My Art Was Stolen By an Online Store... and I Hired a Lawyer! | Sketchbook Storytime

[@melissamassey630]

I had some of my fan art "stolen" and ended up on an official merch that was in Hot Topic almost 20 years ago now. I just let it go and laughed about it because I am dyslexic and misspelled something. They didn't notice it before releasing the art to stores so it became like a personal joke between me and the people that knew it was my art.

[@idiotsandwich7878]

do you have a link of the shirt???

[@melissamassey630]

@@idiotsandwich7878I really wish I did, and I never said it was a shirt, but it was... It was a white Jessica Rabbit tee, that said. "I'm not bad I'm just drawlin that way". She had a pink shadow behind her that stretched out past the words the was written in really loopy cursive with hearts over the "i" and as quotation marks, in a darker pink."

[@kerrid3481]

I hate thieves!

[@karoline9835]

that is badass

[@fourcatsandagarden]

I've seen stuff like this happen a lot in fandoms, where youtube title cards or really similar-to-the-official-art fan arts will end up on official merchandise (usually DVD back covers) when released in other countries

[@mynameisweird6897]

I hate when people steal my art or they think I’ve stolen it. It really discouraging to me about sharing my art.

[@_Calliegraphy_]

I can understand! But also think about the way bigger amount of people that don’t steal your stuff and love it and give you compliments. That is food for your soup right there.

[@fogggggoooo8194]

Right? I do digital art, and one time I decided to post the art on a group chat with my friends in it, and this one girl was like " hMmMm yOu dIdNt dRaw tHat yOu tOoK iT fRoM gOogLe " and I gave her proof and she was like " k, whAteVer!1!!1 "

[@sillysillyleah]

@Natalie Lomeli I'm really lucky as I have done art for 2 years and never has someone stole my art.

[@lucastaylor1289]

Put watermarks on them

[@santicheeks1106]

Me too I want to draw stuff and make 3d models but then when im done or im checking for certain things, I come across images that look similar to mine and I dont feel like sharing it because I dont want anybody to say I copied

[@bobateapenguin]

Something like this happened to me (but I didn't take any legal action lol). I had a really old drawing of One Direction I made for a friend and I still had it on my DA account. One day I get a message from somebody saying "hey this cake decorating etsy store stole your work" and sure enough it was a listing a 1D cake decorations that had my art. It was those edible prints for cake decorating. Funny enough she never took out my signature on the drawing and you can clearly see it printed on the cake. I looked through her shop more and she used a lot of stolen images (most of them was anime images but others were some fanart). All I did was message her telling her that I didn't feel comfortable having my art sold in that way and requested if she could take it down. I also warned her that most of the content she's selling is stolen images and she was really nice. She apologized and took down the listing. Eventually she closed her store and reopened it and now sells edible flower decorations for cakes. So good on her for selling more of her original content

[@nephco]

That was such a wholesome story. 😘👌 Thank you!

[@KingQueerio]

What I liked about this was that you didn’t need to use rude language to convey your anger! You kindly told her what she was doing was wrong and she held herself accountable! Well done! 👍🏻❤️

[@laura987123]

That's awesome, I think some people just honestly don't know what they're doing is wrong so good on you for letting her know without being rude about it.We all make mistakes and it's really cool that she learned and rectified her behavior instead of getting defensive and lashing out.

[@0hnutty455]

Lol she was probably really nice because she didn't want to get sued.

[@sdmg9059]

TrinaOfDoom **

[@oliviasmith4027]

My biggest pet peeve is when someone thinks using a reference is “cheating” or copying lol

[@eclipsexx]

Depends how heavily they reference, referencing a pose or "copying" a pose is perfectly fine and annoys me when people claim its "their pose". Lmfao. But when people really heavily reference a base that even says "DO NOT USE AS REFERENCE OR BASE" then that's real annoying

[@gailhughey1356]

Lol I use references when I don't remember what something looks like or when I do a pokemon fusion , mega , or gigantimax ( if thats what it's called )

[@yudiwang625]

I trace poses (that I create), but only when I can’t envision it very well. Usually I draw my own poses, but tracing helps me learn more complex ones

[@Kelslshea]

Eclipse x I literally don’t think it’s possible to “copy a pose” or claim a pose as your own. Poses are just the way a human stands, no one artist made up a pose, they just saw a human stand/sit a certain way and drew it. Idk if that makes sense but you can’t copy something that’s been happening for ages naturally. Unless they completely trace the pose then it’s not copying.

[@eclipsexx]

@@Kelslshea I've seen people do the same crouch pose (not traced) and have a full on argument because someone was claiming it was their pose. It was rlly sad because the person claiming it was theirs got loads of people to attack them to the point they left the community:/

[@Kyuuyuyun]

Okay so a couple months ago my friend started getting really into my art so she said she would pay me 20 dollars for my notepad. Me, trusting her, gave her the notepad before she payed me. Little did I know she was using my drawings to get fame and popularity and she didn’t even pay me! So we live just across the road from each other so I went up to her place a month later and asked for my notepad back. All i got back was 5 dollars with my notepad! She didn’t even credit me! So we had a sleepover and I took the 15 dollars I was also promised. And I left early in the morning. Moral: don’t be too trusting because some people WILL use you!

[@rarity-bo8pk]

Anonymous Kitten Woah savage

[@Zdalink]

I know that not right. Ok cause I am not the best at drawing and my friend drew an anime character form my favorite anime I asked if I can recreate it and she said ya. I failed miserably but kinda gave it my own twist of it havinva pickachu hat and well yab

[@teeheeevab5591]

Omg she is such a bitch

[@sundownermgr]

What's her @ I just wanna talk

[@midnightwolf83]

I only trust one of my friends because she also loves drawing

[@oldfashiondragon]

I gotta say I copy art just for my own personal practice but I could never claim it as my own. Thats just shady.

[@ArtfullPuffin]

WYNOLLO TV same!! I practice some poses my tracing a bit but I never share it and never claim it as my own.

[@oldfashiondragon]

@@ArtfullPuffin if i do a piece that was inspired by an artist ill 100% give credits a links. I think thats fair. If i could i would buy more art but I can't always so I share.

[@amara560]

Practicing is great, but that doesn't mean you HAVE TO upload the image. I think that's where most confusion is born.

[@RuRaynor]

There is absolutely no shame in copying art for your own personal practice. It's a long established learning technique used for literally centuries. Funnily enough even Van Gogh has a weaboo phase where he copied Japanese paintings!

[@httydastrid4567]

Same I use to do the same when I was starting to draw

[@BlazerGirl16]

I don’t think you overreacted at all. I wouldn’t want anyone attempting to take claim of my artwork, especially for a potential profit. Not a waste of time at all in my eyes. If you didn’t scare them, they definitely would’ve kept doing it and kept targeting other small artists. So even though you didn’t reach out and find the other artists, you still provided a voice for them in a way by teaching this guy that stealing art is not okay! And sounds like HOPEFULLY he stopped.

[@Palitato]

I was going to say exactly this! If they hadn't been scared pretty firmly into stopping the art theft right away, they may have continued it. If the person ever got more popular and started getting a bigger fanbase, it could also cause trouble for anyone who tried to call them out- they could be targeted by fans, or the person stealing could have a lot more money at that point and be able to lawyer up themselves and tie up a small artist they were stealing from in legal/court fees. It might have felt like a waste of time, but it very well could have nipped a VERY big problem in the bud- stopping it before it really got started.

[@Seraphielium]

BlazerGirl16 thank you this NEEDED to be said, NO ONE should just roll over and take this.

[@lucidmoth1023]

In this case I agree. There are times when you should pick your battles but this was not one to be taken lightly. Many problems could've occurred and I admire that she took legal action on the case so fast.

[@Gumbier_Than]

Exactly. To my knowledge, photo centers will not make copies of any photos done by a professional without written consent. If their property can be protected, why not artists?

[@NelliSmith]

Someone tattooed my art on their arm..... Like on one end I'm super flattered but on the other end, like how hard is it to credit me. Your tattoo artist traced my stuff 😂 Happened last month, I'm still irritated about it lol.

