ART DRAMA - Is he an Art Thief?

[@LemiaCrescent]

Just wanted to make a public comment reminding everyone to be kind to one another.

[@calendulate]

:D

[@kiel7083]

But those drawings looks rlly different for me...........welp idk

[@jadestudios580]

Ahhh I haven't watched your videos or any art videos in so long!!!! Miss you so much lemiii. Also when do you normally live stream on twitch now? I cannot remember your schedule and I miss watching you draw and talking !!

[@vannabananaa_]

Im honestly disappointed in your behavior towards other smaller artists. We have seen Emily’s video.

[@bella-qn6fc]

@@FrickinChillB lmao

[@CreativeCarrah]

As an artist, I can say that I'd be pretty bothered/upset if someone traced my original artwork, posted it online, and received more attention than myself. Not only does the drawing take time, but concepts, posing and planning takes awhile too.

[@iclaimthisname9767]

Creative Carrah I would feel devestated if that ever happened to me!

[@gameoverwehaveeverypixelco1258]

Not if they state it's a trace. No problemo.

[@lucisgallery1412]

Well if it ever happened just message them and tell them to either take it down or bring a lot of attention to your profile.

[@pisspoo630]

I would cry honestly

[@Mica_T]

Art appropriation is a thing and the act of appropriating itself can be considered art. Like LHOOQ be Duchamp which is basically Mona Lisa with a mustache. I honestly dont care much if someone steals art unless its a repost without credit.

[@KikaiArt]

Eight years ago, I had designed a fakemon which I colored traditionally with markers and posted on deviantart. One day, I suddenly got horrible comments telling me I was a Tracer “and a horrible one at that.” I was so confused. I asked what they were talking about because this artwork was completely my own creation, I was holding it in my hands. They went on to say that they had seen digital art of my fakemon with clearer lines and better colors, but they couldn’t find the link for it anymore to prove it to me. But they were relentlessly telling me I was horrible for tracing and it was obvious I was the art thief because my art was “mediocre and drawn with cheap markers” (they were copic markers so no, not cheap). This was devastating for me as a new artist and it’s always made me paranoid about posting anything online, Especially any Pokémon or fakemon art because that’s one fandom that just throws Pokémon art around without sources all the time. If someone wants to redraw another person’s work, they HAVE to ask permission and link back to the original art. Art theft is the most damaging thing you can do to an artist. I’ve had my art reposted all over the place without proper source links over the years and every time I find one and I see all the likes and comments I would have never even known existed, it hurts. A lot. I still have no idea if that “better version” of my art still exists somewhere or not, but it has 100% ruined that artwork for me. I could never look at it happily after that event.

[@Hexainferorum]

kikaiz same thing. I remember I made a drawing on my iPad, it wasn't the best digital art drawing. Yet everyone would copy it and then soon after my sisters would assume I stole it, etc. it honestly sucks. Another thing I wanted to mention, I'm sorry as well, don't feel paranoid though. Their hate shouldn't get the best of you, cause you know that you didn't copy it.

[@TheWilderCat]

What kind of fakemon was it?

[@KikaiArt]

TheWilderCat It was just what I was hoping Snivy’s evolution line could be before it was revealed. Yknow how people draw evolution predictions for base starters? Like that. That was 8 years ago so it’s riddled with deviantart cringe haha. I actually drew a fakemon evolution for Parasect this year and I’ve been afraid to post it even though I really love how it looks. Crowley Thank you for the kind words! I think I’ll always be paranoid of art theft though, it happened quite a bit on tumblr and constantly on sites like weheartit. I still draw though I’ve been posting publicly less and less over the years. Although that’s more due to depression than paranoia now.

[@TheWilderCat]

@@KikaiArt Thanks for answering man, and if you're worried about art theft I suggest you hide your signature somewhere within the drawing, if they don't see it right away they can't erase it, and even if they do it will be harder to erase without messing up the drawing.

[@irbiswirbis]

I’m so sorry! This is why in my speedpaints I hide my reference

[@CaCtus362]

The guy who traced obviously is skilled with traditional colouring, but he is completely unoriginal in drawing a subject and probably can’t draw on that level if he was *actually* referencing a drawing or photo. He is literally a colouring book account profiting on other peoples’ hard work. The amazing thing about artists is that we can create anything we imagine and he just limits himself to colouring and stealing other peoples’ work? It’s just sad

[@CommanderNissan]

xCaCtus x he’s a forger, not a tracer. A tracer wouldn’t make anything clean that isn’t 100% pixel perfect. Look at the eyebrows; unless they traced a different pair of eyebrows, they drew those themselves.

[@kaylamoorehead4575]

@@CommanderNissan nah man he traced that picture. The over lay was way too similar, they were damn near a perfect fit to each other. The only thing different the copy artist did was color and highlight it different

[@CommanderNissan]

Kayla Moorehead and the eyebrows.

[@Lenkunuwu]

Maybe the person just likes to color, why would it be sad

[@CaCtus362]

because the are colouring in other peoples' work and crediting it as their own.

[@ariannamarlette3943]

Agent rice is wrong about ONE thing... it’s TOTALLY ok to reference ... people do that to get better at art... but it’s not ok to post it online whatsoever to add you signature

[@Sanic55]

i disagree, if it's your own work and you used the reference to draw and help yourself get better you should be able to sign it and post it as long as you give credit to the original artist. I use a lot of digital drawing pieces on pinterest as reference. i guess you could say i "copy" but i just draw to get practice, so i use reference photos and draw them to the best of my ability. plus i don't have enough followers to get more than the original anyways so i would have to do amazing. There's a lot of really good artists that use the same method i do and i know they don't tag wherever they got original pic from. idk i don't do it for money, i don't profit from these, i just like to draw and like getting people's opinions on my drawings. starting to work on drawing my own characters soon tho

[@n0th3reanym0r3]

Reference and tracing and two very different things. Referencing is fine since you gotta learn somehow. But tracing that's a no go

[@loli_cvnt5622]

We could argue about this shit forever, tracing is totally fine for you're just doing it for yourself. People on this comment weren't talking about tracing in the first place anyway, stop bringing it up ya flapwaffle

[@Banana-cc5rx]

I think what Agent Rice is angry about is that the tracer didn't advertise the original more when he should be. His traced or "rework" of the original is garnering more views and it's definitely hurting the original. If you are literally reworking someone else's work then at least have the conscious to promote it instead of trying to direct all the attention to your own. Merely adding a credit isn't really doing justice to the original artist, it's as bad as a half-hearted thank you.

[@UlshaRS]

You stripped context. The context for the tracer's use of the term was fraudulent and implies they developed the form. No that they used some one else's framework which takes time to get looking good. What he did was the equivalent of using a coloring book lineart and calling it their own drawing.

[@Pumpkin_3890]

Saying credit to the artist w/o giving a name is like going to the store, taking something from it and saying "cash to the cashier" and leaving. (Not original)

[@9mahinkousar312]

For god sake he did mention the person

[@neoperol]

Is funny how in youtube all this tracing drama video are always about Fanart xD I wonder if the first artist mention the original mangaka ? This is so meta, fighting over a copy of a copy, of a copy xD. And people always fight over originality, while talking about FanArt O.o.

[@silverstory1118]

@@9mahinkousar312 Cutsie's comment isn't necessarily directed at the copier bruh. I think somewhere in the vid OP said something about not linking or actually crediting properly, that's why this was brought up. Saying "credits to the original artist" doesn't do shit. It doesn't tell you who it is.

[@Optaku]

Gregory Solarte tracing and drawing fanart isn’t even remotely similar

[@madocc4408]

@@neoperol I must be crazy but think, if you draw a fanart of Naruto (for example), anyone with a bit of culture will know that Naruto belongs to kishimoto? 🤣🤣 Imagine someone drawing Naruto and the caption says "credits to @ kishimoto 🤣🤣🤣

[@jXded.]

did they seriously respond to someone calling them out with, "Wtf u mean by trace?? I have been drawing very long don't be shock for seeing flawwless work..I drew this and I have credit the original artist for reference" That's kind of a big red flag for a tracer/stealer (in my opinion)

[@justinward3679]

That's because he is. I've seen plenty of fake accounts on Deviantart and Artstation by foreigners that just steal other people's work and post it so they can trick people into commissioning them. Then sell them traced artwork.

[@unholierthanthou7748]

It truely is confusing to me. Because that is very clearly an exact trace. A refrence would be taking a photo or something and drawing it in your style. Not finding an art piece and taking credit for it.

[@LilChuunosuke]

Also calling their traced work flawless is also a serious sign of a problem. Like, I'm not saying to be an artist you gotta love your art, but to very obviously trace, then respond to people with "I'm not tracing I'm just extremely talented" is obviously an issue. Like ffs even Loish admitted recently she is currently going through a phase where she feels like she isn't all that good at art. Fucking *LOISH!* imho they only think it's flawless because they aren't of a skill level high enough artistically to see the flaws in the work. Or at the very least, they cannot see them because they traced it and didn't create the drawing from scratch, so they weren't investing so much time into looking at it that the flaws became clear in their eyes.

[@eucalyptusdreadlord1552]

No, you can copy things from reference. That's why we have realism and portraits.

[@eucalyptusdreadlord1552]

You're going off the assumption that it must be tracing. It's not, there are people who can copy references extremely well, and it's not even an uncommon ability.

[@8ri1]

Their work is without a doubt is traced. If you can't tell the difference between the original and the copy, it was traced. This person never shows their process of sketching. They only start with a lightly penciled in but oddly perfect drawing, then they go in with coloring. People are saying that they are young and may not know better but their profile says they are 17. Thats not young. Thats old enough to know that if someone tells you you are stealing art you should stop. Period.

[@sakifujimori]

SSS Bri I think there are different the lighting is slightly different to me as well the coloring I think they are just practicing and using there own style of coloring but not style

[@eucalyptusdreadlord1552]

No, it was not clearly traced. There is such a thing as accurate referenced copying, hence why portraits and realism can exist.

[@eucalyptusdreadlord1552]

Again, why are you assuming it's traced? There's a difference between tracing and copying, and this is most likely not traced. There are far more difficult pieces being copied frequently, such as photographs and so-called "master copies" of old artists. Why do you believe that this piece in particular, which is copied off of a relatively simple form, and has clear differences such as the head size, the wrist dimensions, the hair highlights, the eyebrows, and the tie, is traced?

[@some-one-else]

Eucalyptus Dreadlord You clearly don't have a very good eye then. You can look at some of the best realistic pieces and there will be clear differences from the source, usually intentional, but still obvious.

[@babysnoops14]

I can do freehand. With out tracing paper. Someone called me out Coz she thought it was traced. I was like No and well one of my friend. I was showing examples of my artworks meaning I can do anything (even my oc) but my strong point is anine/manga. I keep drawing them to remember for my oc. Which help.

[@kellyyang525]

I don’t like people who think referencing art is like theft, but this dude is actually stealing the picture

[@xeedflarian9748]

They don't understand what referencing is. Referencing art is perfectly fine!

[@lucidocelot]

Technically it’s not stealing the picture, because it’s technically a different composition.

[@oight]

+Austin Andersoni uhhh it's not a different composition, it's a traced drawing but the composition/pose is the same. although yeah it's not the exact same image but it's close

[@kiakaha110]

referencing isnt this. to put it bluntly.

