a reference that means something to you. Copy pictures you admire enough to spend hours on, and create from subjects that stir something personal. A reference with no emotional pull leads to flat, listless work, and choosing well is half the battle, as I cover in my notes on picking reference photos for drawing.
Two exercises that make copying count
If you want copying to build genuine control, start with two foundation drills before you tackle a full portrait. Both are dull for about ten minutes and then quietly transform your shading. Work through them in order.
- Tonal gradient. Draw a strip roughly 10 cm by 3 cm. Begin with an HB pencil on the left and blend across to a 6B on the right, aiming for a transition so smooth you cannot see where one pencil ends. This drills pressure control and a light touch. My walkthrough on shading smoothly with a pencil goes deeper.
- Shaded sphere. Draw a sphere with a gradual run from the highlight (bare paper) through the midtone (HB), the form shadow (2B) and the cast shadow (4B or 6B). This is the single most useful exercise for understanding three-dimensional volume. Repeat it until the sphere reads as round without any effort.
For materials, keep it modest: an HB and a 4B are genuinely enough to start, and you can add a 2B and a 6B later. In the UK you will find starter tins from Derwent, made in the Lake District since 1832, at Hobbycraft, Cass Art or Jackson’s Art, and the same pencils turn up on Amazon.co.uk. There is no need to buy a 24-pencil set on day one.
How do you keep improving at realistic drawing?
Steady progress in realistic drawing comes from three things working together: studying the fundamentals, practising consistently, and reviewing your own work with an honest eye. There is no shortcut, and the good news is that none is needed.
A sustainable rhythm looks like this: 20 to 60 minutes of focused practice on most days, one day a week for theory (blogs, books, videos), and a monthly review where you set today’s drawing beside one from a few months back. That comparison is where you actually notice growth, which is why I recommend you track your art progress instead of trusting your memory. For a fuller plan, see my guide on how to practise drawing.
If you are ever unsure whether copying is really a photorealistic route worth taking, it helps to know the label has a proper art-historical home. The Tate defines photorealism as art that reproduces a photograph in another medium, which is precisely the tradition realistic pencil work belongs to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does copying art make you better?
It can, as long as you copy to understand rather than to finish quickly. When you reproduce a drawing or photo, you are forced to solve real problems: how the shadow falls, how an edge softens, how one value sits against another.
Those are the same problems you meet in original work, so the skill transfers. The trick is to copy actively, asking why the artist made each choice, not passively tracing shapes. Copy with questions in your head and you will improve; copy on autopilot and you mostly stay put.
Is copying art a good way to learn?
Yes, and it is one of the oldest teaching methods in art. For centuries, students learned by reproducing masters in galleries and studios, and the logic still holds. Copying lets you focus on technique without also having to invent a composition at the same time.
That reduced load is exactly what makes it such a good early teacher. As you gain control, start mixing in your own compositions so you also practise the skills copying cannot teach, such as lighting and layout. Balance is what turns copying into real learning.
Is it okay to copy art for practice?
For private study, absolutely. Copying another artist’s work to learn the technique behind it is a time-honoured practice and nobody minds. The problem only appears when you publish or sell the copy as your own original piece.
If you plan to share or sell, copy work in the public domain or ask the artist’s permission, and always credit the original. In the UK, ownership is automatic and set out on the government’s copyright guidance. Keep copies as study, and there is no issue at all.
Did this article help you? You can buy me a coffee so I can keep creating free guides like this one.