[@robin-tb2lj]

Tbh, if anyone claimed my art/PUT IT ON THEIR DAMN BODY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION they'd get bitch slapped lol but that's just my opinion

[@fin.n8333]

That reminda me of the invader zim tattoo tumblr post

[@loftikuss]

But thats the problem with MOST tattoo studios. They mostly use copyrighted materials and material they found randomly on google making money with. I had a very good friend who got very popular now in a tattoo studio and seeing what she did I saw bunch of copyrighted material so I said I NEVER want her to use any of my artwork (even tho she would probably have paid)

[@movedwe1849]

Challenger4Gaming I get irritated at the slightest if people start to draw or copy my little OC’s. This one girl I’ll call herrr....Sophia.So Sophia has ALWAYS tattle tailed on me when I would draw.Because my second grade teacher was against that stuff. So, she ASKED ME SO MANY TIMES to draw her something. I said no because last Time I did she said that my art was hers. And SHE DIDIN’T CREDIT ME.I said fro her to stop and her excuse was “well I don’t know how to draw, c’mon please, just let me have it!” 🙄 No she’s a bit more chill, but she’ll ask if she can copy one of my drawings, and I’ll give her a really ugly one. Also I’m in love with Sketching Rn, so I drew a picture for one of my most trust worthy best friends. And it was a portrait of her in a dog Snapchat filter. Now I was so proud of that. But now no hate, but the next day or week she went to me and was like,”Look! I still have ur drawing!” She pulled out my drawing that she colored the shirt and mouth or something WITH PURPLE MARKER.I was so irritated. But I can’t stay mad at her, I should’ve told her to keep that way lmao, but we’re still great friends.

[@livvylli]

For a moment, I said the word art as arm lol

[@patchwork_asylum]

You know what I hate? When in school were doing poster art work and my friend starts getting annoyed at herself for not being able to do it right and then copies my ideas, so then I have to erase the thing out and start over so I can be original again It really pisses me off beyond words

[@lauryrodriguez7229]

Oof bakugo that sucks

[@XOXOXO-._]

This actually happens to me a lot with my friend

[@gamerkittypaw4777]

Same

[@patchwork_asylum]

@@lauryrodriguez7229 have this profile to mock his face expression

[@zookeeps1340]

I hated art class in school the teachers were basically like "Okay so you cannot form your own original style and instead we are going to make you copy *insert art style here* and there cannot be any white whatsoever and we are going to make you paint, so we basically just did like painting abstract and pop art, like we didnt even get to use our own art style or sketch, like art class is like supposed to be like just do whatever you want dont burn the school down, so I think that kinda just set some kids back"

[@fynchai5733]

One time i drew a quick sketch in class, and this girl was my ‘friend’ and sort of is today, decided she wanted and asked for it. i didn’t have any attachment to the sketch and gave it to her as a nice gift. i drew the same thing later that year, and had improved a little. but i had no idea that this girl had traced the art i gave her until a teacher came over and said it looked very similar to the ‘girl’, and i was curious. i got up with all of my anxiety of a 11 year old, and walked over to her and immediately saw she had traced the drawing,(which was a cat), and had done it multiple times, and colored them in. i promptly asked for my original drawing back and she seemed to catch on. but she didnt stop tracing the other copies :)

[@SPORK_DORK]

There was this one time in 4th grade I was drawing one of my main characters I made up. Then there was this girl lets call her Molly (no offence to any girl named molly) was sitting behind me. She was drawing as well what i didn't know is that she was looking over my shoulder copying my drawing. Once I was done she showed everybody in the class what she drew, some of the class mates liked it. I showed her my drawing still not knowing that Molly had copied me she saw it then told the class that I copied her. I told her that this was a character I had made up and that I liked drawing. Then Molly asked for the name I didn't come up with it yet so as quickly as I could I came up with the name. "Chloe" i told her and she said I copied her and that she was just drawing her character she said she had drawn for weeks now. I told her I had been drawing this for more than a week it was for at least half a month. She told me i was lying and a I was a copycat. We decided to put both are peices away and redraw it. what she didn't know is that I wasn't sitting in front of her and that I moved to a table, while she sat at her seat. I drew it again with the same outfit same face same every thing. She messed up and then my classmates found out that Molly copied me by looking over my shoulder. She got mad after that and told me i sucked at drawing. I ignored her and she never copied my art since. 👍 if you finished reading this story 😆😲😂😂😂😂

[@insanetxartist]

It always makes me LMAO when an art thief tells me "You suck at drawing anyway!" Uh-huh, I suck so bad you're trying to steal my stuff Poindexter! X-D

[@SPORK_DORK]

@@insanetxartist ikr

[@hello-hw1yb]

Is it bad, that there's no punctuation?

[@SPORK_DORK]

@@hello-hw1yb I can edit it

[@hello-hw1yb]

@@SPORK_DORK ok.

[@jewellalcole3550]

Hippity hoppity ur art is now my property

[@benmemon]

*NOOOOOOOOOO*

[@jewellalcole3550]

† S o p h i a B e r n i c e † OMG I SAID THAT A YEAR AGOOOO LMAOOOO

[@benmemon]

@@jewellalcole3550 *:OOOOO*

[@riorioromeo]

Choosing beggars with art be like :

[@carmen5ive]

This has happened to my brother. He uploaded his artwork to DeviantArt and his art has been used all over the place. I’ve found it on YT thumbnails, to articles, to random websites and they cut out his signature or mirror image the artwork. He doesn’t seem to mind much but as a fellow artist it really boils my blood. I want to just write and blast everyone abusing it. I don’t understand why people think it’s okay to do this.

[@mikufan2536]

wheres the link to the work

[@tea4471]

What art piece is it?

[@carmen5ive]

This is his piece posted in 2009: www.deviantart.com/hectorbarrientos/art/Blue-and-Gold-Series-II-130485440 Here is the image used as the thumbnail for a YT video from IGN News in 2015 but the image is flipped: goo.gl/images/5Hw6vB Again from 2015 for an article on a website: batman-news.com/2015/09/17/report-warner-bros-is-working-on-a-booster-goldblue-beetle-team-up-movie/ I know my brother found more but I don’t think it’s necessary to post all of them. The second version of this art he posted has a DeviantArt watermark so they didn’t seem to have used that one. www.deviantart.com/hectorbarrientos/art/Blue-and-Gold-435102549

[@katekam7389]

When you sign up for DeviantArt in the fine line print they say that they do share your images and what not to third parties. I remember watching a KZbinr make a video about it. I cant remember what video because it's been like 7 years but yeah.

[@nutellam4016]

@@carmen5ive tell your brother that I think he is really talented

[@drawingsanddragons5567]

I love how everyone here in the comments are talking about how they had their art stollen, dude I wish someone liked my art enough to steal it. JK!!! But seriously I hope I can one day have people enjoy my art.

[@rosewendproductions3428]

I know... the feel... but at the same time I don't want to be bothered with that kind of drama.

[@tijanavanic8277]

denki on your profile lookin like a snack damn

[@drawingsanddragons5567]

@@tijanavanic8277 Why thank you, I've been known to choose very tasty profile pictures lmao

[@tijanavanic8277]

Veronica do u have ig fanpage maybe? so i can follow u

[@drawingsanddragons5567]

@@tijanavanic8277 Eh not really, I have a Pinterest with My Hero Stuff on it. The Pinterest is The Sheep King Of The Shire if you're interested.

[@danotisti]

This one girl keeps stealing my original characters, and telling i stole it from them. She keeps saying that i'm a bad artist, and that she is better. She steals my art and when our school was ending, we share these stipends for PE, arts and crafts. She kept saying "I'm going to get that stipend and you're not!" And guess what, i got the stipend. Haha to her. Everyone is on my side on this because they know it's my Original art. She kept begging for me to, draw to her. And we have this 'art class' where we have More art than the other People. Bruh girl, you're coming to that Class, make your own art.

[@hiltsyartnstuff1142]

Yo, Liston... This rap is going to be crazy lit, and my washing machines are freaking sick!

[@lashlimed1722]

Woah! its lil Washing Machine

[@jasminedoggietvn6995]

@@lashlimed1722 Lil Washing Machine: The next biggest rapper and fashion designer!

[@okly-ovo391]

@@jasminedoggietvn6995 (And washing machine)

[@disaster2223]

Y'all already know who it issssssss!!!

[@elliehenry23]

Lol that’s freaking amazing.