[@lilacKurage]

Not related but your profile pic is pure love. Long live to the husky voiced girl ♡♡♡♡♡♡

[@jasminedoggietvn6995]

The guy: *Colors in a coloring book* *Traces then colors the traced image* *Signs it* This is mine People: Thats not how it wor- Him:WOW I DID THIS MYSELF IUGWEGHR

[@nataliacristaldo422]

he credit the guy he never said that he created the concept he only drew traditionally he signed to say hey i painted a digital drawing on paper

[@5amArtist]

Genuinely liked your art, but it seems like you went from an art channel to a rant channel. You try to act nice, but toxic in the same way. You Target these smaller KZbinrs and make false claims aka Emily. I don't agree with people tracing, like this guy. But seriously? You accused Emily of stealing an "Aesthetic" That's extremely ignorant, one person doesn't own an "Aesthetic" or an "Art Style" everyone has their twist and their take on art but sometimes people have similar styles. Yours is similar to many other artist I've seen, but you all have something different to add.

[@TheWilderCat]

She's the one who did that? Are you sure?

[@5amArtist]

@@TheWilderCat yeah, a bunch of people figured it out by going to all the old videos and checking ect

[@TheWilderCat]

@@5amArtist KK then.

[@ayysthetic6252]

she commented on emily's storytime as well..

[@MrTSGaming13]

Not that you can own a style either. I mean, if I had my style and someone used it, I would be flattered.

[@laurentiare]

Well, from what I've read in the description, since he's tracing and reposting the artwork claiming that it's his and rarely credits the original creator....that's an art thief

[@izthistaken]

Totally agree. And I just want to politely say thief is spelled with the i first. :)

[@Blurple]

He drew all the character with completely different styles. If he gives good amount of credits to the original artist he will not get this many hate from people. If you look at his comments you can see that he is not good at English and it could potentially means he is new to this community. For example sometime when I copy pictures (not posting it on internet) I will sign my name to prove that it is in fact drawn by me (so I can impress my friends) and for me Instagram is mainly showing off stuff to be honest.

[@starlette7820]

@ EddyX He has a massive ego and refers to his work as "flawless" and he never draws anything original of his own, only ever traces other peoples work and then colors it in. He is your a-typical art thief who can't draw anything by himself so he has to take from others.

[@kumajie_cookie7934]

What is the channel name?

[@Blurple]

Can’t assume he is tracing it is possible to copy something flawlessly if they work really hard on it. Also he said he’s been drawing for a long time. It can also be hurtful to assume other people trace when they work hard on it.

[@cici13521]

If you can't tell the difference between the original and the "referenced" art its traced 100%. Its okay to copy and trace (FOR PRACTICE) but for anything else other than that its not good. People like this have been popping up a lot more lately and have been making profit off of it. Not even bothering to credit (for the most part). Yeah this person 100% is in yhe wrong here.

[@Lumicatti]

It's okay to trace to study and improve and practice stuff like anatomy or how positions work, what is not okay is tracing or creating the exact flawless replica of someone's art work and post it as your own. Just don't post your traced work yeah?

[@groooah]

The whole tracing issue is really complicated sometimes. I trace to get to know how an artist did that pose or this emotion. I honestly felt bad when I learned that tracing (that it has a name) was frowned upon....

[@sunl6539]

groooah That is fine, but keep it personal and out of anyones eye, as long as its for private practice so then its fine. But thats about it, once you share it (even with credit) it usually isn’t a good idea.

[@groooah]

@@sunl6539 I wouldn't post any drawing of mine anyway... I am neither criticism proof ( I know it's a bad personality trait) nor fit/good enough to do that. So yeah they will never leave the room of my home.

[@darrylwhitefeather207]

I agree. Sometimes I like to redraw drawings from artists I like but I never post them because it's not the product of my own creativity.

[@amethystprism5749]

I don’t see anything wrong with tracing/copying to practice or even out of enjoyment. Kids especially do that a lot. But putting it on the internet as your own original drawing or only putting “credit to the artist” as your credit is kinda bullshit. This kind of stuff is what deters me from posting my art online. I can only imagine what a shitty feeling it must be for the original artist.

[@marissaolanda7145]

Um hi. I got a question is it callled stealing if im just copying the poses of what they draw like I look online for some poses on what I want to draw and traces the pose but not exactly having the facial features and hair and clothing....and actuallly posting it online?

[@Little_Miss_Carrex]

Sometimes i trace stuff to practice my line art strokes or to experiment with different ways to color stuff but i keep it private and dont post it

[@kokichioma6233]

ArtCat Spiffy It's called learning not stealing. Stealing is copying other person work with little to no diferrent. As a kid, I often find a picture on KZbin and then draw it the same way. But by copying I can't learn anything about anatomy and other thing. That's why I can't draw without any guide when I was a kid. I'm not an artist but I know the difference

[@kokichioma6233]

Mocha Ritsu I agree with you

[@onedrectionerr5427]

Also, i’m sure the original artist must have considered people copying or tracing his work. I mean it IS the internet...

[@earisu]

Only just found Lemia's channel, found people were saying she's the person Emily was talking about in her gatekeeping vid, did two minutes of research and found OMG SHOCK they still talk to and follow each other on twitter so... guys, don't jump to conclusions and witchhunts. It can ruin someone's life who may be totally innocent.

[@huh9938]

Although he / she traced it, they can colour really good!

[@SonyXLR]

Yea, you cant trace coloring. It does require skills, even being traced requires some lvl of blending knowledge and color mixing.

[@samarawhite9025]

Exactly!! They’re halfway there already, now they just need to learn to draw their own lines.

[@lilstinker245]

@@samarawhite9025 xD yea

[@azharp9391]

I agree, but that's besides the point

[@Banana-cc5rx]

everyone is good at something, being good at colour is his forte but concepting the art itself isn't. Probably why he resort to tracing and then applying what he is good at. It's still downright stealing someone else's work though.

[@Myst_Eerie_Isle]

If you're tracing to learn, keep it to yourself. Don't post it online, only share your own original works.

[@Naomi-rf1bl]

Why don't you think people should post non - original art online?

[@Myst_Eerie_Isle]

@@Naomi-rf1bl Why do you think they should post direct copies or traced images? If you do it for learning, that is one thing. But you shouldn't flaunt the fact that you are able to copy other people's work. What's so hard about drawing your own stuff, even if it's fanart you can still put your own twist on it to make it your own. Don't try to elevate yourself by taking the efforts of others and making it your own. Do your own work. That artist that you're "copying" from spent years learning their craft. Don't steall that effort from them. Do the time to learn anatomy, perspective and composition, all it takes is your own determination and perserverance. I'm an artist that's gone to college and I'm doing freelance, I'm not saying this from a place of ignorance. You won't make it in the world coping others. Fanart is perfectly fine in my opinion, as long as the pose and concept of the piece is your own "original" creation. I know people are going to say "but you can't copyright poses"... that is true, but you don't have to draw it at the same angle and perspective. The world is 360 degrees and three dimentional. There so many different ways to draw the same thing.

[@MrWereWolfGirl]

Or if you do it ask the original artist for permission if you can and credit them.

[@Myst_Eerie_Isle]

@@MrWereWolfGirl I personally know a lot of artists that don't like their work traced. I've also known people to post their copied work even if the original artist asked them not to. I personally think you shouldn't post it. But that's me. It's a tool for learning. I copy some of my favorite artists some times, but I draw it in my "style". I use it as a tool to learn perspective and composition. That's all.

[@oight]

+Ao Tora basically no artists will give permission for that, what artist likes when someone else traces they're art unless they're originally intending it as a base? there isn't any merit in traced art so why would you want to post it, believe me just stick to referencing for anatomy practice and composition/lighting/colour fundamentals then you can move onto creating your own original work without using a reference for something that isn't just the pose of hand etc

[@sasak369]

Honestly, how does anyone think this is ok? This is plagiarism, blatantly. I think it's ok to trace art for practice purposes and if permission is given from the original artist, post it too, but posting something traced without permission or credit is very wrong.

[@Nadohunter]

If someone copied and uploaded something I drew: even if they credited me: my problem comes in if they didn’t ask me first. If someone admired my art style enough to want to try and copy it and maybe learn something from it: I wouldn’t really have too big of a problem and maybe even feel flattered with it as long as they came to me first and then link me their post when they’re done with their own credits linking back to me (not just referencing me by name or something)

[@Nadohunter]

However from what I can tell with the Info provided in this video: it’s art theft plain and simple. Especially when he didn’t get the artists permission to copy their work.

[@Nadohunter]

rektm90 for one technically you can not have someone be “not allowed” to take a stance or a separate opinion. Fan art tends to be transformative in some way. There are thousands of people who are going to draw Batman for example: most likely in their own style or inspired by the different ways he’s been interpreted by DC in the first place. DC will probably not like you making money off of fan art: but if your just posting something you drew in your style and saying “look I drew Batman” that’s not stealing anything. For one thing it’s an original work, providing you didn’t just trace something. Everyone knows who batman is, everyone knows that whoever drew him didn’t create him: they probably just like him for whatever reason and are showing their appreciation by drawing it. If you drew “fanart” of another artist’s character: as long as you link back to or credit them and you’ve drawn something in your style without directly copying or tracing: most artists will be thrilled if you’ve tagged them with something you’ve drawn with the intention to appreciate them or bring attention to them and/or their character; as long as you don’t claim it as your intellectual property when it’s not. Also if your going to make an argument for fanart being on the same level as art theft you gotta give me a better argument than “your now allowed to have that stance if it’s fanart” think through why you believe that first. I’m willing to be proven wrong if you give me good enough reasons

[@8bitcoffee364]

Nadohunter DC can still sued you its Just they don’t care too.

[@Nadohunter]

8 Bit Coffee 8 Bit Coffee please have some reading comprehension. They can sue you if you try to SELL fanart: and you are right in that regard that they technically have every right to sue you if they chose to for you profiting off their property: the only reason people can sell merch at cons is for the reason you gave. But that wasn’t what I was talking about, I was talking about fanart for the sake of just drawing it and how that doesn’t fall under “copying” or “art theft” because you were the one drawing it. I even said in my response “DC wouldn’t like you making money off it very much” because I’m fully aware of that concept 🤣

[@8bitcoffee364]

Nadohunter Sorry I hate to break it to you but DC can force you to take your fan art off the internet even if you are not making any money off it.

[@jojolyneee]

All I'm gonna say is I'm tired of everyone trying to gatekeep the art community

[@bluchismoon]

Lame

[@beachballssideaccount]

I know. It should be a friendly community, not one full of drama.

[@ov3rkill]

That's because credit was not given where credit is due. Then again if you're a busy artist, you don't have time to police these things. So, the fans and other people just inform the community on what's going on or where your art ended up. Wouldn't it bother you if someone uses your art without asking for permission. Worse, if they're making money out of it like printing it on a T-shirt, mugs, etc. Just give credits to whomever owns the art and ask permission if people want to monetize it or something. Pretty simple.

[@samarawhite9025]

It only gets full of drama when people don’t give credit to where credit is due. Stuff like this can affect the artists income and way of living.

[@beachballssideaccount]

Are you guys talking to me or the original comment? Because I'm not trying to defend the person who didn't give credit.

[@ingunnviken8149]

I actually used to follow you, but since i heard so many artists call you out for gatekeeping, calling the most usual art things your "aesthetic" and downright being rude; i stopped following you. I really like your artstyle, and i think you are really funny. So i wonder, have anyone else heard of this? I don't know what to think, but i don't want to support her if she really is what i heard she was.

