i just got 3 inquiries like these in the last week, hence this journal haha

i denied them all (offered "similar" designs"), and i will deny all in the future.

Does this also apply to characters created in said universe? For example, if I commissioned you to draw my worgen from world of Warcraft in her armor from within the game, and provided screencaps of the character in said armor?

I apologize if this was already answered, I'm about to lay down at 7am for sleep. XD I'm afraid if I don't ask now then I might miss this journal in my notifications when I get up.

no i don't/can't paint actual armors from games. i can alter it to be similar.
in my book that would be stealing of said design from Blizzard, its simply not mine to paint for profit :/

i might be a bit too strict here, sorry.

No worries. ^^ Always better to clarify than to assume. Thanks for getting back to me so fast, I'm gonna crash now and pretend sleep is a thing I do on a regular basis. X3

have a nice pretended sleeping! ^^

Yay I'm obnoxious enough to warrant a journal :D

you were only the second from the three i mentioned, so you are not the winner sorry :')

This, DA started a discussion thingy on this very topic, that taking money for commissions of already copyright things could be a copyright violation.

I wonder though what of peoples' characters who are alien species from like the Mass Effect universe? I don't have one personally but it brings up a whole thing to what is and is not a violation of copyright

Reading this I don't think you understand Fanart or the concept of a theme. It is not illegal in anyway to draw a character from any universe and put them in iconic armor. You are not selling skyrim or any theme. You are taking money for your time and talent to draw said art. The only way to "violate" this copyright would be to try and claim this armor or character from theme or universe as your own works and sell it. By creating a character of your own and placing it in that setting and say giving it elucidator or the dragonborns armor is in no way breaking any copywrite.

I think you are the one who doesn't understand Intellectual Property, or license, or ownership.

Besides I used quotation marks around the word fanart, simply because painting artwork commissions by someone containing such content is not "fan" art anymore, it a commissioned work of a content they do not own. Its a sale of a character neither the buyer or the seller (me) has right over.
Or do you think companies purchase licenses for thousands of dollars for the right of using certain elements from a universe FOR FUN?


Of course they wont come knocking on my door if i just sell a few commissions on FA. But it's still stealing. And that is not my way.

If this still doesn't convince you, same as you cannot use adoptables you did not buy, thus don't have rights over. And those doesn't even have documents stating who owns them.
Better said, you can, but you will be labeled a thief.

Lol its not stealing... companies purchase licenses to be able to create and market that universe for their own profit. You are not doing that. You are taking a persons character and putting it into that setting. Which is allowed by every law everywhere. Again as long as you don't claim it as your own works. Hell take bethesda for instance you can take their shit right out of their game and they encourage this... as in the end it is free publicity for them. >.> they have stated this many times especially given some of the games i play where you can upload ripped game models and sell them bethesda doesnt care as long as you don't claim it as your own. So It is not I who doesn't understand it. You need to know where and how you are able to do stuff. Drawing a person with a fucking lightsaber IS NOT THEFT from lucas arts or star wars... same as drawing someone in a suit of armor from skyrim.

I agree with this for the most part, but things get kind of wishy washy when it comes to individual characters. My general rule there is that if it's a popular fandom character and they don't specify that they don't allow their characters to be drawn, I'll take the commission if either I can get a response from the owner or if there is generally a large amount of artwork of that character that is obviously fanart and not commissioned by the owner. Of course, it also comes down to a matter of "If they ask, I will remove" for those things.

If it makes more sense with an explanation, I feel that in these situations, the commissioner isn't paying for the character. They are paying for my time. If it were something that would be printed, I wouldn't do it, because as that point it becomes about the character instead of the art. It's a very fine line though.

I think I'm just rambling at this point, but I think that makes sense.

This!!

I have refused to do commissions that hold copyrighted charaters/things as i feel same way. I dont accept that its fan art so its okay to do it. When i see people doing art from any game or show ect, and selling it i call it stealing.

Im not accepting that im not china factory that does zillions so its okay. Company is fan friendly , or they do themself crappy work so its okay i do better for fans excuses.Yes i say they are excuses in my eye.

I usually get then accused being jelous, mean , not understanding copyright rule/law.

I did one piece where i used same colors from chracter of the show, but left things away so it would not be character from show. Commissioner was okay with this too :3

If i do fan art, its FREE , i dont charge from it.

Also i heavily beleave big company/s spend time answering (not ment in offence! ) for lower level artist mails on permissions to use their stuff against payment, nor that matter how many artist who do "fant art" go and contact company and ASK permission/pay the fees for doing this.