[@ackruhii32]

My semi-realistic drawing of Earth Chan and Mable Pines were stolen by a kid on Amino, he went on the anime art anime and claimed it was his. Y'know what I did? I made a fake tv show account and messeged the kid and asked for his parent's number, called his mom and complained. The kids account was deleted afterwards.

[@Healeon]

late but thats amazing xD

[@smooth_Koala]

yo that's so smart and creative. well done!

[@yungrow5573]

thats a good action.

[@seaworldwaters]

lmfao

[@imfunatparties2821]

@Succuba "kids are dumb"

[@maskedfoxx7173]

Ima have to disagree a bit with that last bit. I wish more artists would take legal action because art thieves know that the worst thing that would happen is the original artist will message them asking to take it down. They know they won't _really_ get in any trouble, and that's why they do it. If cops stopped giving people tickets for speeding, everyone would go 40 over wherever they are because they know there won't be any consequences. I'm well aware that there are small bugs that don't really profit from art theft, but it's still a real crime and if artists want people to stop stealing then we need to show them that there are real consequences besides being called a thief in their DMs. Of course, it's not that easy to just pull a couple hundred dollars out of your piggy bank, but if it's ever an option I would 100% do it every time. Think about it: if it's a known fact that you, as an artist, have taken people to court over your art, people would be absolutely terrified to try and pirate your stuff. These people can't afford a court case any more than you can, and there's obviously no losing the trial since you have proof and the original piece. In the end, justice will be served and someone will learn a serious lesson.

[@TheMurlocKeeper]

I agree! As long as there is basically no consequences for these thieves (cos let's call them what they really are), they will keep on doing it. The consequences of doing wrong must always be bad enough to want to avoid than just ignoring it. A bit like dog training, really, lol...cos some people are honestly that dumb...or lack the morals to not care....so you have to MAKE them care by putting them in a world of hurt, and make them think twice about doing that again.

[@shadowsun5704]

I wish you could just go to the actual cops with your proof and make it their problem. Like why do I have to shell out money to get a thief apprehended?

[@Alyssa-qk8kf]

Shadow Sun it isn’t really that serious in the whole scheme of things. Also then other taxpayers would be paying for something they don’t have any connection to.

[@insanetxartist]

I USED to "give the benefit of the doubt" and DM or email infringers directly before taking action. It didn't take more than a couple of punks thinking they weren't going to have repercussions for me to just start saving myself the step and going straight to the report and publicly shame technique.

[@mollyy3293]

This happens to me with a certain piece that someone removed a water mark from and (I believe) sold it as clip art for companies to print on crap. I'm still trying to find the source.

[@arinami5505]

I had a friend asking me to draw her in cartoony style but instead of my watermark she asked me to put her name.I putted her name on the paper but I wrote "macy's artwork for MOLLY" in giant so it would look bad if she covered it, it was a big font ♡ she admited she admired my work and wanted to learn how I drew and I started teaching her and now she draws in a very cute style im proud of her :")

[@arinami5505]

@Simply Alana I relate I took heavy art classes as a kid , so dont worry

[@kojishere1826]

@Simply Alana bro you need new friends :d

[@kojishere1826]

@Simply Alana Yeah what ever makes you feel comfortable and happy :D

[@robin-tb2lj]

Tbh if someone claimed/stole my art in any way, I'd overreact because that's what I do :,)

[@benmemon]

OMG SAME

[@chickishot8172]

I 100% would too. My art is important to me.

[@rachellucasbertschartandst9008]

I’ve been there before. I actually had an art gallery print off pictures of my work and give them to a client of mine who asked me to come and sign the prints. She was going to give the prints to family. I informed my client that what the gallery did was illegal and that she should purchase actual prints from me. I then went and talked with the art gallery owner who seemed to not care but did acknowledge that they wouldn’t do that again after I said that copyright law states an artist can receive up to $3000 for each printed image. Needless to say I just walked away. It’s amazing how many artists and people don’t understand copyright and what it means. Thanks for the video!!

[@laura987123]

Wow that's crazy! It's one thing when it's a shady internet shop or maybe someone young who may just not have the life experience to know any better but you'd think an actual gallery would have some understanding of copyright laws

[@rachellucasbertschartandst9008]

Laura Flora exactly... I actually seemed advice from another Gallery owner who was shocked..

[@starandfox601]

sounds like the gallery was ran by snobs that think they are better then everyone else and don't care about others. these kinds of snobby galleries are thankfully a dying breed.cause their snobbish attitude is costing them artist and buyers.

[@melr8861]

Bold of you to assume i have the money to spend on starbucks 3 times a month xD

[@anonymous-_-8745]

😂omg me

[@wolfraven2671]

Same!

[@tyrannicaltrix1445]

agreeed

[@Exiled_Theseus]

I’ve actually only been once to Starbucks

[@melodywang5967]

CrimsonWolfHazelmere - Lunar Wolf Hazel same

[@purplegirl9002]

It sucks that people do this when that could just learn a new skill themselves. It would be more fulfilling. BTW love the background music in this one.

[@halleys.comett]

Well dang, Ronnie! And where could they learn that skill? Maybe....skill share??!

[@purplegirl9002]

@@halleys.comett that's exactly what I was thinking Haley lol or even just watching free content on KZbin. That's how I've improved. Now I use skillshare too.

[@pinkstars9324]

wow you really like coffee! ;)

[@artema.]

But they ARE learning a new skill! The skill of stealing! Stealing +1000

[@ballisticbadger9955]

I didn't even notice that there was background music until i read your comment xD....

[@stefunyie]

When people claim my art as their own, I challenge them to try to draw the same thing and which ever one is better or looks similar, it's the owner 🤷‍♀️

[@benmemon]

Thanks imma do that If any idiot tries to copy me

[@stefunyie]

@Kanikui Kat an app called dollify

[@stellal5427]

@@stefunyie yup by dave.xp on insta right? cause it looks so much like his style

[@stefunyie]

@@stellal5427 yea, I think so

[@daddyren2370]

Wig? Worn Art? Stolen Timberland? Timbilind Hotel? Trivago

[@Porvari]

This? So motherfucking unoriginal

[@SPORK_DORK]

Sssniper wolf yes

[@robin-tb2lj]

Actually, Wig? Snatched

[@robin-tb2lj]

@WOOF damnit I said that and I didn't see this reply 😂

[@gammakarazz]

@@Porvari sinä sen sanoit.

[@lex7484]

There's a Russian DJ selling my (barely-edited, only a hue photo filter overlaid on top of it) art as their album cover - and has been doing so for years. I tried contacting them in vain, and was then forced to let it go (teen, no income, no money to hire a lawyer). And while I get how you came to the conclusion that some things are better off let go, it's been bothering me for YEARS that my piece was stolen. And if I ever did get to a place where I could hire a lawyer, you'd best bet I'd send them right to his domain and see justice done.

[@Zenica204]

It costs nothing to most lawyers to have an initial conversation. There are also copyright lawyers who only get paid once you've won.

[@MrGotsomeskillz]

You should sue the shit out of him once you can afford it.

[@buzz9904]

omg you should raise awareness to that. Do you mind sharing the dj's name?

[@xandelta5306]

Share the name!! Spread awareness

[@pinkemilyrose]

Who is it?! Maybe do some research on what Emily Artful did and do it yourself? She said lawyers aren't really necessary for things like this

[@stacielynn7789]

As a member of a crochet community i see this more often than not. So sad to see your work, blood, time and tears stolen. If i spend 50 hours + working on a crochet project you best be damn sure I'm going to hunt and shut down the little shit who stole my picture.

[@wisewomanhealing]

I understand what you're saying about not every barking dog is a threat, but the Internet is kind of like a parking lot, people think there are no rules but there are. I'm glad you did what you did.