[@taxenkiss8450]

Who has said this? Im sure you may be coming from that girl that drew the skull but is there any true proof that its Lemia? Or are you going based off of comments guessing?

[@ingunnviken8149]

@@taxenkiss8450 i've kinda heard this from many small youtubers and from the comments from that video. I was just wondering if anybody had heard of this.

[@StainedBrain]

I was looking for a comment like this. I just heard about all the drama today.

[@MoonlightKCreations]

Same. It's a shame, really. :/ so much drama.

[@teaartist6455]

Eh, she's the queen of drama and quite immature and, well, I don't mean to be insulting but I'm afraid there's no other way to put it, not particularly intelligent either, nor really good at art and with some very egoistic and self centered personality strokes (At least that's the impression I got from back when i actually watched some of her stuff). She's the kind of person that loves drama (duh) and I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that she has also been creating some herself, wheather that be by slightly more underhanded tactics like her "Polishing a turd" video in which she compleately misses the point of what the phrase eve means (I'm still not sure if she WANTED to be controversial or just didn't get it, both seem possible in my opinion) or by outright attacking others. And no, there's no proof but what was described fits her personality and some of the harsher comments on other people's videos perfectly, so much so that most people's minds jumped straight to her. It's not definite, of course, but I'd say that it's at least grounds for treating her with a lot of suspicion. And yes, innocent until proven guilty, but would you really let somebody that perfectly fits the profile of the perpetrator go without scrutiny? I'm not saying that we should attack her, just keep it in mind that she may well have been harassing and hurting the reputation of several other artists. (Edited because of an grammatical error)

[@ravenpotter3]

I see so many accounts that just repost art and never credit it or rarely says "credit to the artists" and they never even say who the artist was

[@waterbottle9438]

yeah, people also saying "dm for credits" like is it gonna kill you to put the credit on the post or what

[@KJPluemMini]

One big account get lots of followers reporting my art without permission and he did credit me but when I start to get more followers in 5minnutes he/she deleted that post lol.I was like yeah you gain a followers from my art work

[@shotbyafoolbutlikeasareference]

Yeah he’s an art theif if he doesn’t credit the artists all the time

[@darkvoidswrath958]

Beebap 0320 He does /: if it’s the channel that I think it is their has always been a link to the reference

[@samarthrana8861]

check his insta page first before believing this girl....... he always credits the original artis.....also check his art challenge....he posted a video of him sketching

[@thebestgingerninja98]

Okay so this is straight up plagiarism??? People defending this guy because he says he credited the original artist or so?? The correct term would technically be plagiarism because art theft would technically be stealing a hard copy, but in the short term it works. Anywho, traced/hard copied is still stealing, which is illegal, and that person can't say they have a right because it's online or whatever. If someone straight up eyeballed the Mona Lisa and tried to sell it, people would call them out for it. Why are smaller artists easier to turn your cheek to because we're not in museums or super famous?? This guy is taking art from people, signing it (claiming as own), but then saying "So and so is the original" or "credit to artist" (which, no direct link is technically illegal), BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT. If someone stole a lamp from their neighbor then showed it off, "thanks to my neighbor this is his lamp!" it's still stealing! There's only ONE correct way to post traced/copied art, which is to not do it at all. Maybe if you're a kid and you copy as a young kid, okay sure whatever you're a kid. This guy seems to be much older, knows what he's doing, and really needs to get a life or something cause copying and pulling this bull will only get him so far. Now that his is all going down, I'm pretty sure he won't be doing it much anymore.

[@lucidocelot]

The Best Ginger Ninja it’s not technically illegal in this context, and there isn’t anything that can be done about it.

[@pinkishtoast3561]

If you quote an article, but then cite the article, it's not illegal. It's slightly different because writing an essay is more transformative.

[@cigimon4]

Actually you can paint and sell copies of the Monalisa without trouble, unless you try to sell it as _THE_ Monalisa

[@shannonsartor8680]

When I was learning portrait drawing, I would do copies of photographs, but it was from photo to drawing and I started out with a grid and eventually didn't need it. I think if you are copying for the purpose of learning (and I say copy as in eyeballing or in some cases gridding, not tracing because there is no value in tracing something) you should post it if you want, but link the original artist/photographer(in most cases with me it was photographer) Don't claim it as 100% original because it isn't and that is indeed plagarism

[@high9170]

Easy: Don't give credit to other artist at all Say it's your own original artwork Sell it online for very high prices If anyone has a different opinion, say you're being bullied and have depression and anxiety and PTSD If anyone tries to show proof, say that the other person copied you Ignore evidence and treat people like shit

[@Lion-kv6tw]

infinite IQ

[@sawgiie]

mulberry

[@user-wh2vc3oi7p]

@@sawgiie the double r' bar

[@KaiajuTekken78]

I can't used akira toriyama character

[@TheRealTact]

Easy profit 😎

[@huh9938]

I'm an artist, and a lot of people think I trace drawings and artworks because I copy pictures from the internet and they look exactly alike, but I don't. I just have a really good eye where if I take a look at a picture once I will be able to draw it the same. But I don't post them though, I just show it to my friends, show the original etc. And just do it for drawing practice.

[@rubsymoon839]

Yeah but you can tell when it's traced, you can see the lines are different and are able to overlay and reduce the opacity to check with the original too!

[@huh9938]

@@rubsymoon839 Yeah. Although he traced it he is really good at colouring..

[@allegraalberoni]

If it's for practice it's totally fine I believe! It helps a lot, the important thing is that you don't post it as yours and sign it

[@Choccoco]

I think people have a hard time understanding that you may not have traced it, but you still copied it. Eyeballing a drawing is good practice. However you're not really creating something. Plenty of artists can do this. I think that's why it's so problematic. Kudos to you for crediting the original artist.

[@kaomoji829]

That honestly doesn’t help you practice but whatever. Try reinterpreting the image for better results because copying doesn’t help anything. But continue to use reference, it is an artists’ most useful tool.

[@vivr2523]

I think if u copy/trace it completely you shouldn’t post it, I believe this problem stems from a lot of artists saying they learned how to draw by copying/tracing and then kids go and copy/trace trying to get better at art, but don’t say where the the original image is from and it’s annoying , but I think it’s fine AS LONG as u don’t post it and you don’t make money off it because I’ve seen many artists getting upset over kids and people copying the artists’ art or their style and posting it and not giving them credit. I think kids need to be taught how to correctly reference and know what is fair use and what isn’t and to ask artists if they can post something if they reference it heavily because most kids don’t learn that in art class

[@oswinaltava]

I agree, I learn things like anatomy by tracing and copying other's art but I always keep it to myself, never sharing it and never claiming it's my own, even in my sketchbook I write down the original artist, and I think it's so important for younger artists to learn this!

[@noreenlatimer8193]

Stealing is stealing and that’s what this person has done. Not that persons idea or work. But claims it. The person is a thief. If they had traced to learn the gist of things and then uses those things is not stealing. But claiming someone’s art is a disrespectful act.

[@spacejasontodd]

@@Hobopaladin How is fanart stealing, it's a completely different matter. Nobody claims it's their design, it's to show how much the artist appreciates and likes the character

[@salamir0semyosotis21]

rektm90 Fanart is in no way stealing, if you draw a fictional character and claim it's your oc then yeah you're stealing but fanart in general is not stealing. :/

[@CaCtus362]

Ok so he just puts “reference used/credit to original artist” on ALL of his posts?! That is so disgusting. That doesn’t help anyone and it just proves that he can’t draw a single thing on thar level on his own 🤦‍♂️ He also disabled comments on pics... And saying “i don’t trace” when you can literally see erased grids in most of the pencil sketches

[@HostileNeko]

Tracing in this sense is literally laying a picture over another and copying the lines. Gridding is not tracing. It's measuring the space and form/shape to draw accurately. Granted, it's not the most 'unique' method, but it isn't exactly tracing. This is similar to how artists reference in real life or the like. A trained eye can measure the space and get good proportions. I know this is a bit, yikes, but he technically isn't wrong in saying it isn't traced. Also, would you rather he didn't credit the original artist? Then that truly would make him a thief. It may be minimal but at least he is giving credit (as opposed to what many other art thieves don't do.)

[@CaCtus362]

yes, i worded it incorrectly, sry! But it still doesn't justify what he is doing. And puting "credit to artist" doesn't help anyone since he doesn't say which artist lol So it wouldn't make a difference if he didn't say anything

[@Omegawerewolfx]

giving credit for where the art came from is disgusting? are you 12 and emotionally unstable?

[@CaCtus362]

@@Omegawerewolfx im not, actually ^^ He puts "credit to artist"... JUST artist. no @, nothing. That is not credit that helps anyone.

[@hangyuI]

xCaCtus x lol atleast he claimed it wasn't his original work

[@Space-ex5nh]

I will try to explain the difference between copying, tracing and references. References: all you do is take an image and use it to help you draw whatever you are struggling with. You can take a picture of someone sitting and use the picture as an exemple so you’re able to draw it. In that case no need to credit unless you want too. If you’re using a reference, you’re not tracing or copying, just helping yourself to draw a pose, an expression or whatever you need help with. Copying: you are not tracing over the original, you’re recreating it the same way. If you’re going to post a copied art, be sure to give the original person CREDIT. Sometimes we call stealing someone concept or design copying. So if you just straight up copied an image for practice for exemple or took the design from someone else, be sure to credit the artist. Tracing: you’re basically just redoing the lines of the art and recoloring it. Sometime tracing is used for practice and it’s okay. But if you trace someone be sure to credit and tell people the purpose of doing this. (practice, challenge, etc) There you go! Hope this helped someone

[@sol8165]

Tbh, i am fine with people tracing as long as they gave credit to the original owner and put it at a visible part of the description and not under all the tags where no one will look. It will be better if he said right on the top:"I referenced/copied this picture for practice and here is the original artist" It is fine copying/tracing others as long as you don't sell them for money or not credit the original piece you took. But for that person they clearly did not left any links or tags to where they referenced it from or which artist they took refrence from. I relate to this as in the past i always uses pokemon and vanguard cards to refrence from and draw as similar as the original piece and it helped lot with me learning face shapes and anatomy. The only thing im salty still about is that no artist or link is given in the description.

[@leafamphii.]

agreed tracing is good for practice but u should credit the original art too

[@Nick-mp5zd]

*draws line* HOW DARE YOU TOOK MY ART STYLE!

[@dandrawsit4915]

relatable

[@Butternubs80085]

vanillamilkisgud its true that the art community is like that and sometimes it makes me scared to post any of my art scared someone will accuse me of "copying a style" but this is straight up tracing and claiming it as their own

[@mistrex]

Ikr like there are many people that have similar art styles withour knowing and then people are like "you copied them" "you are so unoriginal get your *own* artstyle"

[@しゅー-y8l]

Sometimes i draw something and someone always says "oh you're art style reminds me of (blablahblah)" and im like.. "Wat. Who tf is that? ʕಠᴥಠʔ".

[@zoidberg4420]

@@user-ws6yy2xg1y Whether it's tracing or isn't the real problem here. It's the fact he takes people's art and doesn't change it in any way shape or form, its a copy with nothing of value added, and yet he garners more attention than the original artist.

[@BrendaFOBRocks]

personally i love referencing (and copying!) other peoples drawings but i don't normally post those drawings online. I just draw them for my own personal satisfaction, they are always in my sketchbooks and i usually don't do finished illustrations out of those sketches. for the most part though i feel like its okay as long as you are 1) open that you copied or used someone elses art as reference and 2) give them credit. not giving the original artist credit is a total dick move

[@BrendaFOBRocks]

Merlarhyth thats a good idea to add as well thanks!

