FA+
Shop
Inspiration vs copying
10 years ago
General
Please check out my PATREON at https://www.patreon.com/Beetlecat if you are interested in seeing more of my art including regular videos and behind the scenes content.
Okay so this subject has been going around for a little while - people being inspired by others and making similar things vs people just straight out copying.
Like most artists, I've been a subject of both (being copied/inspiring others) and being/my work being an inspiration to others to try their own thing is AMAZINGLY GRATIFYING. Seriously, nothing makes me happier or feel like I've achieved something in the world. In comparison, being copied feels really really BAD. This is something I made up. It's my personal world. And it doesn't feel good to have someone just appropriate it whole-cloth for themselves.
Anyways, here is what 'inspired' me to post this:
http://baarakka.deviantart.com/gallery/
I do not know this person, but they make ears. If you scroll to the bottom and read the comments, you can see they used my tutorial to begin with. And I can definitely see influences. But their ears now DO NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE MINE. and that is the beauty of being inspired. They used the same starting area as me and we have both gone in very different directions. And I love their work and I really enjoyed seeing it.
--
When people say "Oh it's okay to copy because they will find their style" what they hopefully mean is that it's okay to be inspired by the style and sources of an artist and then go from there.
[note: please do not take any of the following personally. I just don't know how to write in third person. lawl]
Yes, Recreating an old masterwork exactly and then using that to jump into your own style is a thing. But you don't then tell the whole world "I made this!" because it is disrespectful (and untrue). You experiment, and then when you are happy with your own style and your own work, then you tell everyone what you have accomplished. Because by this point, it's yours 100% and you can be proud of it.
Every artist wants to be an inspiration. We do not wish to see our work copied. If you are ever unsure where your new piece of art falls, then put a credit towards the artist (always nice to do this anyways. at least at first). Artists usually don't get offended over nothing - we don't have the time or mental energy to be angry over nothing - so if someone thinks you've crossed the inspired vs copy line then maybe rework the idea a bit until you've made it yours with your own unique spin.
Saying "oh you can't claim [source material]" is a poor excuse. Every single sculpture or drawing we put our own personal style and spin on it. If your copy looks like it stylistically fits better in our gallery than into yours, that is a big clue it maybe needs some reworking before you call it yours..
IMO, that personal expression/style/artistic spin is the clear difference between inspiration and copying. Let us be an inspiration for your own work! Make it awesome (in your own way).
Like most artists, I've been a subject of both (being copied/inspiring others) and being/my work being an inspiration to others to try their own thing is AMAZINGLY GRATIFYING. Seriously, nothing makes me happier or feel like I've achieved something in the world. In comparison, being copied feels really really BAD. This is something I made up. It's my personal world. And it doesn't feel good to have someone just appropriate it whole-cloth for themselves.
Anyways, here is what 'inspired' me to post this:
http://baarakka.deviantart.com/gallery/
I do not know this person, but they make ears. If you scroll to the bottom and read the comments, you can see they used my tutorial to begin with. And I can definitely see influences. But their ears now DO NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE MINE. and that is the beauty of being inspired. They used the same starting area as me and we have both gone in very different directions. And I love their work and I really enjoyed seeing it.
--
When people say "Oh it's okay to copy because they will find their style" what they hopefully mean is that it's okay to be inspired by the style and sources of an artist and then go from there.
[note: please do not take any of the following personally. I just don't know how to write in third person. lawl]
Yes, Recreating an old masterwork exactly and then using that to jump into your own style is a thing. But you don't then tell the whole world "I made this!" because it is disrespectful (and untrue). You experiment, and then when you are happy with your own style and your own work, then you tell everyone what you have accomplished. Because by this point, it's yours 100% and you can be proud of it.
Every artist wants to be an inspiration. We do not wish to see our work copied. If you are ever unsure where your new piece of art falls, then put a credit towards the artist (always nice to do this anyways. at least at first). Artists usually don't get offended over nothing - we don't have the time or mental energy to be angry over nothing - so if someone thinks you've crossed the inspired vs copy line then maybe rework the idea a bit until you've made it yours with your own unique spin.