[@jesslayy]

Funny Story,I have a “friend” that came from another class at the time I was in third grade I was also very gullible,I decided to befriend her once she had seen my drawings she started to hang out with me more and more.One day I noticed her starring at my sketch book OPEN,I didn’t mind I just thought that she was inspired by my art,though after seeing her art she LITERALLY COPIED my artwork but in her own art style,this other time we were in music class drawing for a show and I sat next to my “friend” and just drew a random character.Next thing I new she was showing MY character to her friends as her own piece.I tried confronting her once but she just brushed it off as,”Oh,We just had the same idea (insert smile)”.I recently moved classes (1 year later) and at happy that I don’t have to put up with her nonsense.(sorry if I sound like if I’m trying to show off or something)

[@DaniaMihaela]

Babe I am 100% sure he actually messaged you that :)) I think he tried looking fancy by referring to himself as third person . He was probably one of those rookies that just started he was just trying to earn cash thinking it is easy doing that . 3 months ago I was at a local boutique in my country ( literally LOCAL like no-name boutique ) and I go to check out the phone cases they had and I want to mention I'm an artist as well and I noticed that one of the phone cases has a design on it with a drawing made by a pretty popular Instagram artist from the States (+100K ) and I was shocked because I was sure they did not buy the design . I took a pic of it and send it to the artist and they told me they had no idea since no one ever contacted them about something like this . They most probably scrolled through Pinterest , found some viral designs and put them on the cases and thinking that nothing would happen . TBH they was not much one can do ...I'm pretty sure the seller had no idea what Pinterest or Instagram is :) . Luckily the signature of the artist was still there . SO TO SUM UP ...ALWAYS SIGN YOU ARTOWORK

[@Runzi333]

I don't think you overreacted at all. If every artist rolled over when people stole their work because the thief wasn't popular enough to be an issue then everyone would have art stolen and it wouldn't be as protected by social norms. As an artist who could do something about it I would argue its more helpful if you do so those of us who can't afford the legal help are less at risk of needing it because the fear of repercussions from stealing art become more real and expected.

[@Runzi333]

Artists who don't care about their art being stolen and used make the rest of us look like we're overreacting when our lively-hoods are actually in danger from it. This may not have effect you but it could have and normalizing art theft will hurt artists even if it's small time art theft. Also it sucks you had to deal with this at all and their reaction was hilariously awful XD

[@emilyartful]

That's a really good point! I never thought about it that way. It's kind of like when artists make their art really cheap and it ends up hurting other artists in the end bc then their work is seen as overpriced. It's a vicious cycle.

[@Runzi333]

@@emilyartful that's exactly it! It might not be super important in your life but you can help change the idea that these things are not ok and that artists deserve better :) also thanks for replying and hearing me out I've watched a bunch of your videos lately and had a great time. Your vids are super fun and congrats on da babes!

[@kalebsok2947]

I dont think it normalized art theft. Also the I believe when she meant overreacting, she was referring to getting a lawyer? Which I agree with. Most art thefts are cowards and wouldnt risk anything, so I would not be surprise if the cease and desist letter scared them off.

[@Runzi333]

@@kalebsok2947 true a c&d should be enough to scare them off but the only reason she got a lawyer was because she didn't know she could send one herself so I wouldn't call that an overreaction either. when you can afford legal backing it helps others who can't by scaring off art theives with credible threat of legal action :)

[@KimberlyLetsGo]

You did the right thing by calling out this thief. It shows them that when they steal art, the original artist is going to find out. They learn they cannot get away with it. Their letter back to you was super lame too.

[@chi-kyungjeongsa8384]

Well i wouldn't say it was a scam but as a comedic student I have to share this!.... So I'm 18 and lives in seoul South Korea... I was in class we got given a week to revise. I had at most 9-12 text books on my desk, I had the girl I like sat behind me.................. I had my pen and my paper to write my essay, then as i handed in my work there was a boy who had similar handwriting as me...I got suspiscious. I sat back down and I saw him swap my paper for his... the next day in assembly I found that our head was reading out my essay answer and he said, "Finally we'd like to thank this student for his amazing work" I sat up getting all confident (I'm NOT! changing his name but I'm not mentioning his last name) "Thank you Young-Dae for writing this give him and round of applause" Young-dae stood up and bowed down. I then relised whilst standing at the urinal at lunch the same day that I didn't write my name on it and when he switched it he put his name...and he had similar hand writing............... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I became number 29th in the class and he became 3rd in the class....My parents didn't believe me and yeah i didn't take legal action LOL. many thanks for reading > Chi-Kyung Joeng

[@Claudia-bm9bw]

sumiko mak xze xin what an ass hole

[@taarryynnn]

oh that guy would have gotta slapif he did that to me

[@kimseokjin6541]

You definitelynshldve taken action he got 3rd rank jst because of stealing your essay thats reallly bad

[@stinulovesmakeup7045]

But why didn’t you put your name on your essay??? That’s the first thing you’re supposed to do!

[@belos4562]

Justin PageSlayer same

[@myomerss]

*I feel special.* *_Your first video was posted on my birthday_* lmao guys stop arguing in the replies, I posted this a year ago and i don't even remember why 😂 Anyway, love u all 💕

[@Ace-dz6ng]

You Know Who Is Here how nice ♥️

[@aubreyana352]

Dose that mean ur 3 years old

[@marlielg6121]

Aubrey B Lol, but they mean that their birthday was January 22. It doesn’t have to be the right year.

[@hectorestayful]

Lol

[@sembi9183]

Stop feeling special this video isint a mistake tch

[@IIIGioGioStarIII]

My sister stole art for her personal use. I ended up explaining the situation to her and she understood where I was coming from, as an artist. She messaged the artist and told her what she did and paid her for the artwork (my sister found some fan art and turned it into a decal for her switch but wasn't selling it or anything like that). The artist was pretty happy that my sister gave them money for their work. But yeah, I've had my writing stolen before. It really sucked because it was written for friend of mine.

[@otacon1024]

There's nothing wrong with personal use, even from a legal perspective. You start being a scumbag when you try to present other people's work as your own and/or try to profit off it without consent.

[@avvrgtpg]

your sister is a good person(same goes for you)

[@hayapatel_]

@@otacon1024 the art is still the artist's property and copyright unless she sells the rights, and you legally can't use it without a license--though it's often pushed under the rug since so many people do it anyway and let it slide, esp for smaller artists. Why do you think big names like Nintendo and Ghibli go after people using their art? Bc they don't have licensing and permission. Op's sister was using it for herself and did not distribute it, but the fact does not change that did not have permission to use it. She did the right thing to contact the artist

[@otacon1024]

@@hayapatel_ Only using it for yourself without selling = personal use = legal = no permission required. Read up on copyright law. Nintendo and Ghibli go after people selling their characters or using their name on merchandise, not after people who print out Totoro or Pikachu and stick them onto their notebook.

[@hayapatel_]

@@otacon1024 you still need permission for personal use. Unless you're using it under the conditions of fair use (this case wasn't), even if you aren't selling or distributing it, you legally do need permission--but again, people still do it and it's often let go bc nobody wants to go after one person just making stickers. Doesn't make it right tho. Also, www.quora.com/Is-it-legal-to-print-off-copyright-images-for-my-own-personal-use-for-example-I-m-making-a-DVD-cover-which-has-a-copyright-image-on-it-for-my-own-use?ch=10&share=94851623&srid=Quja Here's a similar situation, just with a dvd cover. Edit: also one of the very first things listed under personal use is : "you must own a copy of the material bring reproduced" She did not buy the artwork until after

[@princepotion]

I'm going to have to disagree. Pursuing the issue is absolutely a good choice, and will deter that person from stealing artwork in the future. You definitely didn't need a lawyer to send that message, but you sure could have kept contacting them, reporting them to CafePress (the most sure way to get it taken down, actually). I don't think letting it go is the right answer when it comes to art theft.

[@8ri1]

Myth Prince I agree! Eventually people like that will keep targeting artists and this could effect some people’s livelihood(income), especially if their following grows larger than the original artist. Sometimes it’s good, no matter how small the thief’s following is initially , to keep pursuing them.

[@Roxirin]

(Just wanna point out they said the online store was similar to Cafepress, not that it WAS a Cafepress store, so that wouldn't have worked in this case)

[@princepotion]

@@Roxirin If it's similar to Cafepress, I imagine they would have a similar reporting system. If they didn't that would be a pretty sketchy website.

[@alyssaannsolano1094]

yeah but I gotta admit I laughed at how the thief reacted. like he/she is wrong but acting like he/she is the victim.