[@janetreid4515]

@@melharhyth-offline8056 im not sure if tracing/copying something in a sketchbook and not posting it online is something that requires permission from an artist that may or may not even be active.

[@Krossxc]

I think they should have just said: "Original image by _____, and linked the original artist". As long as you do that, I don't see the issue

[@AliArt]

Same

[@Loveybuggi]

Kross there is definitely an issue when they get more attention, likes, and maybe money if you can do that on ig I dunno- you didn’t make the lines- you don’t have enough skill for that and it’s stealing what somebody did and that took them years to get that good while they could be getting likes, attention and money but the other person who look a few 30 minutes to trace artwork is getting more of their stuff. That isn’t to say their real work isn’t good it’s what’s appealing to other people but they’re just cheating the system-

[@purpledawn2727]

Disagree. One shoudn't copy/trace period.

[@gordonramsay1530]

but did the artist give permission?

[@woofwoofisjf8734]

Permission from artist is definitely needed

[@lemonade3027]

Dunno what to feel when people say 'Tracing is ok for practice only' well in my opinion tracing for practice is not a really good idea. Just go search for some references (pose, eyes, how to draw or color this, etc.) and try to find your own art style that you're comfortable with. Trust me it's far better than practicing through tracing someone else's art. Have a nice day!

[@lemonade3027]

and btw I know this one insta artist that's quite famous (sasucchi?) she stopped posting (and deleted) all tutorials and stuff because people are heavily copying her art style. She tried to help her fans and followers to be better at art but apparently it hurts her a lot to know that they 'copied' her style instead of using her tutorials as references making her efforts useless. So 'copying' other artists' art style or drawing will definitely hurt them a lot. Even me myself as an artist wouldn't like ir very much either.

[@DCNRS90YT]

I rather refrence using photographs than other people's drawings, since that's just copying.

[@LucasPereiradaSilva]

@@DCNRS90YT the ideal is making 3D models yourself on blender. But no one knows how to do it so people WILL use pre-made models or even finished works as bases/references.

[@lassleda2183]

"credit to the original artist" is NEVER an okay thing to do. like, imagine if a movie ended and instead of ten minutes of credits it just said "credit to the people who made this" nah son. Referencing in art is a tricky thing, which is why I try to stick to photo references instead of other people's art. What this guy is doing is, what I'd say, the next closest thing to art theft than just reposting the original art under your own name. Judging from his page, it looks like he's tracing the lines of the original works and then coloring them himself. If that is his own coloring work it's a shame that he feels the need to trace other people's lines because it's really nice. The only way I could see what he's doing as okay would be if he a) got permission from the original artist to trace b) explicitly states that the lines have been traced and that it's for coloring practice only and c) credits the original artist CLEARLY and links back to their page

[@lassleda2183]

the legality of fanart has always been a confusing issue, but most content creators don't care (even appreciate!) if you make fanart. So you're right in that the original artist doesn't own the character, but they still own their own drawing. And if someone wanted to use that drawing or put it somewhere else on the internet it's only polite to ask permission. He may have edited his posts after being called out, but originally the tracer did only write "credit to the original artist" in the description which is.......... not credit at all. As for whether or not he actually traced, I 100% believe he did. If you go on his Instagram page you can see that he posted progress photos, including the initial "sketch", but that sketch doesn't have any guidelines or eraser marks or anything to suggest that he actually drew it. It looks exactly how traced drawings look. Finally, yes people draw photo-realism and yes people copy famous works like the Mona Lisa, but these aren't comparable to this case because 1) this drawing is not photo realism or even drawn from life and 2) none of the artworks he traces are famous ones like the Mona Lisa or Starry Night. Copying these famous works is (generally) fine because everybody KNOWS who the original artist is. Copying a small Instagram artist is a completely different story and takes away from the attention they deserve to get (although in a case like this where it blows up all over instagram and twitter might get the original artist even more publicity, but that doesn't matter right now)

[@JayJapanB]

Copying photos can be stealing too. It depends on the context, so be careful. When someone takes a photographers photo and re paints it and uploads it to instagram, I'd argue that's still stealing. Even if you change it to be a bit more stylised, if it takes the subject matter, colour, composition etc, what are you adding at that point?

[@moltebergk]

So, a funny thing, tons of people working on movies are never credited in the ending credits, because of budget saving on printing. The only way you have a guaranteed spot on the credit list is if your member of a union that has a deal with the production company. If you are not, you most likely will not reach the credits screen. But .. this is completely besides point, since you are working under contract, and are obligated to turn over the copyright of your work

[@Ganbre14]

Atleast he is not getting money :v There are some people in the internet that trace and get money 🐢☕️

[@Ganbre14]

@Witch Girl Oof idk about him having a Chanel 😥

[@Chill1332]

(as always, personal opinion) Yes. I think it is okay to trace and copy artwork. Both are methods of learning art. How many art students copy the masters, even trace them, study their coloring so they can make an exact replica of the Mona Lisa. You understand by copying. Someone might trace an artwork so they don't have to worry about the outline and just focus on the way to color. This is learning. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And sometimes its just fun to see how close you can get to another art piece. Can you sign it. Sure. If you made the marks with your own pencil/paint/markers/ it is a piece of work you did. You worked hard on it. Sign it. Can you put it on social media. Why not? HOWEVER, i think this is where the responsibility comes in. If you admired a persons art enough to copy/trace it they certainly should get the credit for the original. After all they worked hard on that same picture too. Don't be the student who takes credit for the Mona Lisa. And a link to their social media or mention of their name is warranted if at all possible. Make absolutely sure people know that it was not your idea/pose/outfit/character. But I think this only counts if something is copied or traced. Referenced is a totally different story. If it doesn't look like the original...then what's the point? "Oh, I referenced those toes from 'johnny' and the hair from.....er...that picture of Mary Pickford on that one website....er...and the dress from......" That's just silly and unneeded. Now if someone were trying to SELL this directly copied art. It's totally wrong. No doubt at all. But just sharing it? I mean, the internet is where people connect with their friends now. so is showing your friends what you drew copied/traced whatever, wrong? (Now I don't do this, but I have actually had it happen to me. I asked for credit and was happy)

[@redmage.]

As someone who went to art college I can tell you no one traced anything. You actually learn very little by tracing. The best way to learn is by hand and eye never by tracing. Do life drawing and practice portrait drawings of living breathing people or by photos (without tracing). We did self portraits using mirrors just like the greats did. Tracing is a huge no no and has no basis in skill whatsoever. If you truly want to be good at art and drawing you would not trace.

[@Chill1332]

I donno. I learned how to draw a proper dog nose by tracing when I was like....seven. That they weren't just triangles. I didn't have the observational skills at that age to see that. But when I drew right over top of the image it was quite the revelation.

[@ShinyShilla]

that guy was NOT learning, one of the comments literally said he was jhaving years of practice and he was SO good -

[@awroolie]

It's really sad that people keep harassing you about "loving and creating drama" despite the only drama I've seen surrounding you being that people wrongly accused you of being the gatekeeper that EmilyArtful mentioned in a video. I've been watching your videos for a long time and you've always seemed like a genuine and kind person. I love your art and the way you talk about issues in the art community and tell stories.

[@PixiiBomb]

This is one of those topics that's really controversial. I have a small youtube channel, and I'm surprised that my shit gets stolen as often as it does. I mean... people literally take my thumbnails and (poorly) re-photoshop them. They take my code and my art and re-create tutorials in their native language (as if I wouldn't recognize my own work... regardless of what language it is) To save time, I basically started using free resources to help with tutorials (a mix of my work, so they're still getting something of quality) - and I also created the Pixii Bomb Squad: which is basically, if you want to cooler version with my original artwork and better code: then you have to pay me for it. It's upset me so much that I haven't made a youtube video in like 4 months. (there's a little more to it than I've stated) Anyway - long story short: I think a lot of people "copy" art because they're trying to find their own art style and they're trying to learn, and a lot of those "copied" arts get blown out of proportion - because they wind up sharing their version on social media and they're proud of what they've done, but they're embarrassed that it's not an original piece. I don't think everyone is as malicious as some other children want you to believe. Part of the problem is that it's young adults and young children getting angry at young adults and young children. There is no discussion, it's just all anger and immediately pointing the finger. The reality is: it's ok to learn from other people's art. It's ok to "copy" someone's art in order to learn some new techniques and styles. My advice would just be to keep those "copies" to yourself. Just don't share them on social media. And if you DO share them, just be honest. Just say "hey look! I was using [insert artist name here]'s work, and I think I did a pretty good job!" - if you're just sharing it with a handful of friends, I don't see the big deal. But if you KNOW that your channel/media garners more attention than the original artist, then you ARE intentionally being deceitful, and you need to quit your bullshit.

[@lowkey276]

It's easier to understand the issue here with an analogy. If you're writing a scientific paper you will use a lot of references (books) and will have to rephrase some paragraphs and have you're own thoughts (to respond to the arguments being made in the books) and that's is an original work, but you still need to reference EXACTLY the books you used or else your paper is considered stealing. Tracing is even worst because it's basically copy-paste with a few original thoughts (like the waist should be a bit larger) so it's fine to do it privately but definitely not to publish it and sign it. In short: 1. Referencing the original work and adding changes is fine and you can sign the work. 2. Not referencing the work is wrong even if you did some changes because we can't compare it with the original work to see if what you did is different. 3. Tracing is fine privately but you can't publish it with your signature, you're basically just a reposter just like artstation and should give all credits to the original artist with a link to his work.

[@alexbennet4195]

Obviously what they’re doing isn’t acceptable and needs to be removed (unless they actually got the original artist’s permission to copy their work AND post it online, which seems very unlikely), but I wouldn’t demonise them or act aggressively towards them if they’re young and just genuinely didn’t know any better. Explaining to them why this is wrong and how they’re leeching off someone else’s hard work for Instagram likes and follows is the best thing to do in this situation, I think. When you’re very young you often don’t realise that copying something from a smaller artist and posting it online is a huge problem, since copying other artists would be what you’ve always been taught to do in school.

[@pretsoulz]

FACTS FAM

[@aprilia1kguitarlix129]

I say "Witch Hunt! Witch Hunt!" ... so they never do it again!!! Also, call them Jerkface Dummyhead.... (I'm joking. ;-) )...

[@pretsoulz]

@@ava_marie_v you'd be surprised at how many people don't know regardless of age

[@pretsoulz]

oof I feel you, I'm writing too and I'd be pissed if someone stole my story. As for ignorance on plagiarism in anything other than writing is forgivable to me and I can understand where the plagiarist is coming from because plagiarism on writings is what's been bashed into us forever. BUT plagiarism in art, isn't exactly something exposed enough to youth starting off in the art world. Hell, I didn't even know tracing was bad in the art world till now cause my art teachers have always let me pass knowing I traced off of something and I'm 18. I could just be a dumbass 18 year old but I know I'm pretty smart so if I didn't know about this whole tracing plagiarism without reference thing is deemed as unforgivable by many, then I'm confident many other young artists would too. As for if someone traced my art and repainted it their own way, I'd just hit them up to credit me for the original sketch. NOW if they didn't even after I told them, that's A whole different story.

