Year: 2012

For any artist to acquire the skills needed to create quality artwork there is a period of time when they must learn from those around them. The information in this article is my personal opinion on the matter and does not reflect any legal advice on plagiarizing itself. It is during this learning process that most begin looking and attempting to mimic what they like in an effort to become better but when does this cross the line and become plagiarizing?

As a general rule most artists did at some point copy and mimic from those they admired and this is fine so long as credit is always given to the original artist. If you trace and copy another person’s work I always recommend that you do so in a separate sketchbook dedicated for that one purpose. The main reason being that should you wish to show your work to someone else you do not want to show copied or traced artwork. In a portfolio type sketchbook you can include animal and people studies but these are more widely accepted because the reference material comes from live photography and becomes an interpretive piece. If at all possible however I always recommend citing your sources since this will avoid any issues that may arise.

The real problems with plagiarizing arise when you claim a piece that wasn’t created by you to be from you. If you were to trace or repaint a piece so that the composition and design elements remained the same then it would be considered plagiarizing because you haven’t changed any of the important design elements. Transitional pieces occur when your transforming the medium in which the piece is being rendered but still runs the risk of being considered plagiarism if the source material has not been provided.

Showing copied work also has another negative effect in that most artists don’t appreciate a piece of that nature. When someone shows me a sketchbook of copied artwork it doesn’t show their creativity but rather their rendering ability. There is a definite difference between someone who copy something and those who understand what it is that they’ve learned through the tracing and copying process.   I’ve heard of some professionals who’ve been shown traced pieces of their artwork and in most cases this was viewed as being very insulting. As a general guideline original pieces show a much better understanding of what was learned and are better suited for portfolio pieces.

As with anything else there is always an exception to every rule. In traditional animation you are expected to trace model sheets until you’re able to draw them from memory because this allows you to draw the character in variety of poses afterwards. These traced pieces never get show but the knowledge gained is used in order accurately draw the character repeatedly for animation. These animations however are new drawings created by the artist so that they appear on model and are a product of the company that they are working for. They are not considered plagiarizing so long as the artist doesn’t claim to be the creator of the characters themselves.

There is a significant difference in what plagiarism is when compared to copyright infringement and I will hopefully be discussing this in a later article. For now I hope I’ve given you enough information so as to avoid plagiarism in your own pieces. I hope you’ve found this information useful and I wish you the best of luck in the future.

Copyright © by Yasmeen @ YarkspiriFantasyArt.com

Whether or not you create digital or traditional pieces, professionals often seem to get a recurring question but does this question have any merit at all? If there are in fact supplies and equipment that does give an artist a higher advantage would this in fact make this person a better artist?

Today, now more than ever, we are surrounded by various tools and supplies which we are told will make us better artists. In most cases these new materials and supplies are variations of pre-existing products, containing minor differences to allow for a specific use. If we look at how art was previously made this might help shed some light in what relevance these might have to artistic skill.

If we look at the renaissance period, most brushes and paint materials were still made by hand. The paint was often combined with minerals, plants and insects to form their own individual pigments. These ingredients needed to be ground down by hand and mixed with oil or yolk to produce the paints for the artist. By using certain routines and procedures, artists were then able to get a more uniform consistency to work with. Brushes were no simple matter either for they also had to be properly tied down to the quill in order for them to stay in place. Most people who created these supplies learned these valuable skills through apprenticeships which were no easy task since these would last for several years. Even with these strong challenges, these artists at the time were able to produce exquisite pieces of art and at a formidable rate. Does this mean that the materials that were being used at the time were better than the ones being used today?

In most cases I’ll argue that our current materials are better and cheaper than what previous artists had available. Many of the ingredients now have to meet certain standards which help control certain toxicity to make it less harmful for the user. Nowadays with the different brands available, there is also more competition between the suppliers which help maintain lower prices. Paints now benefit from formulas which provide a greater consistency when being used and artist no longer need bother with older routines and procedures prior to painting. So if it wasn’t the paint or materials that made the renaissance artists such great painters what was it?

During the renaissance as it is today, it isn’t the materials being used that will create the better artist but rather the experience that they bring to the medium and tools of their trade. An experienced artist is normally very flexible and adaptable because of their ability to apply previous knowledge to their current situations. These artists realize that the materials they are using will act in a certain way and therefore are able to modify their painting style to reflect that medium. If an artist understands the basics of composition and lighting, then they will apply this information to whatever scene they are attempting to create. A professional sculptor will recognize the importance of anatomy and silhouettes and will often keep these as a primary focus while working. While using certain professional products can be beneficial they should never overshadow the skill of the user. For me the greatest example of this is my pen drawings, I use the cheapest pens available to create sketches. I do not use these pens because they are cheap but rather because I know how to use them to achieve the effect that I seek.

Rather than being obsessed about finding the perfect drawing tool or brush, students would greatly benefit from a better understanding of structure, anatomy and composition. Whether you are a professional artist or a novice, I hope this information was useful to you and that you will continue to create new pieces in the future. Best of luck and I hope to see you soon.

Copyright © by Yasmeen @ YarkspiriFantasyArt.com