[@mariana2077]

Agreed. She didn’t over react. People need to learn there are consequences

[@emilyartful]

Hey guys, so there's no confusion: Sketchbook Storytime is NOT ending, I just meant that I have 2 specifically planned for the upcoming months. There will be more, even after these next 2 months. ALSO, my recommended solution is to NOT give up, but to be more VOCAL about the art theft! I just think in my specific situation it would have been much better if I went to my fellow artists for help. The reality that we live in is this: Not everyone is going to give a shit that they took your work. That's why they took it in the first place. Your first move should of course be trying to contact the person who took your art and try and get them to take it down. If that doesn't work, turn to your social media or to your fellow artists to help you. Make those theives famous. A lot of the time this is enough to get these assholes to take down your work and go into hiding. People are becoming more and more aware that the INTERNET IS FOREVER and they don't want to be branded as an art thief forever. If no one is listening to you and this person is clearly profiting off your work then yes, the legal route is the best to take. Just make sure you have proof that you have ownership over your work. I.e. The original and proof you posted it before this other person. So no, I'm not saying to never fight for your work! Far from it! I'm talking about my specific situation and trying to get people to understand that things don't always go you're way even if you're 100% in the right. It's dark but it's true :/

[@SnowblindOtter]

Just gonna say, getting sponsored is awesome, but the ad ran until 2:26. It's a bit overly gratuitous.

[@azadalamiq]

@@SnowblindOtter adblocker.

[@azadalamiq]

watermark your work helps, thats what a graphic art teacher of mine. he hides his signature in his art if someone steals it, he can point it out, and show them his sig.

[@SnowblindOtter]

I was talking about her sponsorship promotional ad. Your reading comprehension sucks, kid, pay more attention in class.

[@emilyartful]

SnowblindOtter You would just say "it's gratuitous." And I'll definitely keep that in mind for next time!

[@lesbomatic2848]

Heres my own storytime: Last year i made a drawing for a pride month challenge on Panic! Amino. I used the lyrics 'girls love girls and boys/and love is not a choice' and drew two random girls and brendon linking arms and doing lil heart hands wrapped in a pride flag and it was all cutesy and whatever. So i posted it on deviantart too, cause i was proud of it. Well, come a couple months ago, someone commented on my posts- both amino and deviantart- to alert me that my drawing had been slightly edited, so my signature is gone and it had the band name at the top rather than the first line of lyric. And it was being sold on every small, obscure, t-shirt/mugs/etc website. There waa evwn one that had it set up as a fundraiser. Like, weve found over 80 at this point (my mom is keeping track) and my mom has been working on sending cease and desist letters to them all. We still havent gotten them all taken down. Some have fake emails or adresses, so we cant contact them. So needless to say, if any of you who actually read this find a shirt with the aforementioned description, please dont buy it. Art theft really sucks, especially when youre someone like me whos fifteen and in a family that would probably never be able to afford legal action if i needed to take it.

[@jennawoollard7169]

actual trash lmao this is dumb but what’s your deviant art😂

[@karenreturnthekids.2531]

Hey, try WhoIs if they are using a fake email/number to create the page. It'll tell you their actual email and I use it for scams. I thought it could work for you. (lol I'm not a bot or sponsored by them or anything I'm just trying to help) www.whois.com/

[@gayymomgod]

Send a link pl e a s e e e I wanna s e e

[@izzyk15]

Can I have a link to the image? I won’t steal it lol I just want to see it because it seems lit

[@amy9459]

TheWolf same

[@creamingiren6666]

No one: Absolutely no one: Me when I have a cold: 3:45

[@yurminox9136]

ßcarlett foxy666 wat? I don’t get it ;o；

[@creamingiren6666]

@@yurminox9136 The nose was super red at 3:45

[@modelstatus3456]

🤣😂

[@happypills3490]

May I borrow your art style for my whole life? I promise I’ll give it back

[@thegildedwhip6800]

Ive had my work stolen. It sucks but I dont agree with the no fighting. Its MY work. That would be like having someone rob your home and you just let them. As artists we need to band together and do our best to stop content thieves. If I made it...its mine...period.

[@Maki-mk5rs]

I get what ur saying but legal action is a waste of time and money. Attempt to get it taken down, and if it doesn't leave it. Art theft is wrong but by taking legal action you're just letting your 'Artists Pride' show a little too much.

[@stormintheshell5130]

@@Maki-mk5rs depends on what art, its worth, n context. like if the fact that its stolen is destructive to the success of ur intellectual property or u as an artist, or especially if someones making money off it that definitely. like if someone took ur painting, put it on the cover of their book n made money without contacting n giving u credit. things like that.

[@azadalamiq]

I don't think you over reacted. I took graphic arts course by a teacher who does ga work for companies. He taught us to keep our art sacred, and to get paid for our work. Always put a special watermark such as your signature hidden in the image, and if ppl steal it go after them. there is a copy right lawyer right on youtube. my teacher would do posters for the Lowell MA folk festival and always put his signture hidden in the work, this way no one can steal it, if he points it out. all artists should take pride in their work, and get their just due. It don't matter if he had a small following or not. He was gaining profit off your work.

[@SamAdamsDesigns]

One time my mom was talking to me in the kitchen about guns n roses drumsticks she found at a thrift shop. Next day I had an ad for guns n roses merch on my Facebook. I’ve NEVER talked about guns n roses on Facebook or anywhere ever.

[@belajadevotchka2]

This happened to me a long time ago. I forget what it was I was talking about but it was something so not what I would or read or talk about. It was something really obscure and way out in left field but the next day I was getting ads for it on different apps. How this happens: When you download apps onto your devices, you agree to that app having access to your microphone, camera, your contacts, photos and any other thing on your device. They can listen, watch, snoop around , whatever. They use this to market to you among other things. Next time you download an app, read the fine print and you'll poop your pants when you realize how much free access to all of your private info- even what you and your mom talked about and if you change for bed within sight of your phone or laptop's camera lens, what color underwear you like. It's so obscenely intrusive. And everyone freely gives permission.

[@Gr95dc]

Same, my sister told me that whenever she talked about a certain toppic she would get facebook ads. Do you use an iPhone? because she has one and I have a samsung and that doesn't happen to me

[@mortal-enemy]

A few years ago I went out for dinner with a couple of friends, and left my phone at home as it was on charge. Anyways my friends and I started talking about something, iiirc what exactly it was but it was a very specific item, probably some super specific dog training gadget or something as one of my friends is a vet nurse and super into dog training and agility and stuff and talked about it a lot. So we had this conversation about this one type item, and the next day I had fb ads and KZbin videos recommended to me about this one super specific kind of product we'd been discussing the night before. It really fucking weirded me out because I didn't have my phone with me, and it's not the kind of thing I would Google or text about. It's never been recommended to me or given to me as ads since then. My friends had their phones on them too, vet nurse friend had an old school phone with buttons and other friend had a tiny older smart phone with a very old version of android on it so I really don't understand how fb and Google knew to recommend this one very obscure, specialised, specific item to me the day after I'd had my first and last conversation about it. Fucking spooked me, dude.

[@narwhalnel]

It's such a running joke in my household; mention "Sleepy" lotion from lush? ad on insta ten min later. my boyfriend gets youtube recs for things that *I* watch while he's in the same room (and he never watches the stuff i watch, either!!). I'm considering getting a flip phone. RAZR classic here i come.

[@cici-tl9kq]

Okay now I'm really creeped out

[@analisapena3086]

There’s this ten year old on amino, she asked me to redraw one of her Android OC’s. So I did, put my @ by it, took a picture and sent it. Later, she posted MY drawing with my @ blurred out. She was smart but not smart enough for someone who was friends with the group creator. 🤨

[@jiyoverse]

as an artist, and having irl artist bestfriend, a bff of mine copied my style, its like after i improve my artstyle, i added thIckEr eyebrows and she copied it, she even admitted infront of my other friend that she copied how i drew eyes, she copied me again when i added hair to chs(countryhumans) like, the moment i finished drawing art with it she redraws it and then it also becomes her own style. it made me quite upset and i wanted to rant at her she also copied how i drew ushankas c;.

