If you’re thinking about tracing 3D models, copying other artists’ work closely, or using any shortcut to skip the fundamentals, I need to tell you what I learned the hard way.

I wasted years chasing shortcuts. Years where I could have been actually learning. I’m writing this so you don’t make the same mistake.

The shortcut trap starts innocent

When I was younger, I discovered I could overlay paper on my screen and copy anything I wanted. It felt like unlocking a secret. Suddenly I could draw complex things and impress my friends.

I convinced myself this was just being smart. Because admitting otherwise would mean admitting I couldn’t actually draw.

Looking back, I realize what I was really doing: avoiding the fundamentals entirely. I was getting temporary validation instead of building real skills.

I told myself I was being efficient. I was getting results without the boring practice.

I was lying to myself.

What shortcuts actually cost you

Here’s what I didn’t realize at the time: I was training myself to avoid actual learning.

Every piece became about finding the right workaround instead of tackling the problems head on. Every piece reinforced that I couldn’t draw without crutches.

I wasn’t building skills. I was building a dependency on shortcuts.

Worse, I was killing my passion. Remember when you first started drawing, when you didn’t care if it looked good and just loved the process?

Shortcuts steal that from you. You stop drawing because you enjoy it. You start drawing to maintain the illusion that you’re progressing.

And the cruel part is you’re not even fooling anyone but yourself.

The turning point

When I finally took a structured course, everything changed. It forced me to actually learn instead of rely on shortcuts.

The simple instruction shifted my entire approach: look at references and draw them. Don’t trace. Study them to understand the form.

That’s when it clicked.

I’d spent years copying outlines but learning nothing about structure. I knew what things looked like from specific angles, but I didn’t understand what they were.

When you trace, you’re just copying outlines. When you study properly, you’re learning the underlying forms and expanding your visual library. You’re building skills you can actually use.

That’s when my real progress started. That’s when I finally felt confident enough to start taking on commission work, because I knew my skills were real.

Why beginners fall for shortcuts

I get it. You see artists online posting incredible work. You want that validation. You want to prove you’re talented too.

Maybe you can’t afford expensive courses. Maybe you’re impatient. Maybe you just want to post something that gets likes.

The shortcut seems logical: “I’ll use these methods now, learn properly later.”

But here’s the truth: later never comes.

Every time you take a shortcut, you’re training yourself to avoid the hard part. You’re reinforcing the belief that you can’t do this on your own. You’re building a habit of avoidance instead of a habit of learning.

And months turn into years.

The artists you admire didn’t skip steps

The people you follow who seem naturally talented actually studied obsessively. They did the boring fundamentals. They drew badly for years before they drew well.

You’re seeing their output. You’re not seeing the hundreds of studies that built their skill.

There’s no secret technique. No magic course. No shortcut that replaces putting in the work.

The only way through is through.

What actually changes when you commit

Once I stopped taking shortcuts, something shifted.

I stopped needing perfect references for every little thing. I could start a sketch without that nagging anxiety. I could draw from memory because I’d actually studied the structure.

But don’t misunderstand: drawing didn’t become easy. It’s still hard. Some days it still feels like chewing glass.

The difference is now when I struggle, I’m building something real. I’m making actual progress instead of maintaining an illusion.

And here’s what really surprised me: my studies started getting massive engagement. People responded to seeing the honest learning process. They saw my rough sketches and thought “I can try that too.”

The authentic learning journey resonated more than anything else I’d done.

Stop treating every drawing like a performance

This is the mindset shift you need: most of your drawings should be training, not products.

When you treat every piece like it has to be portfolio-worthy, you put enormous pressure on yourself. That pressure makes you reach for shortcuts.

But when you accept that most drawings are just practice, the pressure disappears. You can focus on actually learning instead of finding ways around it.

You don’t need permission to make throwaway art. You don’t need every sketch to be postable. You just need to build skills. Get so good that people can’t ignore you.

The path forward

I can’t get back those years I wasted. But you still have your time ahead of you.

Choose the path of immediate discomfort that leads to long-term skill. Not the path of immediate comfort that leads to long-term stagnation.

Enroll in a course if you can afford it. Build a learning plan by yourself if you can’t. Study deliberately. Practice the fundamentals. Be patient with yourself.

It won’t stop being hard. Your early studies will look rough. You’ll feel frustrated that you can’t draw what you see in your head.

But that frustration will mean something now. That’s the feeling of actual learning, not the shame of taking shortcuts. Lean into it.

Pick one thing you struggle with. Gather more references than you think you need. Look at them while you draw, but draw on a separate canvas. Copy them multiple times to understand the structure. Then try from memory.

That’s how learning actually works. I wish someone had told me that years ago.

I promise you this: a year from now, you’ll either wish you’d started today, or you’ll be grateful you did.

The only shortcut is hard work. It won’t get easier, but it will get more meaningful. And that makes all the difference.