/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

Something's been bothering me since the last time I posted here.
What the hell is "drawing from imagination", and why do at least some anons imply you can't draw anything original without it? You imply you either copy or draw in a vacuum all from imagination. This obviously sounds retarded, but I was accused of tracing everything because anons couldn't believe the progress I was making in just a couple weeks. Claiming that there's no way you can draw or shade stuff like that as a beginner. Impossibility, 100% traced.
Are you not allowed to actually learn as you go by referencing bits from here and there? There were indeed a gorillion things I had no idea how to draw, not until I looked up how my favorite artists did it, and then more importantly some experimentation on how to fit and transform the pattern to whatever I was doing (this is where the real learning happens). No need to copy or trace shit.

I'm still new so I don't understand your jargon but it starts to feel like a lot of the stuff you tell to beginners is just bullshit.

>>6647938
I seriously don't understand
I tried counting heads and bones but everything just checks out ok
How can I understand??