[@chloe_bails6601]

Did anyone notice when she was scrolling through skillshare that when jazza popped on the screen she said in text “lol hi jazza” 😂

[@awebite3467]

i remember when my art was stolen when i was around 11. i used to play this game (not gonna say it cause it was a really good game and it wasn’t the game’s fault), and i was one of the highest level people on the game and i was one of the main pages on a really popular club. anyway, you could upload pictures on the game. i would draw characters from the game and write a watermark that was my username and i would post them. one day i made an account for a different country’s server, and i made my username something different to what it was on my main account. when i got on my new account i posted my drawings without changing the watermark, and another girl on the game saw them, made an account with the same username as my account on the other server (the same name as the watermark), and posted my drawings saying they were hers. there were many kind comments on the girls photos saying how talented she was and asking her to draw them, and i immediately got harassing comments from people i didn’t know, saying i was a manipulative thief and threatening me to delete my images. i was only 11 and i was really scared, but my friends helped me clear things up and we tried to be as calm and kind as possible. soon the girl that stole my drawings made a big apology art book and deleted the photos from her page. a few weeks later she deleted her account. i kept uploading my drawings, but after that people lost trust in me and accused me of cropping out other people watermarks, saying that they saw my drawings on the internet. so yeah.

[@sarahbear1183]

buttxrflygardxn movie star planet?

[@awhjoyy]

Yeah, movie star planet!

[@drxnknightmares5812]

@@awhjoyy Oh i used to make edits there but now i'm more of a digital artist and i got out of that toxic game. I'm pretty sure you know what i mean by edits. Anyways someone literally claimed they saw my edit 2 years ago :), so all i did was go to the program where i edited " medibang paint pro which i still currently use for my art!." , and just took plenty of pictures of layers there where i edited my stuff :))) and they were scared and sent their friends but i never paid attention and i have reached the top page in images a couple of times so they ended up shutting up bc of the proof!. Now i am a digital artist " a bad one istg" next time someone uses my art i will post a sketch, and remove some layers to proof that it was me , and i would put my name everywhere honestly. It's not your fault darling and people in that game are mostly jealous and toxic for no reason and people bully you for being talented istg it always made me laugh. Kiss kiss < 3

[@ritsumaao]

This is the exact reason why i'm scared to show my art since i'm not... I guess a very well known creator, because of this if somebody were to steal my art most likely nobody would know the piece belonged to me. Another reason would be that people would just say I traced it without even their own proof I did, the reason some would say this is because i'm so young and in their mind they would just think automatically "She could never draw this, not at that age".

[@rainbowcherry378]

How come no one is talking about her frickin good drawing that is so cool

[@cjsworld4341]

Y’all can’t tell me I am the only one who loves to sip some good ol’ of Emily’s tea meanwhile drawing!!! ✍️ 😌☕️

[@LightedChrystalinThedark]

scary that's exactly why my artwork isn't out there yet

[@katekam7389]

So for people who are talking about DeviantArt when you sign up and agree to terms and conditions it says that third parties have access to your art. Here is what I found: 16. Copyright in Your Content DeviantArt does not claim ownership rights in Your Content. For the sole purpose of enabling us to make your Content available through the Service, you grant to DeviantArt a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, distribute, re-format, store, prepare derivative works based on, and publicly display and perform Your Content. Please note that when you upload Content, third parties will be able to copy, distribute and display your Content using readily available tools on their computers for this purpose although other than by linking to your Content on DeviantArt any use by a third party of your Content could violate paragraph 4 of these Terms and Conditions unless the third party receives permission from you by license.

[@insanetxartist]

@Barry Campbell Um, you're misunderstanding that whole third-party clause. They have to have that in order for their hosting company to distribute your images on their servers so people can see them on the site. They also ask for it purely for promotional use where it's not being sold but used to bring traffic to DA. They tend to credit the artists and link to them in those cases. They even do that when they're using someone's art as part of an on-site article. It doesn't mean they're farming out your work for manufacturing without paying you or anything along those lines.

[@angiefawn2578]

It was so relaxing watching you paint this! Your art is so beautiful!

[@shethewriter]

Your stories are so relatable to young creatives. Dealing with insecure people, people who steal work. I'm really glad you took action against this guy; people like that need to experience some consequences early in the game. I know that a lot of people want to let these things go, and in many cases, yeah, it's far more practical to let it go. But holding them accountable could protect a lot of other artists in the future.

[@funnycat1333]

Here is my story: (Warning might make u cry) I can't draw or paint and I chose GCSE art.well I enjoy just hope I improve

[@MissEarthling]

😭

[@chimmyeatingkookies8419]

Its okay. It just takes practice. If you enjoy art and you practice, look up techniques, etc, you should be able to improve quite fast

[@missblue7969]

T~T

[@Ada-kr4io]

That's a 3 day long exam ,good luck

[@epachowdhury9118]

Stroopis Yeah so sad right now. I'm bursting out tears.

[@maceybates9771]

DUUUUDDE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME!! I’m so glad that someone else is talking about the experience. It happened when I was only 15, like 5 years ago. I googled my deviantart and 4 different sites came up. They took my image from DA, erased my signature, and sold it on T shirts for 20 bucks a pop. It was so confusing when I found it. I mean, I was only 15 and I would do so much more if I had found myself in this situation now. All I did was email the companies and asked if they could stop using my image (with 15 year old grammar). Got ignored lol. I’ve looked back and since the person I made the art for isn’t nearly as popular as they were 5 years ago, none of the sites are selling anymore. It was insane. I don’t even know how long they were selling it for....made so much from my art, especially since the art I made was for a KZbinr that didn’t have an official merch store yet. Not really a good resolution, but I just have to say that even if you’re 15 and someone steals from you, get some help! Some adult help. And claim what is rightfully yours. ❤️❤️

[@fanartsnpoptarts826]

This happened in second grade. I was the art kid and I even had a small little school business where I drew art for my classmates in exchange for collectible erasers. So once we were watching “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer” in class and I was sitting next to my best friend, drawing a picture of Rudolph. When I was done, my best friend really liked it and asked if she may “buy” it. But since she was my best friend, I gave it to her for free. But when I was going to do what I always do with my art when I give it, write “From Elin (my name) to Inez (My best friends name)” on it, she told me to erase it. And so I did, not suspecting anything. When the movie was over our parents came to pick us up. I gave my art to her and she went to show it to her dad, claiming she was the one who drew it. I didn’t protest, but did something really stupid I know I did for justice but still was not right. When I was at her house, we were playing in her room when she had to go to the toilet. When she left, I took a couple of collectible erasers I was jealous about and still didn’t have. I thought: “no need to pay what you owe me, I already did it for you.” I know this was really stupid and I do regret my actions. Another girl in my class called Martha was also very good at drawing. While I drew manga and cute animals, she was very talented at drawing realism. One time, Martha has drawn a very realistic eye that was glowing. Inez immediately approached Martha and asked if she could have it. Martha had like a hundred drawings already, so she agreed and wrote her name with an ink pen on the corner of the drawing. Inez took the drawing to her desk and quickly used an ink pen to cover Martha’s name and wrote her own on it. She then went to show it to her other friend, claiming it was hers. Don’t steal other people’s art. It will do nothing but upset them.

[@asufak]

Wow, amazing Inez

[@fanartsnpoptarts826]

Hunii_ ya I know Btw Me:sees that you have a Gacha profile “I see that you’re a man of culture as well”

[@mgsgamer8340]

Can you steal more of her stuff?

[@vintage.chestnut3669]

Honestly boy I have a story: So, I’m an equestrian and ride horses but in my free time I draw horses. This day in art we were allowed to draw anything, so I was drawing a Percheron horse. This kid in my class kept walking behind me and looking over my shoulder. Once I’d finished I decided I could draw spirit Stallion of the cimmaron, so I drew him. But once I finished them both we had a competition and I won, so I hung up my artwork. And remember that boy? Well, I was walking near the art rooms talking to my friend waiting for my dad to come pick me up. The boy opened the door of the same art room, and he took about 10-20 seconds and he came out with something hanging out of his backpack. I asked “hey what’s that?” And he replied “Oh, just some- uhh. uh pictures. Yeah pictures” he kinda bellowed. I said “Okay, can I see?” And he started to sprint off. Luckily, since I rode I had to run extremely fast (due to catching the ponies they run from me) I caught him and got my friend to stop him from going anywhere. I opened his backpack and boom! There ALL my art was. I was kind of really dumb minded as I had no clue he was doing at first. I did see him a few times this year and he looks so embarrassed. Luckily, I’ve taken my art proudly home and never taken another art class. Thanks for sharing your story. Awesome story, 👍🏻❤️

[@vintage.chestnut3669]

peacelovechocolate haha, practise makes perfect, yeah it’s odd to see an equestrian on an art story lol.

