Will it hurt to let people post my art in their blogs?

[aCorbin]

Hi everyone, I hope this is the right forum; I believe it is.

Anyway, I frequently am asked if people can use my fan art for their web pages and such, and I usually allow it with the condition they credit me, but today someone asked me if they could use a non-fanart, more personal picture of mine, and I started to say yes, but then I realized how that potentially could be bad since I don't know what could happen to the pic on a site I don't supervise. I'm more laid back about my fan art since, after all, the characters aren't mine to begin with.

But I'm not sure what the risk is in letting your art "go out there." What IS the worst that could happen?

And really, to simply say no to a request (and assuming all the people of the world have the integrity to ask first) doesn't mean they're going to respect your wishes. Not that hard to copy and repost something. So for all I know there could be tons of people reposting my work, perhaps even claiming it as theirs.

I guess that's just the the risk that comes with going public with your work?

[Mirana]

Ha! That reminds me of a character design that I did back in HS. A couple days after posting it on my site, I showed it to a RL friend. Perplexed, she told me she'd already seen it the day before in a chatroom as someone's avatar/ref for their roleplay character! Very surreal and a great introduction to the world of the interwebs and the sneaky bastards that inhabit it. I had an FAQ on my site that said borrowing the work was cool with me so long as you told me about it, but that was too much trouble I guess. ;)

It's up to you and what you feel comfortable with. I didn't usually mind, but there is something weird when it's a personal creation that someone uses as a representation for a totally different character or reason. After that, I just made a notice that I had to be asked and I could turn you down for any reason. Ultimately, it's only going to make a difference to those that are nice enough to ask.

[Qitsune]

There is still a painting of a gryphon I did in 97 floating around on someone's personal page (credited to me) that never got updated since back then, it never caused me any trouble and as far as i can tell, it'S never been stolen from there. No more chance to be stolen from there thn from your portfolio.

[Bruce Pluto]

Interesting question aCorbin.

The reality of the web is that once it’s on the www it’s almost game for any and everyone. It’s good that you are having folks ask permission first. That shows that they are willing to try and do things the right way. Now once your artwork is on here it can be taken and used by almost anyone and for whatever purpose. That isn’t right but it happens. The hard truth is, if you don’t want it taken then don’t post it on the web. You can take legal action but that may be a long and dreadful road. Having folks give you credit for your work is a good thing. If you’re looking for compensation for your artwork then just realize that anything you put up for free is building a portfolio. Characters that are copyrighted by a company or individual belong to them only. If you do anything that is copyrighted then it’s just for practice or to show your take on the subject. If you have a fear that your work will be used not in the context or in the intended way you want then don’t grant permission. Plain and simple. The good thing about the web is that your work can get out there and be visible; the bad thing is it can be taken and used.

Hope this isn’t sounding like a bad thing because it’s not meant that way. It’s just the reality of things. Allow what you want to be seen to be seen but if you have some reserve about something then don’t grant permission or don’t post it on the web. “Most” people will honor your intentions ( most).

Bruce

[Steph]

If your name/link or whatever is clearly visible on the artwork there shouldn't be too much of a problem in it being beyond your control. Especially if it's too small to print or use for anything.

I have one of my drawings that gets posted around the internets quite a bit. There's also a picture of me in a costume (weird, eh) that gets past around even more! i've found it on blogs, forums, personal pages, myspaces... All this beyond my control. I just find it amusing, there's no harm in it really, it means people think im just that cool, hahahah, or my costume is cool.

My only regret is that the signature on my drawing is almost invisible and people dont know who the artist is.

[aCorbin]

Wow, thank you guys for getting back to me that fast! :)

I'm really glad that I did put a small watermark on the personal picture I was talking about. Unless the "borrower" had exceptional Ps skills they couldn't erase it too easily.

The good thing about the web is that your work can get out there and be visible; the bad thing is it can be taken and used.

Yeah...and I think it's worth it to have your port available online. Guess all you can do is be careful.

Thanks again guys!

[Mirana]

My only regret is that the signature on my drawing is almost invisible and people dont know who the artist is.

I've known artists to do two signatures: One big enough to be read and one small enough to be missed so that if/when someone tries to rip their work and smudge out the big signature, the small one is still identifiable. ;)

The hard truth is, if you don’t want it taken then don’t post it on the web. You can take legal action but that may be a long and dreadful road.

Mmm, there are ways to get work taken down if somebody is using it in a way you don't agree with. Most of the time it's being used on sites like DA or other art sites and a quick heads up to admins is all it takes. If the admins aren't listening, or the work is on a personal site...a mock up Cease and Desist goes a long way--especially if sent to the person's ISP.

aCorbin - I figure this discussion was about personal works, but it should be mentioned that work you do for a company is a different animal and should remain in your portfolio (unless of course, it was licensed and not work-for-hire).