Bosh! Desperately wanted to come see you at wondercon but couldn't make it work. I've got a friend going though and she's agreed to pick some things up for me, so I was wondering if I could possibly get prices for the stuff you'll be bringing to the con? I want to make sure I send my friend with enough funds 😅
Awww I’m sorry you can’t come enjoy the con!! But I totally get it - thank you so much anyways and for your friend who will hopefully not get lost in the center lol. I went ahead and made this totally professional catalog of sorts for you and anyone else interested 💖🫶
not shown: the 42+ Pokémon sticker designs I currently have in stock…
First: thank you to the anon here and the other many people who brought this to my attention! I know you did it out of support of me and I love you for it.
I was ready to keep it private as I didn’t want anything negative to come up and be associated with my art. But as I was asked across different platforms concerning the art theft (and it is that, there is no mistake) I realized it really bummed me out. I’m here to have a good time in the fandom and create with you all. We have a good thing here in the community and I didn’t want any smoke with another artist - a mutual even.
So to help me feel a little better about it I want to turn this into an opportunity to teach others on the differences between Reference, Inspiration, Reinterpretation, and Theft
Reference: (usually) a visual source of information in order to better understand something. Example here is of my reference board and the art I am currently working on.
My favorite example of a professional using reference photos is by Hirohiko Araki (creator and artist of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), who uses fashion editorials and photoshoots ALL the time it’s awesome - tysm @yumiaiyuma for showing me this goldmine
Study and Inspiration: here is a great example from the wonderful Stephanie Pepper. Notice the caption stating these are studies, the movie it is from, and I will even go on to say that this artist is influenced or inspired by the prolific works of J. C. Leyendecker (but what’s key is that Stephanie Pepper has developed and practiced to the point of deviating from his work and become a style of art completely her own - and she’s so recognizable in my opinion!)
Personal Example for Inspiration:
An Example of Reinterpretation: note - Both these classical artists whose works are being recycled are dead and no longer missing out on potential work and income. Where stealing ideas and art from current artists hurts them financially and mentally and emotionally. Howl as The Fallen Angel by _mimimaru on Instagram is an interpretation of a 1847 painting by Alexandre Cabanel and is now considered public domain // the Mickey Mouse self portrait was by Charles Boyer and is a parody of the famous illustration by Norman Rockwell and was commissioned by Walt Disney, himself.
Now here’s the part that is concerning to several people, myself included.
Recently an artist came across my drawing, found the reference I used, and decided to recreate my idea to draw Andromeda, Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Regulus staring at Sirius getting supposedly punished by Walburga Black off screen. They even included painted ‘speech bubbles’ which aren’t common in their other works - I could be wrong of course.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a matter of tracing or claiming my image as their own. This is an issue with someone taking my creative narrative and passing it off as their own. I do not mind at all if myself and another artist end up using the same reference. It happens all the time. My issue is with this artist duplicating my entire concept using my exact reference and very similar narrative elements—namely the speech bubbles, the exact characters being depicted, and the "Sirius is in trouble" story of the piece. Referencing and studying is not stealing. Reinterpretation is great for meme art challenges and paying respect to old classics. Even being inspired and doing one’s own version of another artist’s idea is totally cool, especially if you tag and/or shoutout the artist that inspired you.
I wasn’t tagged or shouted out in this case and I feel a little hurt and conflicted because I do feel like my entire concept heavily inspired this other artist’s illustration. I genuinely love and appreciate everyone who has brought this to my attention and who has been supportive and defensive of me with this. That reaction means more to me than anything else in this whole ordeal, if I’m being honest. So thank you all so much, with all my heart.
In closing: Do I hope this is all one gigantic coincidence? Absolutely. Do I believe that it is? I can’t say that I do. Is this sort of thing something that I personally think is okay? No. It isn’t okay to take something, even an idea, that isn’t one’s own, and pass that bit off as one’s own creative idea. All it takes is a tag or a mention in the comments and situations like this go from seeming underhanded to being a very flattering sharing of ideas. It’s one of those very uncool things that hurts my heart as an artist. I just want everyone to enjoy art and inspire each other so we can all grow. I do not want any malice to come from this either. I just wanted to inform everyone that I am aware of this, and give some of my thoughts on it. I also wanted to use this as a way to educate everyone on artistic process and why these things might happen sometimes.
Did a little watercolor chibi of @tricksterkarkat ralsei cosplay #ralsei #ralseicosplay #undertale2 #undertale #watercolor #lcad #artistoninstagram #chibi #cosplay #undertalecosplay #cosplayersofinstagram (at Laguna College of Art + Design)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq-mXdYnNVE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=19gvyb4dc8lb3
tangentwithtanner
stormborns