[@f3lix189]

Im a bit late but Omg woah i wasn’t expecting an equestrian either lol i ride horses too and im practicing to draw horses these days ,, because of the virus im on lockdown and sadly i can’t ride horses so i’ve been trying to keep sane by drawing horses :)

[@vintage.chestnut3669]

Aaa Aaa That’s okay for being late.

[@vintage.chestnut3669]

Jordan Merrill YES QUEEN

[@lycheeona]

@oh look a Lemon lmao true thooo. tbh It kinda sounds made up xd

[@rebeccaliebregts]

There are *countless* websites that do this. I hate that they get away with it. They make money off others, who have spent resources, time, effort, talent and more to make these kind of things. I know some people that genuinely stopped posting their art because they were (are) scared that they will get taken advantage of again.

[@perilous_sinon0268]

A random dude stole my art from like 1 year ago and I asked him to stop using it- but he never responded and eventually I let it go because it wasnt that good anyways, it's been over a year- hes still using it 💀

[@nyomesapp-collazo9696]

I had to finally comment. I was recommended one of your videos and I've been binging ever since. I love your sketchbook story times. You're an excellent story teller, a gifted artists, but also an insightful person who's entertaining while teaching a beautiful life lesson. I guess I'm like a fan or something 😉. I also find it incredibly satisfying to watch you work. Okay, I think I've been awkward enough on the youtube for today.

[@nyomesapp-collazo9696]

😍

[@lytedancer_art]

At 13:38 "Don't stop for every barking dog" - gotta love it! Thanks for this info, I found it really helpful.

[@evomosanischa9468]

I am 100% terrified of getting my art/stories stolen so I never post them 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Lavendaen]

What I do is I write it on a doc and edit it to have a light white watermark over it[the entire stretched piece], and screenshot LITERALLY EVERYTHING. That only works for if it's small though.

[@lucastaylor1289]

watermark it

[@benmemon]

Write your name on it. *AND MAKE IT HUGE*

[@slanguagefreak2388]

Completely random comment : I have a crush on Emily's brushes. I just love watching them move around on paper. It is so satisfying and I can almost smell watercolors. I wonder what brand that smexy black brush is. Oh right, it is in the video description.

[@Ray-rb8eb]

Dont let it go! It is a big deal. Glad you pursued it. Thats a powerful thing, you know your value, you know your worth, you know that no one else should be making a profit off of your work... off of your passion.

[@zenfulkatoria]

I am both an artist and end product designer and I only use other artist art when I’ve formally purchased the rights. I know what goes in to creating art and I respect my fellow artist. Also...........I was raised NOT to STEAL 🤷🏾‍♀️ I’ve noticed an annoying trend in artist FB groups that my fellow artist and designers will also also steal any idea worth doing. It’s insane.

[@habanero6332]

Me too.

[@nothing3422]

Honestly this worries me too, I draw too, i'm not really that good, most of my stuff is just trash that I post on my devianart, but If one of my little trash cans gets stolen I would cry, even If it's bad quality sometimes takes me a long ass time to complete my little trash babies, and also I don't have a signature for my pieces, I mean I have a legal one in my ID but I don't want to use that one on my drawing 😌

[@gillybean1532]

Yeah, Im pretty sure no one would ever steal my stuff, but I really don't know what I would do if it happened. I probably wouldn't even know it happened to be honest.

[@themorenajay]

Idk about drawings - mine are trash babies too /most of the time/ but I wrote a small novel years ago, tried to self-publish it and to do that the printing company required to display it on their site for a year. And one day I get a call from a big-ass library asking me about personal details because they need to list it properly. I was SHOOK. That...that was what made me stop trying and move on without popularizing it and trying to be a big writer.

[@nothing3422]

@@themorenajay that's amazing, I wrote stories too, and went to some contest, but I just never win 😌 also I'm not confident enough to show my trash babies (both written and drawn) to many people, I get too anxious at the thought of so many people seeing or reading something I created, that's the reason for my DA staying in the smallest corner ever and my written stories had only see the light verh few times 😌 it's something I have to work on for sure

[@xjunkxyrdxdog89]

Watermarks and low resolution uploads are your best bet for security.

[@dylanhowe3190]

the only bad thing that happened to me with my art being used was when i joined an amino and someone had taken a couple of my drawings and tried to pass them off as theirs. luckily i reported it to a leader and the person was made to take it down. even though they were taken down i still felt crushed and it stopped me from posting any art for about 2 months but its fine now and i am back to posting regularly

[@skylerwilliams4698]

Nobody deserves to be scammed!! Your art is beautiful💗

[@noey376]

Thats why people steal art because its “beautiful”

[@SneekySnixx]

I legit love storytime videos from artists. It's so interesting to hear the weirdest and worst encounters with companies, thieves... Also watching your watercolor usage has taught me how to properly use them. Before I watercolored like an elementary schooler, because I'm coming from graphite works :D

[@naviasamarie3743]

The ads today were spot on. I just watched a 10 min ad of some anime stylish tv series and now I have a new series to watch

[@fealubryne]

Your art is beyond gorgeous. And while the awful vengeful part of me wishes you had wrecked that guy's day and threw his stupid note back in his face... at the same time I totally get that life doesn't usually work like that, and the stuff you said at the end was super true.

[@MissingmyBabbu]

I remember getting my art stolen and put on one of those "art to merch" websites once. I was really upset, but being a small account, I felt like I had no way to fix it. So i went to some of the bigger artists who'd been ripped off and sent them the link, and sure enough, it ended up deleted. Ironically, my art was GARBAGE. Like, a 113 year old's Original OC Donut Steel level art. Sloppy, no real sense of anatomy or lighting or form, nothing I could see people buying. Like, of all the art to steal (and for this fandom, there was SO much art that was way better they could've gone for) they picked mine. Looking back on it, I'm kind of flattered. There was so much fantastic art stolen for this jerk's shop, and they thought my first foray into digital painting was good enough to be among them. Still super immoral and shitty to do, but flattering.

[@xXAddictedToShitXx]

Recenty I was made aware on twitter of a similar case, but the artwork that was stolen served as a logo/branding for a somewhat accomplished company. The artist on twitter saw that her logo was traced, all the company added was 'xo' at the end. When the artist messaged the company, all she got back was 'oh no our brand is [artwork]xo, sorry for confusion :)'. Of course the artist wasn't having it. She continued to contact them and hired a lawyer until the company was forced to take action. They at first wanted to compensate her and continue using the logo, but upon realising that the artist didn't want that they 'agreed' on rebranding. Following that agreement the company posted two statements which were so unprofessional and just... bad (they even used another artist's image for the statement. 10/10) that I had to take a second and process what I just read. They claimed that 'due to a serious case of online bullying they were forced to rebrand'. Nobody bullied them. They were just caught stealing artwork and blamed it on a graphic designer that may or may not even exist. They proceeded to turn the situation on the artist and her followers, how her audience bullied them and their clients, talking about appearances and incoming death threats. I'm sorry but I really don'twant to believe that someone would come after the 4 women running the company with death threats over a stolen logo. Their clients were awful, calling people 'chicks with dicks', some went eyen as far as wishing rape upon the artist/her family. I didn't name the company nor the artist, since I'm not sure if I should even do that, reaching out to the company just results in them whining more about 'being bullied :((' and their comments are heavily monitored/disabled on instagram for the most part anyway.

[@mikufan2536]

oh

[@lilyriveryour6824]

I completely agree with what you where saying at the end! It is your choice to share your work and you understand the dangers of it ❤️

[@dannydevito2.066]

But... isn't skillshare just an expensive KZbin? ;-; 😂

[@catherinenewnham9920]

The Pegacorn not really, it’s just an app where u can learn a lot more, and get lessons for any subject for a cheaper price.

[@leaf6517]

Catherine Newnham you can look it up on KZbin ;^;

[@dannydevito2.066]

@@catherinenewnham9920 yea, but you can look up tutorials on KZbin for an even cheaper price: free 😂

[@kznssbxnxkxskx149]

@@dannydevito2.066 from what I've heard skillshare is much more like a class than KZbin, and it's videos go much more into detail, because they'll have multiple videos per class.