[@alexbennet4195]

Ava Levesque: You’re right, and that absolutely sucks, but I definitely think that there’s a big difference between writing and drawing. In schools it’s always taught that it’s NEVER acceptable to steal someone’s essay and change a few words - you’re always encouraged to create something unique - but in art classes it’s often the complete opposite. You learn by drawing still-life, copying photographs, and famous artists’ works. So I could kinda understand that someone (who’s particularly naive and ignorant) may genuinely not realise there’s a problem with copying a smaller artist’s work and posting it online, however, I do not believe anyone who would steal someone’s story while claiming “I didn’t know it was wrong!”. But if huge amounts of people are now telling them they need to stop this, and at the very least credit the original artist, they don’t have much of an excuse. Unless perhaps they’ve always been told not to just believe what people on the internet say, especially if they think it contradicts what they’ve always been taught by their art teacher - but even so, if they actually thought for themself, they’d surely realise they’re in the wrong. But I’m not really trying to defend them or anything, I just think that their behaviour was probably caused by a mixture of ignorance and stubbornness, rather than anything malicious - which is no excuse, but it is an explanation, and would impact how the situation would best be handled.

[@ameliapondxxxtrds]

i think tracing/copying isn’t inherently bad, but i think posting said works can be kind of fraught, and it would probably be better not to post them in most cases.

[@nugget3314]

I used to be an ''art thief''. Or better to say, one of my friends said that. I didn't steal the art and claimed it to be my own work. (I was 11 years old at this time) I copied drawings from the internet of fandoms I liked as an example. It was a way for me to learn to draw in a certain style (for example Anime/Manga-Style). I learnt anatomy, drawing detailed and when I showed the drawings to others, I always told them that it wasn't my own art, that I copied it from the internet. And one time, I showed a drawing to a friend of mine and she told me that I was an art thief. That I should stop that. I told her that I used this to learn, but she said if I would need to use other drawings to learn then I should stop drawing forever. This really took me down. Because I was kinda proud of my drawings and I felt bad, because I felt like an art thief. Like a bad person. I stopped to draw for a whole year and I didn't even enjoyed the art lessons in school. But after a year, I finally got everything together and started to draw again. And I also found my own style and I'm proud of it.

[@chen1759]

A year late but ouch I really dislike when someone tells you to stop doing, She sld be giving proper advices .

[@kenziemarlow3057]

2:12 and 2:23 - if you skip back and forth between these two you can see the obvious difference in the pieces. Was this traced? I honestly doubt it. Is it a really good copy? yeah probably. Is it great that he's telling us in the caption that the concept isn't originally his? Yes! Should he include a tag to the original artist? totally! but we do have to consider the fact that he also could have looked up the image on google and Pinterest and not actually had access to the original artist, if this was the case, what he did was perfectly fine (stating it wasn't his) There's a clear style difference, though the pose and areas of shading and basic character concept, is the same. All of that but the pose and shading is (apparently) from some anime, so the character design itself doesn't really count, now does it? The pose, however, should be credited if you can find the original artist. At the same time, if someone comments the artist, maybe you should add it to your post? It just seems like the right thing to do to give credit where credit is due. The copying ability is superb, and a very, very useful skill to have as an artist and the colouring is amazing. To say this man isn't an artist is a lie. should he give credit- yes? can he sign it- yes, because he probably put down every single line by hand and he used (for the most part) his own style which you can really see around the eyes. This man is talented, but he did make a mistake. Is he an art thief? no! he never said it was his, in fact, he specifically said it wasn't his. Should still credit the artist? Yes, but he is not an art thief. I think he should do what he's doing but add in the name of the original artist. This kid is talented and we should be teaching him, not putting him and his art down like the art community does with every. single. thing. Stop micromanaging everyone and stop bashing them for something that they probably don't know. Also, I'm assuming that this guy isn't fluent in English, so you should probably make sure he actually understands what people are trying to say to him before writing him off as a jerk. Artist these days can be really stuck up and defensive. I get it, your art is your baby. You took the time to create that thing. But this should be seen as a compliment (as long as credit is given), not a threat or a great crime against humanity. Take a break people, find something better to do with your lives instead of bashing this poor kid who's probably very confused and just trying to defend his own art that he probably did by hand. Yes, he made a mistake. That doesn't mean we should condemn him to burn at the stake, people. This isn't the Salem Witch Trials.

[@kenziemarlow3057]

Also, imagine what this kid is dealing with emotionally right now? Maybe instead of being "social justice warriors", we should be teachers explaining things to people who need to learn. This kid does need to learn that you should give credit where credit is due, but there are better ways to do that than this emotional and mentally damaging bullshit you people like to throw at anyone who you deem to be less than you as an artist. He made a mistake. Not committed a murder. There are nicer ways to put these things and we need to learn how to be nicer people. I get why we get so protective of art, I really do, but I think that someones mental health is more important than giving credit to an artist when you've already stated it wasn't yours. Be kind and treat people how you would want them to treat you. And remember we don't know this kid or what he's going through. I hope you all have a nice day!

[@rubsymoon839]

For your argument about 'maybe he found it online and didn't know the original artist' First response is that there is such a thing as a reverse image search. Second, he could have not used it since he didn't know who did the original. There's a moral issue as well as a legal issue as he's reproducing something without any permission from the original artist at all.

[@ReganMarie0.0]

@@rubsymoon839 dude I found an image I wanted to get done as a tattoo and tried to find the original artist to ask if they were cool with it. I eventually ended up with the person I thought was the artist. It wasnt. The dude took a screen shot of someone else's shit because he couldn't download it, it wasnt originally uploaded as its own little thing. He didn't remember where he got it from. I never got the tattoo done but reverse image search doesnt do much.

[@TheCrescentLune]

@@kenziemarlow3057 well said!!

[@Choccoco]

The most level headed comment under this video.

[@literallymyonlyhobbies]

Unless only used for practice, Copying art is theft. Tracing art is theft. Just changing Colors is theft. Reference as in body or as in the example ,flowers, is not theft. Art is so amazing, you can literally create ANYTHING. Why steal others art?

[@lucidocelot]

Lara lol just add a disclaimer and credit the original artist. Also edits are fine as long as you don’t claim it’s your own original. Plus, it’s technically ok as long as they don’t have any monetary gain.

[@literallymyonlyhobbies]

@@lucidocelot yes if you draw sth almost identical but the artist is fine with it because you credit them, I see no problem. But if they don't ask and then say "But I gave you credit", I don't feel like it's still okay..

[@恋人デクシャン]

I cant draw withoit being original..... I cannot draw without something in front of me... I cannot be original What i mean is that i love drawing fictional characters by eye!

[@literallymyonlyhobbies]

@@恋人デクシャン thats fine, As long as you don't copy it and claim it as your own

[@恋人デクシャン]

Lara oh ok :) I dont copy and claim it my own I just cant draw without looking at something 😂

[@ErinDerrickArt]

So, I don’t know how often you’re on instagram, but for some reason, this is a huge issue there. Copying/tracing is a huge problem on that site and the copier/tracer often doesn’t credit the original artist they’re claiming to have “referenced” until they are called out. I personally feel like this piece is at the very least copied, but as you can see from the person who overlayed the images, it really seems traced; line for line. When it comes to tracing and copying, I think it’s only harmful to everyone involved. It’s harmful to the original artist because you’re not just copying their work- you’re copying the planning and thought process that they potentially put hours in to as well. Also, if your likes are significantly higher than the original artist, that’s literally potential money that the og artist is losing. It’s harmful to the copier/tracer because you’re not learning anything. You’re not going through your own process to plan out a drawing, study the necessary anatomy and references, and therefore aren’t learning the technical aspects of drawing AT ALL. I get intensely frustrated when people don’t want to put in the time to be a good artist. Every single artist has at one or more times questioned their style and skill- you don’t get to cheat your way ahead by copying them. Okay. It also hurts the audience of both artists. This is because the og artist isn’t getting the audience they deserve because people don’t know about them and because the copier/tracer is lying to their followers about their skill and style. Like, if I follow you for one drawing I saw somewhere and then your next post is an a completely different style, I’m going to be confused and skeptical. I understand that developing a style takes time, but when it’s all over the map, I’m going to assume you’re a thief. Now. Like you mentioned, referencing, copying, and tracing are all different. I think that copying and tracing are super wrong and harmful to your abilities as an artist, but referencing is awesome! In fact, it’s super important. Referencing an image can help you learn more about how anatomy works or how to find organic shapes and structure. Do that. Also, I know this is KIND OF a separate issue, but people copy fan art (from other artists) SO much and then use the argument that “it’s not your character anyway”. It doesn’t matter. I personally think artists should use their abilities to draw as much original content as possible, but drawing fan art is cool too. But anyway! Just because it’s fan art doesn’t mean that someone’s efforts in the creation of the original piece were any less. TLDR; Copying/tracing is the theft of another artists blood, sweat, and tears that is put in to planning a piece. Making art isn’t JUST the drawing.

[@ErinDerrickArt]

Also, you shouldn’t upload traced or copied work unless you have a big old banner across the image that says “original concept by:___”

[@novmill]

Agreed! I think the one who traced here could do super well if he really tried, his coloring skills are great! It's sad to see skills like this being used on traced artwork tbh.

[@solsticechase8079]

I wholeheartedly agree with one exception. I don't think that copying is inherently wrong for beginning artists as long as they don't post it online or claim it as their own. When I was still figuring out how to draw different things, I found it very helpful to sometimes take a picture that I liked and try to recreate it to the best of my abilities. It really helped me with hands, eyes, folds and shading especially.

[@leonarduskrisna4588]

he should call it Re-draw ya know and gives a Credit to Original Artist

[@nyetnyetsu]

Yeah totally agree with just this one

[@funkymonks8333]

To me it's kinda shitty that they just signed it with their name as if it were theirs, if I were to edit/trace another person's work I would 1. Ask them for permission to post it in the first place 2. write information ON the picture (whose original work, whose redraw). This is the only way that would be acceptable for me. The same thing is done with collabs (giving credit where it's due: the picture says who did what or at least their @'s).

[@wfrwfewfr1479]

Is it copying if i draw while using a video of somebody speed drawing

[@MidnightSky705]

I'm worried about posting my art because I don't want any drama. The art community looks toxic

[@SilverflameYoshi83]

Not gonna lie, I did that as a kid and posted it on Facebook to show my friends. I did end up getting better at art tho.

[@LucasPereiradaSilva]

Yes, because you got a good experience. Spoiled, princess like artist are terrified about it and I understand why. But it's THEIR OWN FAULT making their content available FOR FREE on the internet IN FULL RESOLUTION!!!

[@孫子]

*Looks at the thumbnail* *Sees Uraraka* *Click*

[@HeavyMetalRockMusicFan-dk9gh]

A Crush on Uraraka

[@Omegawerewolfx]

is every third video from you a rant? you spend a lot of time looking for stuff to complain about

[@helixxia9320]

but isn't it a good thing she is shedding a light on important issues

[@birdie4263]

@queenhelixia: hey:) This isn’t meant to sound mean but...No, she’s not. She’s sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Acting all high and mighty going around policing people as if she has a right to it. As if someone (nobody) appointed her to be the art police. What she is actually doing here is publicly harassing people, sending her followers on a witch hunt, involving herself where NO ONE asked her for her opinion. I’m not going to lie and say this isn’t a problem in the art community because IT IS, BUT(!) and here’s the big but! For problems like these artists nowadays can file complaints, plagiarism, or ask the social platform to take down the art piece from said accused creators channel/platforms/social media accounts. What she is doing is just another form of gatekeeping. This isn’t something that other people should start encouraging just because they feel a righteous entitlement to and sometimes, but not all the times, the whole thing may just be a misunderstanding or more complex than one might think. I hope that helps to provide a different way to look at it, I don’t mean it harshly but really...please do not encourage this type of behavior. Always try talking with the artist directly and if that doesn’t work, move from there and file a complaint/plagiarism or whatever, but there are much more civil ways to handle this.

