Tracing to ease the burden off artists is a technique as old as time. The picture shows an optical projection technique called camera obscura, and here in this link it explains other ways renaissance painters traced to aid their work https://www.google.co.id/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/2015/6/15/8774475/renaissance-art-tracing-cartoons https://twitter.com/antiquesquirrel/status/1264230270011670528

This weird superiority complex/moral purity issue about not using references is new to the 21st century. Probably with the rise of digital art, ppl became gatekeepers of what is considered “real” art, and somehow that bled into the way ppl perceive references.

This mindset makes NO sense. Stylistic choices can be made ONCE you know what these things look like in real life, so using reference is vital to achieve this understanding. Whyd you think model drawing classes exist? Are we supposed to ‘just know’ how every muscle contorts?

op alr said it but tracing is only wrong when you trace someone else’s work, claim it as yours & even make profit.Masters study exercises exist where you trace others’ works to figure out how they approach their craft but you keep it in your sketchbook only & dont claim ownership