[@kutekoalaproductions3365]

Uuuggghhhh emily can u stop............ Being so good at art. 😭 ilysm😌😍💜💜💜

[@xxcakexxplayz2366]

@@pennynguyen6766 yeah XD Also I like you profile picture!

[@expresso4thedeppresso]

@@pennynguyen6766 Lmao yea

[@dreboy7688]

You sketch/paint beautifully. I aspire to blend that well lol. Also your style is very elegant.

[@ashmirecringe]

I remember one time my old oc was stolen by an art company and sold as a plushie

[@prettypeach13]

On the bright side, your art must have been amazing to be turned into a plushie :)

[@ashmirecringe]

@@prettypeach13 yuh pog was happy

[@prettypeach13]

@@ashmirecringe huh? Who’s pog?

[@ashmirecringe]

@@prettypeach13 pog is an internet term it means play of the game and nowadays is pretty much used as a positive expression

[@prettypeach13]

@@ashmirecringe thanks!

[@gabis3585]

Imagine how many art pieces are stolen from you that you don't even know yet

[@sanchisartistry2357]

Once i gave my drawing for the annual school magazine and guess what? It got published! Bbbbbuuuttt, my name was not there, there was someone else's name. I don't know what happened but from then I always write my name ON THE FRONT PAGE!!!

[@ccookiecrumbs]

Whats better, a new skill? Or overpriced coffee. Me: hmm Well I do like overpric- Emily artful: please don't say overpriced coffee. Please. 😂😂😂

[@yae5063]

Overpirced coffee

[@sapphirestrumpet]

This is such a gorgeous piece! I’ve always loved your art but it’s be SO GOOD lately. Keep doing you, dear. The world is better for it. 💕

[@emilyartful]

Joy Irene thank you! I've been trying this new thing called, "STOP DRAWING SHIT YOU HATE ITS MAKING YOU DEPRESSED STOP TRYING TO IMPRESS PEOPLE WHO WILL NEVER APPROVE OF YOU GOD DAMMIT EMILY GO DRAW WHAT DRIVES YOU" and it's been working out for me pretty well!

[@danacable8744]

@@emilyartful lmao i should try that

[@edwardscissorhands3912]

Once I made a really nice piece for my school’s art display and my art teacher didn’t like me for some reason I really don’t know why but my piece was supposed to be showcased and the art teacher put *another* person’s art over mine on the showcase board and no one saw that piece and I never got it back

[@creativesolutionsart-h3o]

Last night my roommate and I were talking about this in detail. We talked in length about how pictures you take of yourself could end up anywhere so be careful of the pictures that you take. Then this video popped up on my KZbin without me even searching it. Case in point.

[@juanavargas7562]

My Art History teacher in college, she makes and sells art work. She said that it's the most frustrating thing to have your work stolen and being used and having no credit at all for it. Can't remember the exact words of what she said.

[@MissMaddyMiller]

This happened to me! Someone took my image sold it too someone on vector and then that person sold shirts mugs etc. When I was finally able to contact the artist who was selling luckily he was so nice and took it all down and gave me the vector link as well. Made me so mad. Cause there isn’t much I could do legally so I was glad the guy was very nice.

[@AlininBabası22]

W a t e r m a r k Not on the art on the photo you take

[@Whimsy3692]

Actually, yes, on the art sometimes, too.

[@colleennewholy9026]

@@Whimsy3692 can't always cover textures and stuff. I do it as much as i can

[@animefan0404]

Definitely see this a TON in the art community where low level accounts will repost/copy/trase and the bigger artists contact and highlight the theft. Also, love those crystals, yas gurl

[@Ehy5648]

Kairos trace*

[@katt.ta.ta.7651]

Such a stunning piece of art, I love it. I am sorry he took your art work. I am glad it was taken eventually. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@LadyGaea]

Man, artists are the best kind of people. Thank you!

[@Maria-bz6bd]

My friend wants me to draw EVERYTHING for her, even in lessons...I don't like it. I just wanna say do it yourself. Edit: *Ima like my own comment btw, not begging like people do.*

[@Nikolais_sanity]

PONY MAD i liked your comment! I also have this problem but i’m always scared that people think i’m selfish if i say “do it yourself” thats why i never say it :(

[@lordzarquad]

Omfg same I always tell her to do it herself but then she just keeps annoying me to do it so I always do it for no reason-

[@inkyio]

guys ya’ll need to just ignore them or tell them no- it’s okay if you do that. if you want to be nice then at least give them some basic tips or point them towards some tutorial videos. it’s not your responsibility to teach someone else to draw.

[@ZackAquamarine6XZ]

Plot Twist: After A few Weeks... The Art you're making in The video also Got stolen

[@AngieGaur]

Maybe he's born with it Maybe he shits out washing machines Maybe it's maybelline

[@ng1152]

Emily, Love listening to you and the sarcasm, wit, genuine interest in your subscribers and what your share with us, and again your voice (not dripping with angelic tones and a soft voice that makes one want to vomit), your voice, language and volume are perfect to me!

[@Ctrl9795]

Can we just talk about how beautifull this work of art is...

[@BankruptMonkey]

This whole video actually kind of upset me because it felt like you were giving thieves permission to steal art as long as they didn't make too much money by it. That's no good. I'm glad you treated it seriously and responded seriously at the time, but you can't treat it like stopping theft only matters when it's going to cost you a lot, that's encouraging even smaller artists to let themselves get taken advantage of

[@AlottaBoulchit]

I don't think you overreacted nor do I think you should have "let it go" just because he was a chump. Big corporations go after fanartists selling prints and junk because if they don't protect their copyright they'll lose them. I see no difference between Disney suing someone for selling handmade mickey mouse plushies (random made up situation) and this guy snatching your art. If artists let every weak thief get away with it then attempt to enforce copyright onto a bigger theif the bigger thief could try and claim you failed to uphold your copyright with other "shops" and they shouldn't be forced to suffer... I think a better moral could have been stressing the importance of protecting yourself by making sure your work is officially copyrighted, having a cease and desist letter on hand just in case and always putting clear artist info on your work when you post it so it can't be as easy stolen.

[@emilyartful]

Garnet Do you know expensive it is and how long it can take to officially copyright your work? It's just not a reality for most artists unfortunately. Maybe for large, important pieces, but even that's unusual. I just think yes we WANT to protect our art at all costs (and let me be clear by saying I do 100% believe about being vocal about it and continuing the pursuit) but in my specific situation it wasn't the right decision to go to a lawyer. I think it's a better idea to have other artists rally behind you to help fight the problem. Therefore it encourages a culture of protection in the art community. Maybe I'll do another video talking about that, because I should have been more clear about a solution. I just think we need to sometimes face a reality that we may not want to face. It sucks, but it's the climate we live in. I want to work to change that climate and i think open discussion is the best solution.

[@Phenrex]

Emily Artful What are you guys talking about with “official copyright”? Any creative work is automatically protected?

[@fine-n-dandy]

I read this whole comment in Garnet's voice haha

[@AlottaBoulchit]

@@Phenrex we mean registered officially with the government. doing that costs money but gives more power to your punch if you have to fight for your work.

[@darkwriter_xx94]

If it gets really bad, I think if you pursue legal actions and don’t have copyright you can still win if you can prove that it’s your work. When ever I post my work (I’m a writer) I send a copy to myself in the mail and never open it so that it’s time and date marked. I’d imagine that these cowards won’t let it get to the legal phase but if you mention it, I’ve seen that they usually back down.

[@musicalneptunian]

Once I did a diploma in graphics design. 12:00 In the graphics designer handbook [the bible for how to have a graphics design career] it says that any dispute of 1000 dollars or less is not worth pursuing and you are better off spending the time doing another graphics job.

[@DePurpleFish]

Emily you should make a hidden signature its basically a small image that looks like a part of your drawing but it will prove the art is yours

[@brittney9355]

Love your videos, my daughter is an artist (she is 14) and she is amazing and I have been trying to learn more about different mediums and forms of art to better communicate with her when she talks to me about her art and you have a unique style lol really like your channel!