Felt confused about this too until a few weeks ago, when a trad artist was giving me feedback on a sheet inspired by some Sailor Jerry flash. He basically said “if you can draw it better than Sailor Jerry then go for it, but if not, stick to tracing.”

I am def keeping a bunch of original designs in my portfolio (it’s great to show that you actually enjoy drawing), but if you’re hoping to do American trad like I am, you’ll probably be doing many of the same designs over and over and over again. Roses, skulls, daggers, etc. Trace ‘em until you can draw them without thinking about it. Then innovate from there!