[@helixxia9320]

​@@birdie4263 maybe if she had made a video about this issue But made sure to blurred out the names of the people involved in the examples then that would have been much better... but another thing is i saw a different video from a smaller art channel about how a certain someone in the art community was gatekeeping people and being very accusing of copying everything and acting all important and nosy, and people in the comments speculated the video was about lemia but it didnt say spesifically who it was. in some of lemias videos she seems cute and kind and funny but then some videos she acting like she can bash anyone she want. not sure how to feel about her anymore:/

[@dontmeow42069]

Quetzal Ruhsam lol shut up

[@meijelly]

@@dontmeow42069 lol you

[@HanaYuki12]

Idk for u guys but this type of people pissed me off so bad. Its hard enough already for us artist to come up with original proportion, style and composition that is interesting enough for us to be satisfied with and when we do, someone goes and just straight up copy it. Coming up with an original composition idea is even harder than coloring and it really hurts my heart if someone copy the composition that took me years to learn to understand and make it.

[@sploochee6764]

If he's tracing then the original artist shouldn't care. The original artist should only care if the situation gets out of hand to the point where they think the original artist is the tracer or if the tracer is profiting off the traced art and getting money from it. Other than that the original artist shouldn't get into pointless drama.

[@save_the_bees]

This reminds me so much of the youtuber “Shinigami Arts” he does show himself drawing but drawing other people’s art, sometimes he doesn’t credit the original artist and he is profiting off of it. He hasn’t done anything original, watch his video of his art progress and all of the pieces he shows is not original. I hope you can do a video on him too.

[@gingerbop157]

I'd consider it art theft. But I do agree that he seems like a kid who needs it explained to him. Someone who thinks he can use the word reference to protect himself. I don't think tracing is useful. But copying, just using your eye to mimic an artist's lines or understand how they compose a piece on the other hand is a useful activity just making sure if you do post it to provide upfront and obvious credit. I know in most cases a The original artist would be flattered. 😂 someone should make a etiquette guide for budding artists.

[@DCreed013]

I think tracing can be useful, but mostly for very, very young/beginner artists. Like, 'I graduated from stick figures two days ago' type beginner. It's like training wheels and is mostly good for building some confidence, getting comfortable with a pencil, and developing a slightly steadier hand. It is best to go from tracing to copying ASAP though. All those 'benefits' and more can be learned faster by copying.

[@gothgirlcosplay]

I will disagree that trading isnt useful... if you are trading all the details, yes it isn't helpful. But I have found that trading the shapes and breaking down the form thorogh trading can be helpful. I think it is all about how you use it.

[@gingerbop157]

@@DCreed013 yes I agree. Useful for a very beginner.

[@gingerbop157]

@@gothgirlcosplay that's kinda what I said. But I think copying is better. Training your eye to looks t the shapes in a picture and trying to copy them. Its a more conscious way to learn. Maybe a real beginner would benefit from tracing initially but they should be encouraged to improve their observation skills

[@gothgirlcosplay]

@@gingerbop157 yes and no.. I don't think it a tool that only beginner artist can use.. yes you could train your eyes as well.. but to say it only a tool for people starting to me is incorrect

[@starsnafu]

To all the people commenting and accusing Lemia of being the subject of Emily's video posted a couple of weeks ago; if you guys did a little research, they follow each other on Twitter. And to my knowledge (correct me if I'm wrong), but I couldn't find any videos on Lemia's channel that were sponsored by Skillshare. Don't go around pointing accusatory fingers, especially when Emily specifically asked in her video NOT to do so.

[@lime4]

There are so many "artists" like this. Shinigami Artist on KZbin is the biggest one. Doesn't even credit the artist literally copying their stuff 1:1 and PROFITING off of it. Disgusting

[@renny7664]

I think tracing is bad when someone doesn't credit the artist and/or use the art of money, likes, followers or fame. I also find it kind of degrading when someone uses my art without permission and doesn't tag me, especially when they're especially cearly following me. Like I like that they love it but it's mine and they're using it without my permission

[@bellacapulet1933]

Jesus you make me not want to do art anymore. It's my only income other than being a corrections officer, but I make money, when someone brings me a picture and I replicate it in large scale oil paintings. How am I supposed to know if they took the picture or just took it from someone else? I've heard you're a gatekeeper. But idk. I just feel like not even making art anymore.

[@bellacapulet1933]

Ale Castle I appreciate you're opinion I will take it into consideration.

[@fukubaby]

​@@bellacapulet1933 As stated previously, it's your responsibility to check. reverse-searching an image is always helpful! As someone whose art has been stolen and used for tattoos multiple times without permission, it hurts like hell to find another artist using my work. I randomly stumbled on this video though, I can't say I like Lemia's personality myself. Regardless, don't let others make you feel bad about what you do. As long as you're respectful to others' work, you should feel good about what you do and that people are willing to pay you! Good luck in the future!!

[@MissIshX]

I don't think you should worry about where the art originally came from. Art doesn't really have ownership. I would be happy if someone replicates my art work. I'm sure many would. But it's only the selfish broke artist who wants to keep it all to themselves. Art's true value is in appreciation. And when you remake it, you're doing the art a favor. There's no intellectual laws in art. I'm in the fashion field and there are no laws in fashion either. Designers instead of shading this idea, celebrate it. Since everyone can't afford an expensive dress by high end labels, they buy the cheaper versions. Some even diy them. It's for the bigger picture. Don't stop painting. If you're good at it and love what you do, keep finding more ways to do it!

[@tidilyram9850]

@@MissIshX you have the wrong idea as to why we disslike when our art gets stolen- the problem isnt the money or anything (i cant even make money off of it due to certain bank problems) ive had my art traced and stolen before- my problem was that someone else took credit for myown creativith that ive worked hard for and as a fashion designer student i would HATE it if someone wouldve used my dress designs and said tHEY made it- as if i didnt spend days making the collection- NOONE likes working their ass off for years on end for tgeir skills and hard work to be dissmised after someone else takes credit for it

[@Xingaling]

Bella Capulet If you’re doing it for someone else, that’s their problem if they took it. You’re still the one receiving money...that sounds bad...ok. It’s their fault if they took it from someone else and the fault will be placed on you if the original artist finds out you’re the one who replicated it however the blame should be on the one who (commissioned?) you for the replication since they asked you to replicate it...idk. Those are my thoughts. Same though if you know the original artist stop and if you don’t check a bit before replicating anything.

[@aprilia1kguitarlix129]

whether it is "traced" or "copied" ... (in this case, it looks nearly identical). If this guy was "drawing for very long", then why the heck is he stealing some other artist's creation? I think if you copy something, it would be a crime to publish it with your name on it. No pitchforks - but, for all we know this guy is no kid. After all, he's been "very long" drawing. Lemia, you are laid back and that's just your personality - please don't take this the wrong way, but you have - at this time - 171,000+ subscribers. This is, imho, pretty amazing. For artists who are not so personable, or good at getting themselves "out there" - having someone copy a beautiful piece that took hours and hours, and in to which they "poured their soul ", so to speak - I imagine it would be very disheartening, dispiriting... even more so if the other person is profiting in some way, even if it is just gaining fame or recognition. That fame really doesn't belong to the copier (sorry, Lemia - I have to call him a thief...) - let me give a quick analogy: if it is a story, a written work - and someone comes along and copies it - perhaps changing the names.. then publishes it online and puts their own name at the bottom. Perhaps in an inconspicous corner he says "reference to other author" or something... that 1 person out of 100 even notices.. is this wrong? First - it is the SAME thing. Words to form a story, lines and colors to form a visual story... Whether it is traced or merely copied such that it looks almost just like the original (or even close), it is still wrong. It applies to music too, by the way. In this case, the theft is totally obvious. Grab your pitchforks, people!!!! heh... I really do think that it is tantamount to stealing - more so if attention or fame is garnered.

[@TheCrescentLune]

LOL the fact that you would suggest that art & literature are the same, it shows you know little about art OR literature. Yes, they're both forms of creativity, they are both art, but other than that, apples & oranges, dude. I'm a writer & artist, & it's silly to compare referencing an art style, & directly copying an author's words. Art is much more subjective & ambiguous. To steal an author's words would be much more obvious & easily proven. Art is not quite like that, in most cases. Also, that wasn't an "analogy" really, it was more of a "comparison."

[@SSeanMan]

​@@TheCrescentLune - Your response definitely put me on the defensive. I responded by calling you a troll. I apologize for that. You say that I suggested that art and literature are the same, simply because I compared aspects of the plagiarism of each art form. I'm going to try to refrain from intentionally insulting you in response. We seem to disagree on the definition of "referencing an art form". I don't think it means "conveying the unmistakable impression that a drawing is one's original work, when it is a re-rendering of another person's work or creation". Despite the differences between written and drawn or painted works, there is such a thing as plagiarism of artistic drawings or renderings. If you don't think there is - then that is where our difference lies. What you (based upon your statements) try to defend as "referencing an art style" is not a license to go passing off other people's work and accomplishments as your own - and it was never intended to be. I saw the original, and I saw the copy - the _obvious copy_ - which was signed by the person in question. I know what a "reference" is - and it is obvious that the guy was trying to pass off someone else's original creation as his own - in fact, I recall seeing one of his replies, where he defended it as such. The guy blatantly copied someone else's drawing - maybe even traced it - and then _put his signature beneath it_. Incidentally - Webster's first definition of "analogy ": "a _comparison_ of two otherwise unlike things based on resemblance of a particular aspect". A _comparison_. Minored in Lit, and I will leave unsaid numerous additional justified refutations. No insult intended. I wish you luck in all your artistic endeavors - sincerely.

[@Arata987]

I saw some videos of this guy, all their drawings are traced, the mistake he made was to draw the drawing of a well-known artist, he usually traced official artwork. Really unfortunate to someone with so much talent just steal other people work and try to pass as if it were their own.

[@milkpuffs465]

The problem with these instagram “artists” is that they do it for the followers and likes. They usually have no original works, bc they can’t actually draw that well with out tracing/copying another artists’ work. People tracing for practice is fine (I usually don’t like this method but if it really works for you then go for it) but uploading it for the attention is wrong and you can clearly see how he’s just doing it to be “famous” with the amount of tags he uses. These kinds of people don’t respect the original work at all, just using it for their own self gain. Once you confront them about crediting the artist, or question them if they ask permission, they get extremely defensive about it which is a another red flag right there.

