Hey, I have a question about your referencing/copying/tracing guide: what is the difference between referencing and copying when you are making art from photos? Especially when you’re using the photo to understand the form of the subject, but not the framing or lighting (which is the main way photographers convey their artistic intent). Like, is it usually referencing, since you’re not engaging with many artistic choices to copy, or can it often be considered copying since you are straight up copying the form of the portrayed object?
i had a very big thing typed up i’d thought about for a few days then my computer crashed and i lost it so lets see if i remember ;w;
i feel like this is a case where the difference between copying and referencing isn’t really the point, it’s more about considering yourself what’s important to the piece you’re referencing, how you’re using it, and how is it important to your own work.
copying and referencing depending on the subject matter and need can be virtually the same so it really becomes case-by-case even if it’s photography. like are you drawing an arm exactly as you see it, or is it a completely different pose and you just want to see muscle groups?
i understand what you mean, but i would say too that any aspect of a photo can have intent or lack thereof and it also depends on the type of photography since it’s just as broad as any other type of art.
this is why i say it’s more important to consider the piece and make your own judgement as to whether or not your work breaches the other. if you copy a hand from a photo that’s usually fine, but what if the entire piece is the hand and you’re now reusing a large percentage of their work? but also you could argue a hand is a hand and not unique in that way. it varies.
everyone is going to have their own opinion on where the line is, that’s why this is so grey. when it comes to referencing a subject i’m unfamiliar with i find it helpful to pull from as many sources as possible, it makes it less likely i’m accidentally copying from someone else and means i’m actually working to understand the subject. that or i often just take reference photos myself wherever possible.
heads up. the charts in the middle are very rough guides. everything about copying is super grey, you need to use your own judgement…also I have more notes
Honestly there’s such an unnecessary stigma with tracing, regardless of the context. I used to trace all the time to better understand anatomy, and I still do!
Right? It’s literally the best way to develop an understanding of anatomical shapes, proportions, angles, movements, and limits
I don’t understand the difference between “copying” and “reference” as laid out here.
Am I stupid?
Basically copying = for the picture to look like this, the artist did this because of X reason so I’ll do the same thing as accurately as I can.
Referencing = for the picture to look like this, the artist did this because of X reason so what is my interpretation of X reason so I can get there.
Alright, I have a question. Is tracing AI art and posting it stealing? It’s already stolen assets anyway, right?
stealing something that is stolen is still stealing, it doesn’t double negative itself out.
the thing with AI generated images is you have no idea where the data came from, it could be a blob of 1000s of artists, it could be a 1:1 of an existing work. it’s not traceable even with the prompts. just because you can’t source a work doesn’t change it being theft.
transparency and use is also important, declaring that you’d traced or copied from the image can potentially not be theft but i also don’t really see the point in it anyway.
when i trace or copy i’m trying to understand either form, structure, or the artist’s intent. AI isn’t always anatomically accurate, the aesthetic has no intent, and as it wasn’t created directly by a person there’s no artistic process to learn from. even if it’s visually pleasing you have no way to know if it just pulled it whole from another artist and you’re now just copying from an artist you’ll never know.
heads up. the charts in the middle are very rough guides. everything about copying is super grey, you need to use your own judgement…also I have more notes
Honestly there’s such an unnecessary stigma with tracing, regardless of the context. I used to trace all the time to better understand anatomy, and I still do!
Right? It’s literally the best way to develop an understanding of anatomical shapes, proportions, angles, movements, and limits
I don’t understand the difference between “copying” and “reference” as laid out here.
Am I stupid?
Basically copying = for the picture to look like this, the artist did this because of X reason so I’ll do the same thing as accurately as I can.
Referencing = for the picture to look like this, the artist did this because of X reason so what is my interpretation of X reason so I can get there.
i like this way of distinguishing the two! i was having trouble trying to think of a good way to summarise it ha
they’re very similar concepts and can be interchangeable but yeah i like defining copying as aiming for accuracy and referencing as interpretation. it’s pretty much intent, what you are referencing, and how transformative is the final work.
these are also just my own definitions for the purposes of the guide, i’ve been wanting to make an updated one because i feel like i get a bit too hard with some definitions when everything is very grey. like i mostly included this distinction because i remembered cases of art theft where the work wasn’t traced but so heavily copied to the point it looked traced. but copying can also be like a meme redraw or art study. it’s neither good or bad. it’s all transparency, people are more likely to know you’re not the source of a meme or famous artwork vs copying from a small artist.
not that i can make pins either, but if someone did know how to make pins and wanted to make you designs real, would you let them?
uhh depends on the design and use, cause that gets into licensing stuff which is kinda iffy if it’s a fan design and then yeah general money stuff.
i’ve had enamel pins made before so me not making a design is usually either money related so not enough interest to justify the cost (got a jak and daxter design i’ve been sitting on for years u_u maybe some day), or it isn’t worth the legal risk (like the bear and luna).
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December 17, 2024 09:42
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