Saying "oh you can't claim [source material]" is a poor excuse. Every single sculpture or drawing we put our own personal style and spin on it. If your copy looks like it stylistically fits better in our gallery than into yours, that is a big clue it maybe needs some reworking before you call it yours..
IMO, that personal expression/style/artistic spin is the clear difference between inspiration and copying. Let us be an inspiration for your own work! Make it awesome (in your own way).
That is the problem regarding assuming someone is copying whatever you created.
Personally I love the style you do otherwise I wouldn't have tried to work with you.
Just is sad you don't do dragon suits or something outside you're comfort zone.
I think it would have come out to be something simply amazing
Noticed most makers who do the total freedom usually end up lowering the price.
Kinda like throwing money at a Art Commission piece and you can't choose what you want it to look like.
Yeah don't see many who would want to jump on that sadly.
I think its ok for everyone to dabble with trying different styles, especially the styles of other people. because that expirementation leads to growth, through learning new techniques, and new ideas.
Like for example, the color palette in this, inspired me:http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17918824
To make: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17925371
Side by side, it's noticeable. But separately, it's highly unlikely anyone would have linked the two. I suppose if it's a trademarked color scheme, maybe it edges the line of copying (the black/white, blue, red, yellow of Mondrian).. but even then, you can't really OWN colors. Like you can't own poses. Tracing bad. Same pose? Not really, if there's enough "own-ness".
It can be hard, to see where the line is.
I also have an inspiration folder :D I agree it's really nice to have. Even if only to remotivate you when art has grown stale.
way to many thins getting stolen
and copied
and posted (with out credidation)
in the fandom
(which is wrong)
its like people can not have there own original ideas
Your work among many others has been a huge inspiration for me. Making me want to try even harder to find my niche.
Rigt now I feel like I'm off to a pretty good start
But it is an expectation that you will develop your own style once you have mastered the basics learned from copying, and then make your own original creations.
This subject is one that cycles around and around in the fandom fairly regularly, and has done so since the fandom began.
(And I would know...)
The ones who never go beyond copying will grow tired of the effort to get attention and go away in time.
They always do.
Because art is work and takes effort.
And all the copiers really want is attention without having to work for it.
-Badger-
Think of calligraphy - the pupil is presented with an "ideal" form of letters and only when his/her hand gains the motoric skills, and the artistic sense starts to develop, the pupil forms a personal writing style. Or cooking: You take a recipe from the web, try it out as faithfully as possible, and only then say, "Mmm. Pretty good, but wants more chillies(*). Next time I'll use two habaneros more."
Now, copying for profit, to present someone else's work and skill as yours, either to earn money or recognition, that's BAD. That is stealing, plain and simple, especially when the copyist does not reference the original author. But it's the selfish intent and claiming someone else's talent as your own that I find repulsive.
(*) Every dish wants more chillies.
it makes me really upset, even though it hasnt happened to my art, but i know this one person and it just upsets me a lot bc they get a lot of praise from everybody, but they never show them their "reference"
yet when people see smth like this they should still be kind and calm when approaching an artist like that
i had a thing happening where i didn´t give credit once, creating smth in a smiliar style to a rather famous and they responded badly by hating on me behind my back on twitter, would have never found out if my boyfriend hadn´t seen it
i had been a fan of this artists but them reacting so childish caused me to cringe everytime i see their art bc how they treated me was very upsetting
when you see someone copy dont go rant on them, tell them to take it down, stop and that you´ll report them if they dont and usually they´ll apologize and stop, sometimes theyll try to discuss but simply reason with them
I had confronted a company for tracing my work (and the works of several other artists) and their response to me was "We took inspiration from multiple sources on the internet"... somehow multiple sources lead to an exact match of my drawing that shows up as like the third image on google. People seem to think they can use "inspiration" in place of words like "tracing" or "copying" and it makes it okay. I guess some people just tell themselves "if I don't call it stealing, then it's not really stealing!"
Inspiration is definitely like you described, starting with an existing idea and putting your own spin on it.
I learned a lot from copying Joe Kubert to create a similar look, but I never posted these studies or pretended those drawings were my originals works. Those were copies meant for learning, what came after were the inspired drawings. So while I totally get people copying to learn technique, one still cannot claim it as one's own- like you said.