[@paulj505]

Question 1: Yes. It's okay to trace or copy an artwork, as a help in learning, although I would just copy and not 1:1, as I would want to develop my own art style and tracing or copying 1:1 would train my muscle memory to other artist's style. And I would not upload it, because it's stealing someone else's hard work at composing an artwork, which in my opinion is the hardest thing in drawing. At least not on public medias, maybe I would just show it to my friends with saying who drew this originally. Question 2: I would never sign a traced/copied artwork and I would not even upload it, as I said in the question 1. But even if I would upload it, I would place a link to original artist at the beginning, with caps-lock and other ways to get people's attention to that link. Question 3: Heck no! It's like hitting someone in the nose, breaking it and just giving them a small band-aid after that. As I said in previous question, I would do almost anything to get people's attention on the original artist (link, caps, arrows, etc.). Question 4: Well. It depends, honestly. If original artist's fan base is massive and thief is getting much smaller attention, then it shouldn't hurt the original artist. But if it's the other way around. A thief, like parasite, is taking much more than original artist is receiving. It's not right. Also as I said in other questions. In my opinion, the best way of uploading a copied/traced artwork is to point out, VERY CLEARLY, the original artist. And I would not feel responsible or guilty for following a thief. I am human, not a robot and I can't scan every image for if it's copied, in real time. Also as a bonus. i would not harass a thief. I don't want to be as rude and dishonorable as them, so I would just unfollow them and go to the original artist.

[@hi-bk6sy]

When I was younger I used to post my copied anime art on Facebook groups without giving any credit to the original artist. I look back at myself and realize that what I did was wrong, but like the guy in the video, I was a kid who didn't know any better (thank god i wasn't bashed for what i did though. that would've discouraged me from eventually posting my own art online a couple of years later). When you're younger, sometimes you're oblivious when it comes to things that are right and wrong. Still, that doesn't excuse me for claiming another person's work. I think before you decide to post copied/traced work online you should ask the original artist for their permission. Certain artists are alright with it, but some aren't. Even if the artist does allow you to do so, credit should always be given. I believe that you shouldn't sell copied art though. Not only will you run into copyright issues, it's just unfair for the other artist. Do I think that this guy is in the wrong? Yes, but perhaps (like Lemi said) he's unaware of his actions and needs to be properly guided. Do I think that what he's doing is ok? Absolutely not. Even so, it's definitely NOT okay to send extremely hateful comments towards him, especially things like death threats. It's totally not cool and nobody deserves to be told that. As for being responsible for supporting an artist who traces/copies, I slightly disagree with what Agent Rice says. It is not your fault if you're unaware that the person isn't the original artist. However, I don't believe that you should knowingly support a person who is clearly making profit from stealing other artists work. Anyways, sorry for the super long comment lol (i rarely comments things this lengthy haha). I really enjoy your videos where you talk about art topics! I love hearing about your opinions, even if sometimes they're different than my own views. Great video as always :)

[@aprilia1kguitarlix129]

The guy responds, angriliy, defending what he has done - and any semi-artist will know that it was traced, since even little bits like the lines for hair and such line up perfectly.. but regardless, I would not assume this is a little kid at all. Late teens at least -- if he can respond as he does, then he is old enough to realize he's stealing. I mean you no disrespect, but I get a little annoyed at people who leap to the defense of someone like this, clearly in the wrong yet still denying it.. if you are going to feel sorry for someone, think of the original artist who is veritably unknown - while this pathological plagiarist (looking over his previous posts, this is his modus operandi) is garnering attention and praise for that other artist's hard work.

[@giraffeparty0]

I posted stolen art on Instagram when I was 10 years old, just like "this is so good!" so I knew it wasnt mine, and I wasnt saying it was- but I uploaded it without permission or credit like damn wth was I thinking- I was really *really* new to the internet tho so forgive me :"( Id delete the post if I remembered my old insta pw

[@cielfuntomhiveasmivira]

Same, I started drawing anime when I was around 13 and would copy other artists' works and then sign them, I would also post them on facebook groups :/ I do feel embarrassed but i'm glad I learned from my mistakes

[@izthistaken]

I understand using someone else art for studying and developing their own art privately, but I don't think you should post it. Also asking the artists permission first is a no brainer, along with crediting the artist. It irks me to no end to see idiots on instagram who think they can just put *credit to the artist!¡!* and that's ok, because its not. Never mind the countless hours on the piece itself that you're taking credit for, but also the *YEARS* the artist spent developing their skills through hard work and dedication. And let's not forget the hours potentially spent on thumbnailing, composition and the color palette that might have been preplanned as well.

[@kiwi-ik8nd]

yep he is an art thief. im annoyed by people who defend him like what the hell 🙄 if he uses your drawing he should credit you. anyone traces/references etc should credit the person whose drawings they use.

[@xepphir]

Should we talk about instagram artists that color perfectly but trace off selfies? So unoriginal and pisses me off

[@pandoraarts7748]

Quick question, I'm still very new to this art thing, I've refranced many poses (not to comfortable with the bodys anatomy) which I've heard many don't have a problem with, but does the same goes for Clothing? I'm not talking about whole outfits just bits and pieces from different places 🤔

[@ferchsakura]

I hate people use reference when an image is almost copied. Reference is completely okay, and at some point I don’t think it needs to give credit. Because sometimes u can reference a pose from a random picture, we as humans don’t have a picture like memory, so it is good to once in a while watch at a photo in the same pose to check if you have done things correctly (btw this is for realistic life drawing). I feel like doing that does not necessarily need you to to add credit to the original thing you referenced of. BUT, if you’re referencing off of something that kind of looks like the same thing, or if you referenced off of a picture in a way where it is obvious (as in the image as a whole looks like the same theme, color scheme, pose) then yes, you always should. Using reference is okay in my opinion, and it is important. Copying and tracing I just think is immoral in the way this person is doing it.

[@faeb.9618]

on this specific situation, the guy is kinda wrong imo, he didn't draw the original so all there is of skill here is actually his coloring, I can't really defend this, sure when I started I used to open pics on my phone and copy them on paper, but that was when I was like 12? I learnt and became better than that. I just hope he'll start doing completely original work because if he just copied the original art without straight up tracing it? He has definitely talent and could become an amazing artist on their own. I don't think tracing itself is bad, but as other people said, it's for learning when it's good, not to get popular from doing just that, I have traced actual real life pictures before but it was small stuff like struggling with a hand's pose, never copying an entire thing, and I think that's fine! Without referencing something you'll never learn to make stuff that is accurate and proportionate. Also redrawing (which is a thing people actually do, they take a screenshot or something from official franchise's artwork) isn't bad, but the people I've seen doing it just do that, redraw something in their own style. And I honestly don't like it when people overdo it like that when raising awareness.... like yeah thanks for warning people but don't blow it out of proportion and don't be so passive aggressive about it? I'm pretty sure a lot of people didn't know that dude was tracing, and guilty tripping/blaming them isn't really going to help you out on your cause.

[@catharsismemory]

Maybe I'm wrong, after all I'm not an artist ( I did draw a little bit when i was younger) but as someone who does like art and like to view other people's art, I personally don't see the difference between copying or tracing. It's pretty much the same to me, you are drawing over someone else's art then you are copying. when you go to post it without crediting the original artist, then you just plagiarized aka stole that person's art. So you went from copying, to stealing. If your going to use the picture as a reference, then i would still give credit or not publish it. I will say the person who traced it, did a better job at coloring which is why theirs probably got more views/likes or the fact people didn't know were the original artist is online so I can understand why they would be hurt.

[@allistairmantis2693]

I believe supporting accounts with stolen art, epecially on medias such as Instagram where their enforcement of copyright guidelines is subpar at best, you are indeed part of the problem. Are you as bad of a person as the thief for it? No. You probably didn't even realize it was a theft account or don't understand how it hurts artists. It's fine. But to continue supporting them only adds to the damage. I see it mainly in Instagram where you see a lot of pre teen weebs reposting gross amounts of uncredited, detailed and beautiful artwork. On the platform, only the original artist can send in a copyright report and even then it's not garunteed to bring the theft punishment. So what I've learned is that the less attention the account has, the easier it is to get it taken down. If you have a theft page with thousands of posts and thousands of followers, the only report that may hold any effect is a copyright report from the original artists. The accounts that are usually taken down are the ones who have smaller followings and are therefore more vulnerable to mass reports of it being a spam page.

[@jexielean]

I mean you really do have to put yourself in both peoples shoes for this ?? But in my opinion , this is definitely copying . I wouldn’t say 100% tracing , although I wouldn’t be surprised if it was considering how close the matches are . If this is just for practice , then sure that’s cool I guess , just don’t share it online . I honestly don’t see any other reason of them posting this other than them getting clout . They may have tagged the artist , but you gotta make it super clear that it’s not your art . It’s not really an interpretation either , as it’s blatantly exactly the same . It’s definitely not referencing either , for example , someone drawing a sheet of different styles of horns , and me using one of those on my character . That’s referencing , not completely copying their artwork . So in the end , my opinion is that that what they did would be acceptable if it was for practice purposes , and not for clout , nor for the public , but in this instance it is . So yes , at the end of the day , that’s stealing art !! :))

[@seungseokstrash2641]

I'm a simple gal. I see BNHA related i click. So.. I saw uraraka. I CLICKED

[@wowyoureadthiscomment1468]

On the post, it says, “reference used. Credit to the artist.” It kind of give half credit.

[@lollipopsie_5230]

Not really, it's 10 percent credit max. It's not saying who it is or even saying that it isn't your work ://

[@Myles2000]

All these people are copying Kohei horikoshi....

[@bbreadcrumbb]

After watching this I have a question about my own work. If I draw my reference photo exactly as it in in the picture but change the colors or make it more cartoon-y is it copying or referencing?

[@ItalianPokeMage]

On the topic of signing, what if it is a work you modified and posted with permission of the original artist. For instance, I wanted a papercraft of a character in a specific outfit. I had no clue how to set up and/or draw a papercraft template, so I found a template and contacted the artist. After I got permission, I modified the template and posted the design. I left the original signature, made sure to link the original design, and provided a link to the artist. Since I added to the piece, should I have included my own signature? Was it okay to post the modified work, even if I had the artist's consent?

[@chanjacky7723]

I have done a lot of copying to learn. I am always more open to copying other people's work because it is a part of learning. HOWEVER, that example you brought up is straight up tracing. I am known for doing amazing copying studies from my teacher but never was I able to replicate 100% the shape and proportion of a drawing. It is literally impossible. Also, this person posted as if he/she drew that him/herself from scratch. Not giving any credit. that is wrong. The amount of likes is not the issue here. The original artist is a renowned artist here in asia, he/she doesn't need likes to survive. It's about that plagiarist being a shitty person.

[@JC-sm4mp]

My feeling on the situation is to think of it like a music artist creating a cover for a song. The two main parts of an art piece are the composition and the execution. The execution is completely original to every artist, and no two artists would execute one composition the same way or on the same level of skill. The composition is the outline for the piece. Where things are placed, Lighting, colors, etc. When someone creates a cover of a song they use the same basic composition and then change the execution to make it their own, and original. No one gets angry about people making covers of music (unless they were to claim the composition and credit themselves but that's the equivalent of art theft.) So when someone creates a cover to a song and provides proper credit it isn't considered theft. I think this situation should be considered the same. This artist used the original artist's composition not to be meticulous, but because he or she enjoyed the composition and it inspired them. And then made the execution original By making it traditional. So it's like Making a cover of a song. Or an even better example, some fanart. Some fanart is directly referenced from clips or scenes in the movie or tv show. But the execution is made their own by the artist, And I think this works the same way. I think unless this artist directly copied this drawing onto their paper, then they are not at fault. They were just taking inspiration and executing it to be their own.

[@Myst_Eerie_Isle]

I agree with Agent Rice.

[@beepbop2053]

When I scroll on art I have to continuously check just to make sure it’s the original artist before liking, kinda annoying.

[@claytontackitt342]

Sorry im late to the party so I hope I can still get a reply on this, but is it considered tracing or referencing if you use the same pose but use a different character? I see people trace/reference what ever you wanna call it of poses from other artworks all the time so I wasn't sure if it was normal or not. Sorry fairly new to art and still trying to learn art etiquette.

[@camham4661]

So one time this one girl in my 3 period asked me to draw sailor v so I drew her colored her and then she started walking around class saying "look at what I drew." Or "GUYS I CAN'T BELIEVE I DREW THIS" It's a good thing I signed it in Sharpe. Because every one said "no u did not it say eve on it"

[@cinnqminx]

Kid, practice your english ._.

[@grimyii3108]

There is something called an art style study or a style study. Where you are studying a style you really like and want to draw like that.

[@paledeerwoman]

Yes, but one should refrain from posting those studies online without permission from the original artist. Keep your studies for yourself or perhaps to share with your art teacher(s) and/or artsy friends in real life.

[@kaomoji829]

Grimyii -3- - don’t think it’s ok to trace something just because you wish you drew like that. You better properly credit the original artist, because whatever you copied is not your art. It’s fine for practice but if you’re going to put it online, CREDIT.

[@grimyii3108]

@@kaomoji829 well yeah of course credit the original artist

[@NinjaKirara]

I dont see it as tracing, copying yes and honestly If they aren't selling it I don't see a problem really (Unpopular opinion: it still takes a lot of skill to eyeball someones work and color it in your own way and have it look that good without tracing) people draw and paint others pictures all the time with different mediums and it never bugged me, unless they brag about it being there own original work. Some people say "imitation is the highest form of flattery" not everyone believes it but there is some truth behind it (at least I think so)

[@SonyXLR]

Agreed

[@purpledawn2727]

Disagree. I mean, nothing wrong with copying or even tracing if you do it for practice/fun. But when doing so, don't show it off to the world and make it seem like it's your own. Keep it to yourself. And even if you feel like showing it off anyway(I got to admit, the person in the video seemed skilled at coloring etc.), then at least make it super clear that this is copyed and credit the original artist. Maybe even ask the original artist if they think it's fine. If this is a recurring theme on their instagram pages and so on, then maybe put it in the page's description?

[@NinjaKirara]

@@purpledawn2727 I still disagree with you but everyone has the right to their own feelings on the matter ^^ to tell people to keep their skill to themselves and to shame them on something they are proud of doing for fun isnt something I would ever do, I'm happy I got to see their art and I thought it was beautiful, it gives me inspiration, but everyone is diffrent and that's okay

[@shirowuzhere9057]

A G R E E D

[@jamesandchante]

I look at photos of people, and the ones I think are attractive I draw or paint. I don't trace them, I just eyeball it. I often change the clothing and background, and occasionally I change their pose, but sometimes I change very little. I will put my name on it and I will attempt to sell it. I don't think it's stealing, because they are photos of what the person looks like. The photographer took the image, but he doesn't get accused of stealing the person's face, does he? I am just using the image of the person to see what the person looks like, and I am using my own skill to use a different medium to make an image of that person. I see nothing wrong with it in the least. That being said, I NEVER copy drawings or paintings of other, because I'd be using the same medium they used, so nothing different was done, and if it isn't realism they did, I'd be copying something that came solely from their own mind and claiming it as my own. That's wrong!

[@thecynster5625]

I really like your style of drama. It’s very clear and invokes some rethinking on my part.

[@magsgaray705]

Whenever i use a reference such as for body anatomy, for posing such as hands, but the whole concept is mine. Is that fine?

[@joleneclayton443]

If you take something directly out of a written document and use it for your English paper without properly crediting the original document, you’d get into HUGE trouble for plagiarism. Why should it be different for visual media? There’s my two cents. Let’s roll with it.

[@GSFreeman]

O gosh some people dont know that stuff like that can affect an artist and it is kind of disappointing.

[@Failzz8]

I understand some people do feel hurt when someone traces/copies their art, and I definitely agree that it's not an ok thing to do (unless you have permission ofc). HOWEVER what these original artists need to understand is, they'll walk away form this situation with a net positive, they can prove they made the original art with for example the upload date, and they have the skills to actually draw those pictures, which clearly the tracer does not, otherwise he would just have drawn their own original picture. So if you are an artist whose art is being "stolen", realize it's in a way a huge compliment to your work, you have the skills someone else whishes they had. Either let the idiot be, or inform his "fans", if he has any, that you are the original artist, provide proof (which shouldn't be a problem), and the end result will be that you get attention you otherwise wouldn't have gotten, and you should feel motivated to keep doing your art, because clearly there are people who really like your art (even if they're dicks), so you must be doing something right.

[@susanalopez5052]

Idk am I the only one who feels people are making such a big fuss about this??, they gave credit to the artist, yeah they copied it but they didn’t technically “trace” it, they redrew it, and that takes skill on its own, they may be unoriginal, but they are skilled unoriginal people, wether they got more credit or not that doesn’t depend on them 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@susanalopez5052]

shen not really, one’s popularity in social media doesn’t reallly directly grow from how much you post or the quality of your posts it is directly the work of this random algorithm that sometimes likes to make a page blow up and grow while other times ignoring other pages but that is simply how the system works, there is tons of fantastic artists that post extremely often and get no likes, there is tons and I mean TONS of crappy artists that post 2/3 mediocre realistic drawings that get more attention, and why is that? Because in their thirst for likes and recognition they put their drawings in tons of feature pages and those feature pages happen to notice them, ultimately it is not up to them to get noticed, yeah it is up to them to try to buy they can’t control if people actually look at them or not, and this is exactly what happened here, I mean the person who redrew this drawing wasn’t actively thinking “I want to get more likes than the original and become more famous” they thought “well I’m going to redraw this piece because I quite like it, I’LL GIVE CREDIT and let’s see what goes from there”, the exact point is THEY GAVE CREDIT, they just got more noticed because that’s sometimes how the algorithm works, also this is often times how people begin, manny great artists begin by simply redrawing and later finding their own voice, crucifying someone because they redrew a piece (which they gave credit to) and got more noticed than the original (something that is not slightly up to them) could discourage someone from actually cultivating that talent, instead of aggressively shaming them for copying why not just encourage them to make more original content, quite frankly I find that more shameful and pathetic than being lazy don’t you think? And I’m not saying this as a viewer, I’m saying this as a content creator who has struggled with the lack there of attention and the overexposure both, quite frankly follow me if you want to @draw_susy_draw on both Instagram and tumblr ;)

[@shiinozaki]

12345 Nltsaaegcj I’m a month late but at the time that everything started (before he got a lot of heat for it) he only had “credit to artist” in the caption, no name. Also, tracing isn’t right unless you get permission from the original artist.

[@mrdoolio]

It's pretty irrelevant whether they traced it or eyeballed it. The work isn't derivative enough for it to avoid potential pursuit. A lot of you here act as if these things are insanely arbitrary or up to one's interpretation when they aren't. Also, giving credit is irrelevant for the point as well. The original artist may or may not have sympathy for that, but it's extremely (and I do mean extremely) bad faith to do it in the first place, regardless of whether you credit or not. You still made a piece using other person's art without licence and without any kind of permission whatsoever. Crediting the original artist doesn't magically undo that fact. By all means, do studies, they are beneficial for an aspiring artist's practice, but 1 - don't publicize those studies and/or 2 - there are lots (LOTS) of artworks in public domain, of which studies you can publicize freely.

[@mrdoolio]

@@susanalopez5052 "also this is often times how people begin, manny great artists begin by simply redrawing and later finding their own voice" - yes, in privacy, it's called a study and it's not publicized, unless it's a public domain artwork you are doing a study of or if you have a permission. You don't post your studies of copyrighted work you don't have licence for. It doesn't even have anything to do with whether you monetize it, it's enough for you to display it. So - don't do that. "could discourage someone from actually cultivating that talent" - talent of not respecting copyright in the field they themselves are interested in and the talent of not doing research about an activity they want to pursuit? "instead of aggressively shaming them for copying" - do you not realize that there is no grey area here? It's direct messing with people's livelihoods and copyright infringement. There are no buts there. "got more noticed than the original (something that is not slightly up to them)" - it is 100% up to them, your study can't be noticed if you don't show it. "I find that more shameful and pathetic than being lazy don’t you think?" - absolutely not, as I said, we are talking about people's livelihoods, why are you acting as if we are all nine years old, taking part in some art class fandom drawing group? What are you talking about? I had objective hits to both my reputation and revenue due to these things and you dare to preach about leeways and even mark people as shameful and pathetic because they act upon something that's legally established for a fucking good reason? Either you have a malicious agenda behind all of this or you literally don't understand what you are talking about - and there's no third option. I am giving you the benefit of a doubt and assuming it's the latter. This is insane. I am showing this comment to my colleagues and they can't believe what you wrote there and with what conviction, while demonstrating complete lack of understanding of the issue in the first place.

[@zoeywilliams5240]

I'm a little conflicted, I use other's art for inspiration and if I see something I particularly like, I put it into my own art. E.g., if I see a witch with a super cool hat, I'll use it in my own. Is it still my original art, is that referencing or copying?

[@mayukeii]

I just personally want to say this, ryota is the MOST UNDERRATED ARTIST EVER. The work he does is so breathtakingly beautiful, all the colors go together so well, it’s just magnificent. I have been following ryota since forever. He’s done artwork for multiple games, shows, and more. Whenever I look at his works, I get so inspired, he’s an artist I truly appreciate and look up to. But it’s when tracers get ahold of these original artworks, and they don’t properly credit the artist, it’s not okay. I have so much love for ryota, and seeing something like this happen to him, it just breaks my heart. Nevertheless, I hope this tracer learns from his mistakes and properly give credit to artists he copy from next time.

[@amberko8710]

I think its stealing. Let me set an example, If someone traced an image, but they say "I traced this" in the post, is it still stealing? yes I think it is. If people trace things, just because they give credit doesn't mean they didnt steal it. Its ok to trace, but it is not okay to post it, tracing is a thing that I think is only okay for self improvement, not to show. also it is especially not okay to put your own signature on it. Anyways if its referencing its all about how people see it, its not that hard to see the difference between similar and same. Well atleast thats what I think.

[@Mumblejumby]

So basically according to you, art thief is okay as long as someone called it a reference? EDIT: also I don't think the ""kid"" is young, so there's no way in defending this.

[@msbloom1802]

Honestly hate people like this .. i had this "friend" that would take my art and claim it was hers .. it hurt me so much cause that's me that's my work .. so in my opinion if you want to copie for practice do it but don't go claiming it's yours cause that's awful and rude .

[@milesedgeworth6114]

people like that suuck! Tracing helped me draw bodies better, but i would just keep it in a binder for the rest of time! I would say to people i knew irl to trace to *practice*, not to trace just to show it to others and say it's your own.

[@msbloom1802]

@@milesedgeworth6114 exactly! It's only okay if it's for practice other then that it's straight up stealing.

[@cassandrarodgers8362]

Tracing is okay because people enjoy drawing but maybe just can't draw very well so they trace other images. I trace outlines but shade and make details myself. I think tracing is okay but u should not post them but if u do give the og artist credit.

[@unadulteratedvoid1163]

I have a question. Would it count as tracing/ copying if you use a pose from someone elses drawing into your own?

[@magnum8082]

No, but it counts if the hair and tie are flowing identically between pictures, and the folds in the shirt are the exact same.